Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 045-130
Date: Tuesday, May 1, 1973 at 11:50 PM
Participants: Kissinger, Henry A.; Nixon, Richard M. (President)
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/045-130

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] Hello.
[0:01] Mr. President, Dr. Kistrick calling.
[0:03] Yes, sir.
[0:03] All right.
[0:04] Thank you.
[0:06] Go ahead, please.
[0:07] Hello.
[0:07] Mr. President.
[0:08] Hello, Henry.
[0:09] I thought that was a very touching toast you made.
[0:11] Oh, thank you.
[0:12] Thank you.
[0:13] It was really, it showed great strength.
[0:16] Well?
[0:17] Well, everyone at my table was tremendously moved.
[0:20] Well, that's fine.
[0:22] And
[0:22] Just keep the faith, Henry.
[0:24] I mean, all this yakking about the Senate and the special prosecutor.
[0:28] Hell, Richardson's got that power.
[0:29] It's what he's going to do.
[0:30] Mr. President.
[0:31] And they're all they want.
[0:33] They're not after home.
[0:34] Erdogan, I suppose, and they're after me.
[0:36] Oh, no, they're after you.
[0:37] But that's all right.
[0:38] We made the right move, though, didn't we?
[0:40] No, you had to do it.
[0:41] It was unbelievably painful and tragic.
[0:45] But it had to be done.
[0:47] We've had a very good reaction from the country in the speech, if you don't mind.
[0:51] And it wouldn't have done any good to delay it, because it would have destroyed John and Bob even more.
[0:57] I agree.
[0:58] And so you did the right thing by them and the right thing by the country.
[1:03] And going on television was very important, because we had 70 million people, and that's the important thing.
[1:08] You know, we ought to be over the heads of the press that way.
[1:10] Well, the press will scream for another few days.
[1:13] That's right.
[1:15] If there aren't any more major things coming out, I think that we'll do it.
[1:18] Oh, there may be, but what the hell.
[1:21] There's much more left in me.
[1:23] But the thing now is to get on with the business of this country.
[1:27] Exactly.
[1:28] And that's what we're doing.
[1:29] The way you put it today was really beautifully done.
[1:33] Also the manner.
[1:35] Very relaxed, very confident.
[1:38] Good, Henry.
[1:38] What's good of you to call?
[1:39] Not at all.
[1:40] Be sure you let Bob and John know you're still behind them.
[1:43] I called them every day, and I called their wives.
[1:47] Right, Mr. Smith.