Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 491-005
Date: Wednesday, April 28, 1971 at 12:00 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.; Cox, Tricia Nixon; Conant, Howell
Recording device: Oval Office
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/491-005

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] I'm sure it's not here yet.
[0:07] All right.
[0:07] He'll be on the way over in just about five minutes.
[0:08] All right.
[0:09] I'm going to kiss you.
[0:09] I'm sure it'll make you happy.
[0:10] This is how Kyle is a great photographer.
[0:20] He's a good friend.
[0:24] We sit around here and try to get some asshole shot.
[0:29] What he gets in mind is that first of all, an informal shot is actually pretty clean by the office to see you.
[0:31] You know, if you're just chatting with her over here, you may take her hand or something.
[0:33] Just whatever you do, actually with her.
[0:34] He'd get one of those in here.
[0:36] Then we'll probably step outside here and even do like, you know, some closer in shots of the cover type thing.
[0:45] This guy's great and nothing will run without our approval.
[0:47] So you do know that.
[0:50] House is quiet.
[0:51] Yes, sir.
[1:18] .
[1:20] Sir, isn't your view, is it?
[1:28] No, I don't think the praise of Christ, I don't give a goddamn bit of praise.
[1:32] No, I agree with that.
[1:33] I don't think there's any praise.
[1:34] I don't think we should give the critics an opportunity to nod or to, you know, if the press gets rough, the press is going to go right back to the jobs.
[1:41] Well, sure, sir.
[1:41] Those people start to be malicious and vicious, sir.
[1:49] Half of the effect that we don't hear of people that are against the war.
[2:06] For Christ's sake, half of the government has cannons against the war.
[2:07] Can't say that.
[2:08] The White House has, what do they think?
[2:09] Got to make a point.
[2:09] And, you know what?
[2:09] They're out of sight against the war.
[2:11] They're out of sight against what we're doing.
[2:13] That's what we're always talking about.
[2:14] And of course, we have all sorts of clowns that are coming in here, you know.
[2:17] the posture you've taken on this is you know conveying an understanding
[2:45] All those who express themselves, but then in that posture, holding firm.
[2:51] You know, things work out the way.
[2:54] Right.
[2:55] We didn't actually allow them to malign the Americans.
[3:07] We're not going to allow them to malign us for bombing.
[3:08] We couldn't allow them for civilian.
[3:09] We're not going to allow them to malign the Americans.
[3:10] We're there and all the rest to have a double standard.
[3:11] Not to mention what the enemy's done.
[3:12] If I got there, I'm going to find out.
[3:22] I mean, where is there one of them?
[3:32] Do any of those guys, for example, stand up and a flag goes by?
[3:44] Do any of them?
[3:44] Well, one or two of them.
[3:45] No, no, no.
[3:45] He's going to stand up.
[3:45] He's going to stand up.
[3:46] He's going to stand up.
[3:46] He's going to stand up.
[3:47] He's going to stand up.
[3:48] That's right, that's like this.
[4:13] All right.
[4:14] In terms of what they had in mind, it was just a very casual picture here in the office.
[4:15] You know what I'm saying?
[4:16] They thought you were so lucky you got a body in the office.
[4:18] We'll probably set it outside.
[4:39] It's not too cold for him.
[4:40] Where he would do some, you know, close range shots.
[4:41] Okay.
[4:50] Okay, that's a very lovely costume.
[5:04] Thank you.
[5:10] This is the one I was waiting for.
[5:11] Oh, yes.
[5:11] This is a photograph of Hal Connors, but the photographer's going to take it.
[5:13] Oh, it is.
[5:13] He liked it.
[5:13] That's good.
[5:14] Well, we'll have enough of it.
[5:16] Unfortunately, we're going to come back Monday, but that's okay with you.
[5:17] Oh, it's fine.
[5:17] We'll just have a few days.
[5:18] Three days.
[5:18] That would be nice.
[5:19] Thank you.
[5:21] It could happen on the go.
[5:41] Maybe, maybe.
