Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 237-036
Date: Friday, December 29, 1972 at 6:49 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Kennedy, Richard T. (Col.)
Recording device: Camp David Hard Wire
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/237-036

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:02] Did you cover Alex Johnson?
[0:13] Bye.
[0:14] Yeah.
[0:15] I hope you told Alex that one thing I want to be sure he understands, and I know it will hurt him, but that under absolutely no circumstances are the Australians, either through their ambassador or their prime minister, to receive any advance notice.
[0:32] Right.
[0:32] He felt pretty pleased with it.
[0:50] Good.
[0:52] Got to be ready.
[0:52] Even though it was hard.
[0:53] That's good.
[0:53] Because he's basically a very decent fellow who sees these things in perspective.
[0:59] Even the depression.
[1:10] Well, the thing they're going to offer, right, is that basically the things we were discussing with Warren today was they're heating him up.
[1:20] Why?
[1:20] Why did we do it?
[1:21] Why did we bomb him?
[1:22] And all that jazz.
[1:24] We had too many talks.
[1:27] We could have talked anyway without bombing.
[1:30] Of course, they're totally wrong.
[1:31] You and I know what we found.
[1:32] We bombed him.
[1:33] We got him back to the table in a serious manner.
[1:35] Now they're back.
[1:38] How did we go?
[1:40] You and I were here, but we don't.
[1:43] I'll expose the director.
[2:12] Alex feels, too, that they're getting it up because they're under enormous stress.
[2:34] Okay, fine.
[2:36] Well, then it goes on 10 o'clock in the morning.
[2:37] Warren, do you think as well?
[2:48] Right.
[2:54] All right.
[2:54] Thank you.