Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 245-005
Date: Tuesday, April 6, 1971 at 9:59 AM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Ford, Gerald R.; Kissinger, Henry A.
Recording device: Old Executive Office Building
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/245-005
National Archives Catalog: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/417183227 (NAID 417183227)

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] Hello?
[0:07] Hi, Jerry.
[0:08] What's the matter with your opposite number?
[0:11] God, when I read the Star last night, I thought she made funny comments.
[0:30] I said that she was on the ground and failed the FBI and is not having a chance on another one.
[0:33] Not only on no country, but on no country.
[0:34] Not even anybody that has ever been able to cross into that Capitol since 1924.
[0:38] She was a burden.
[0:39] I'm going to hold over the governor.
[0:40] This is the most ridiculous thing, isn't it?
[0:48] But the trouble is, is he not a softie?
[0:49] Or is he crazy?
[1:18] Well, that's the problem.
[1:26] I'm afraid that we'd better not.
[1:33] I always wanted to have a meeting at 7 o'clock on the night of the big five.
[1:38] How the hell can I tell them?
[1:39] That's, of course, only two hours before, so we can't do much.
[1:40] I don't think I can ever tell them anything else.
[1:46] I know.
[1:54] Well, everything, frankly everything I say is classified because they want to hold the president and become part of the record.
[1:58] Well, anyway, I don't know.
[2:10] Is this something that you can talk to Carl about and come to him and say, well, in other words, I never would probably meet with you and Carl, but maybe that's an answer.
[2:21] I'll meet with you and Carl, and I just don't want to have this all down here, because you can't have it done.
[2:23] I mean, with Carl, you agree he isn't everyone we know.
[2:26] Yeah.
[2:27] Well, all right, I'll leave it to you to talk about it, Jerry, and, uh... Well, it is.
[2:52] I'll tell you what to do.
[2:52] Uh, why don't you, uh...
[2:53] I'll call you back.
[2:53] If I'm not mine, let me.
[2:54] I'll tell you what to do.
[2:54] But if you find, if you find Carl, then what we'll do is we'll tell you, Carl,
[2:57] and from the House.
[3:07] Just that we want only two from the House, and I'll have only Mike and Scott from the Senate.
[3:12] After all, in a sense, the Speaker is a part of it.
[3:13] And it would be like having the president approach him and leave it at Dave Russell for recess.
[3:35] But we don't have that element here.
[3:36] So I think if I could have you and Carl, I'd feel perfectly free to talk any time.
[3:38] And I just remember you.
[3:38] That's what I do.
[3:38] But I don't feel like talking to him this long.
[3:41] I mean, he's my chief.
[3:41] I need to talk to him.
[3:42] Well, we'd like to have you down at 7 o'clock tomorrow night again.
[3:44] because there is something great about it that may not develop, but you don't want to negotiate it, but I don't, but I just want to give you a little feeling, you know?
[4:05] But I would never do it if Bob was there.
[4:06] Right?
[4:06] I'd have no problem with the money to say,
[4:07] All right, but I'm glad you... What do the other members think of this?
[4:26] Understand, we all know who it is.
[4:26] Oh, so forth and so on.
[4:27] And he's got to make up his own mind about the retirement thing.
[4:28] We know that.
[4:28] But on the other hand, gee, God, you can't just damn the whole FBI for being gestapo.
[4:30] That's just ridiculous.
[4:31] Would the Democrats shock some of that?
[4:35] Yeah.
[4:42] I wish I was never going to get on a tube.
[4:59] I see.
[4:59] All right.
[5:00] Okay.
[5:00] Now, I'll tell you, this is an L.A. harbor.
[5:01] You go, you're flying around, you go over there, you just pipe down on a couple of other horses and just wiggle after they hear what I have to say.
[5:09] Well, the whole point is that something's not going to help the crew.
[5:27] I mean, we know there's probably 25 or something like that.
[5:28] But the main point is that it's going to go on for a long time.
[5:29] And you were in a very good morning show.
[5:30] I didn't see it, but I heard it was really good.
[5:32] So you put it right in the room.
[5:32] Keep kicking on it until you know where.
[5:34] Okay.