[5:41] All right, I need to call a doctor.
[5:42] All right.
[5:42] All the clients are pretty well done now.
[5:43] I mean, they need education.
[5:44] Yes, they need education.
[5:44] Very, very good.
[5:45] I need to call a doctor.
[5:53] Now, maybe not this one, but one more.
[6:07] Mr. President, you should get him, and I can take him to the door.
[6:25] Hi there, how are you?
[6:25] Nice to see you.
[6:26] Nice to see you.
[6:26] All right, thank you.
[6:26] And he says this is one of yours.
[6:27] Yes, very.
[6:27] Right.
[6:27] Well, you see, it's a place of honor.
[6:28] Now, tell us what you'd like to do, because it will cooperate, except you can't.
[6:30] We're going to do 10 shots, one inside, one outside, right?
[6:45] The first one is kind of a moose shot, I think, with maybe nutrition standing by the window.
[6:47] Good.
[6:47] This one or one of these two here?
[6:48] Yeah.
[6:50] How do you like that?
[6:50] Do you like to let it roll?
[6:51] Or do you like it a little more?
[6:52] Yeah, the way she's going to pull that back and pull up in her, so, you know, that's perfect.
[6:53] Is there anything you want?
[6:54] Yeah.
[6:54] Is there anything you want?
[6:55] Yeah.
[6:59] It usually is just very, very cold.
[7:23] Do you want more light in the room?
[7:23] What?
[7:24] Oh, I see.
[7:24] Thank you.
[7:24] This is a, uh, this is a, uh, is it real?
[7:25] Yeah.
[7:25] That's the bar.
[7:25] Oh, that's great.
[7:26] That was great.
[7:26] Yes, sir.
[7:32] Okay.
[7:39] All right, Mr. Anderson, if I can, I want to include you here in the cameras here, you and the brothers and sisters.
[7:59] Yeah, we have a real shutdown over here.
[8:00] These lights are just not as deep as those can be.
[8:02] They're kind of getting less and less.
[8:03] People cannot go to sleep.
[8:03] Mr. President, let's grab a little bit of a mood.
[8:04] I'm just doing your daughter's talk.
[8:05] It's a little bit here at the camera.
[8:06] Uh, oh, I don't hear anything.
[8:25] Oh, I hear nothing.
[8:25] Okay.
[8:25] Do you want to mull off on this?
[8:26] Yeah.
[8:26] I might be able to do that.
[8:27] I better let it go.
[8:27] Yeah.
[8:27] There.
[8:27] Wait a minute.
[8:27] All right.
[8:28] We've got to go through this technical nonsense.
[8:29] All right.
[8:39] It's a visual, but a visual.
[8:47] It's been a good day for about three more days in a month.
[9:12] Oh, boy, look what's going to get in the picture.
[9:13] Look what's going to get in the picture.
[9:14] I think it's just standing there.
[9:15] This is a smash.
[9:15] All right.
[9:15] All right.
[9:16] I'm sorry.
[9:41] I'm sorry.
[9:41] I'm sorry.
[9:41] I'm sorry.
[9:42] I'm sorry.
[9:42] I'm sorry.
[9:42] I'm sorry.
[9:43] Yeah.
[9:54] That's by the other one.
[10:04] That's by the older field.
[10:05] Oh, it's hard right now.
[10:10] It's going click, click.
[10:11] Very good.
[10:11] Once again, the other camera.
[10:11] Oh, this is great.
[10:13] I usually have to start talking to relax Tricia by saying that I'm the world's greatest apocryphal.
[10:18] Yeah, like the British black secretary of defense today.
[10:21] Johnson, Johnny Johnson.
[10:28] Yeah.
[10:28] Yeah.
[10:29] That's a spirit.
[10:44] Good.
[10:52] And maybe you can look out.
[10:53] Go ahead, Trisha.
[10:53] That's a spirit.
[10:53] Like, where are you going to get married?
[10:54] Here's a good idea.
[10:55] Just a little closer to your palm, please.
[10:55] That's a spirit, right?
