Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 333-026
Date: Wednesday, April 26, 1972 at 5:01 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.
Recording device: Old Executive Office Building
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/333-026

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:01] I was just going to, I only called to give you a thought to be a reminder that I think we've got to let Flaherty in on the private talk today.
[0:17] I mean, it's not fair to tell Rogers that it's not Flaherty.
[0:19] And I think in this case, the way I was telling today, I was saying, Mel, the president, I mean, well, you know, we've got to tell Bill about this.
[0:26] He thinks it's a great decision to lawyer and all that.
[0:28] You ought to know this for your own information.
[0:30] And if you've got to be prepared afterwards to do something, start letting know or something.
[0:47] But I shouldn't tell him to go out tonight because when he agrees on this drawdown, he'll then certainly be tonight.
[0:50] Probably you could tell him tomorrow.
[0:51] Friday, sure.
[0:53] On the other day, Friday, I can dance to a tune.
[0:54] You could tell him now.
[0:55] Say, now the president has a special announcement.
[1:00] I'll give Rogers a copy of that 16.
[1:20] Oh, sure.
[1:22] Now, we, uh, don't want to bother you with that.
[1:23] Talk to Alderman.
[1:24] We're having some Rogers fun again.
[1:25] Which, as you predicted.
[1:25] Well, now, he wants to grab credit for this tall thing.
[1:26] Oh, really?
[1:26] And he says he insists on being present when I talk to Sven.
[1:28] Yesterday, when I told him to make a report to us, he said, ah, whatever you
[1:29] And I agreed with all of them.
[1:43] Have you a friend?
[1:47] Oh yes, I will have a friend, but I'll be brutal.
[1:51] I'll say, look, I have all the papers, how it was done.
[1:54] I will not ask for any credit.
[1:54] My name will never be mentioned.
[1:55] There will only be one issue now.
[1:56] This is the president's affair.
[1:56] And you, Charlie, are going to get it done.
[1:58] And this group, if anyone starts speaking, we'll stop you.
[2:12] Take my word for this, one subject... You know, I almost predicted that.
[2:15] But what's the other one?
[2:17] You know, he wouldn't have called that Saturday, except for that.
[2:21] Mr. President, he doesn't even know about the goddamn summary proposal.
[2:23] That proposal doesn't even exist here.
[2:24] Could you do this?
[2:24] Could you get the jury in advance so that he can
[2:26] letting him say that he didn't know about it, so that Rogers could hear your presence.
[2:41] Yes, I'll have one of my staff members present.
[2:45] Now, what I mean is, is he Rogers?
[2:45] There's no possible way, Mr. President, around this thing.
[2:48] What's the trouble?
[2:48] Why isn't one of you present?
[2:49] Because I know what the game is.
[2:49] He's fast as a stick.
[2:50] When you write a speech, when you're bombing, I don't hear anyone.
[2:52] They haven't even asked you.
[2:53] I don't, I wouldn't give him the Huffington Sound.
[3:15] But then he'll want to call for corrections.
[3:16] But there's not going to be any corrections in this case, do you understand?
[3:19] He understands, correct?
[3:19] Correct.
[3:19] Did he call all of them?
[3:20] Yeah, he called all of them.
[3:20] But if I see some other people...
[3:22] We were starting at the end of that meeting.
[3:43] Did you tell a lot?
[3:44] What about you?
[3:46] You know, the...
[3:46] Wait, wait.
[3:48] Did you give this to Roach yet?
[3:49] Did you give it to him?
[3:50] I didn't.
[3:50] I didn't.
[3:50] It's so bad.
[3:50] You know, you can't take that on your way.
[3:51] I don't know.
[3:51] I don't know.
[3:52] Press forward.
[3:53] Or maybe not, you know, Kraft.
[4:04] Kraft has got to admire the diplomatic skill here.
[4:13] What do you think?
[4:14] You see, the problem with giving the goddamn speech to Rogers is he's likely to call five minutes or ten minutes before I go on and say, Well, you shouldn't see him or talk to him.
[4:19] You'll just make him nervous.
[4:19] Well, I mean, I don't mind him, but
[4:21] If he's got something to say, give him the speech.
[4:32] I won't give him the speech.
[4:35] The mention brought to me is when I give him this, whether they'll start thinking it out.
[4:37] What, they'll assault him?
[4:41] Yeah.
[4:41] Well, if they do, I'll do it myself.
[4:43] If they do, I'll call them charlatans and give them their own story.
[4:46] Have them opposed it?
[4:47] Yeah.
[4:47] You know, I'd have to direct what they're interested in.
[4:48] I'd have to direct what... Why?
[4:49] What do you think Rogers would want to do?
[4:50] Put it out that the state did this?
[4:50] Yes, sir.
[4:51] I don't think that's what he's trying to say.
[5:02] It's a goddamn thing to do with Solomon.
[5:04] President Rogers has never attended one meeting.
[5:05] He couldn't tell you what an SLPM is.
[5:07] He couldn't tell you what conversion is or any of this.
[5:08] He's never taken interest in it.
[5:09] But when he called you on Saturday, you hit stick with him.
[5:11] Well, I know it.
[5:11] I know it.
[5:11] I talked to him yesterday.
[5:12] Well, Haig knew it.
[5:13] See, Haig.
[5:14] And that's why I called Haig.
[5:16] And Haig, uh, you know, that's what Haig and I wired him, because we knew it was up.
[5:32] And since they, the fact is, they don't have the SLVN proposal.
[5:34] And we have it.
[5:35] Now, it would be nice if I could hold it, but we need to try and see.
[5:38] But the defense department, of course, we've got to get it in while you draw our arguments.
[5:40] You can't get the chief in the defense department.
[5:41] Gordon, I know what you'll probably say.
[5:42] This isn't a good proposal.
[5:44] Oh, not bad.
[5:46] I think he was the one that insisted in the NSC that we include SLPN.
[6:09] And also that he read the agreement.
[6:10] The agreement was made that he was astonished.
[6:11] Raj has talked to him for 30 seconds and said SLPN ought to be included.
[6:13] And he said, how, Mr. Secretary?
[6:13] He said, oh, I don't bother about these details.
[6:14] He said, it's done by the committee.
[6:16] Well, isn't that something?
[6:32] Well, on the speech, as I said, has he asked for a copy of it?
[6:42] Yeah.
[6:42] Tell you what you do.
[6:42] Give him the key.
[6:45] Oh, that I'll send over.
[6:46] I mean, the key part.
[6:48] And just say the balance of it is the rhetoric is that the president is working on that.
[6:53] And send that over to him about 8 to 8.30.
[6:56] How's that?
[6:57] But you've given him the points of where Abrams reported that thing.
[7:00] Well, what the hell?
[7:01] He asked for more of it.
[7:07] What?
[7:09] There's not much more.
[7:10] Well, I just have to say the rest of it I'm still working on.