[10:56] All right.
[10:56] Give it a chance.
[10:56] Really quick.
[11:01] You don't think you want to go over and see him?
[11:21] That's a spirit.
[11:26] Okay.
[11:38] Okay.
[11:38] Uh, Mr. President, maybe just both of you look at each other, you know, for a couple.
[11:48] Why, Charlie?
[11:48] That's it.
[11:49] And I think we're finished with that one.
[11:50] Surely, uh, why don't some of them should be debated, we'll see.
[11:51] We're still at the latter when you're both being angry.
[11:52] That would be a great idea, you know?
[11:53] Yeah, we changed it.
[11:53] We're going to change it.
[11:54] We're going to change it.
[11:54] We're going to change it.
[11:55] We're going to change it.
[11:55] We're going to change it.
[11:56] We're going to change it.
[11:57] When you were talking at the press conference, Black was the first warrant officer in the Navy.
[12:16] Oh yeah, I was the first Chief Warrant Officer in the Conqueror Reserve in the Navy.
[12:18] He was a Marine.
[12:18] This guy was a Marine, a warrant officer.
[12:19] He was the first Negro and the first warrant officer in the Marine.
[12:21] A lot of them now.
[12:22] And now he's the first assistant secretary of the Navy who's blocked.
[12:36] Now, other than him, he's not the assistant secretary of the Navy.
[12:37] He's been really good.
[12:38] But in favor this morning, he was the first black guy on CNN.
[12:39] Well, he did.
[12:39] We're not just trying to get him out.
[12:40] We've got to get him out.
[12:40] We've got to get him out.
[12:41] We've got to get him out.
[12:41] You're right up here to the girl.
[12:58] We ought to say hello to her when we finish, too.
[13:19] No, I'll see you tomorrow morning.
[13:20] Yeah, I'll say hello to her.
[13:21] I think it's better when we're in the middle of the picture and not the end of it.
[13:22] Exactly.
[13:22] That's what I'm saying.
[13:23] We're going to have to admit it.
[13:24] We're going to see her now.
[13:24] All right.
[13:24] I'll call you.
[13:25] Why didn't you call me?
[13:25] Because I had a picture of you.
[13:26] I said, oh, yeah, that's right.
[13:26] No?
[13:26] Close the phone.
[13:27] Would you like a cup of coffee?
[13:46] Yes, please.
[13:49] I just want you to take a look at yourself.
[14:04] You look white today.
[14:04] Do you?
[14:04] Do you understand me?
[14:05] Oh, this light is better.
[14:05] Isn't it?
[14:05] I remember that.
[14:06] I remember that.
[14:06] When you've got a heavy sunlight, it's pretty bright in the shadows.
[14:07] We always draw a backboard or something.
[14:08] I'll speak to you.
[14:09] Stop it.
[14:09] All right.
[14:09] All right.
[14:09] That's right, that's right.
[14:27] Because I don't dye my hair.
[14:28] I don't dye my hair.
[14:28] But I have a dark color.
[14:29] But why is it that when it got darker, people didn't get to see my hair?
[14:30] They always watched me dye my hair.
[14:31] This is a little closer to where it's at, maybe gray.
[14:45] The dark tones, the dark tones are always beyond the time of the helping.
[14:47] That's right.
[14:47] They don't tell me.
[14:48] They don't tell me.
[14:48] They never tell me.
[14:48] A lot of people are like that.
[14:49] We'll get the main thing in the house in here.
[15:11] You're in there.
[15:11] I guess with my president's daughter, I'm going to get my age.
[15:12] It's going to be four or five.
[15:13] Or, I'm going to say, whatever.
[15:13] Don't tell anybody.
[15:14] Jack, don't tell anybody.
[15:14] Eric, let's get clarity.
[15:15] Let's get the secrets out.
[15:15] Come on, everybody.
[15:16] Let's get the secrets out.
[15:16] Okay.
[15:16] Here's how you get out.
[15:17] Set that light up.
[15:17] Move.
[15:17] Move.