Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 502-009
Date: Thursday, May 20, 1971 at 10:09 AM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.; Bull, Stephen B.
Recording device: Oval Office
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/502-009

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] To ask you whether or not you feel that it's a legal action, I should have said that it was a defensive weapon.
[0:23] So to you, it was a defensive weapon only?
[0:24] Absolutely.
[0:27] And why did you limit both?
[0:27] Right.
[0:27] And did you consider that to the outside people?
[0:28] I did not.
[0:29] No.
[0:29] Okay.
[0:29] Thank you.
[0:34] I do agree.
[0:36] I will say it.
[0:43] Actually, it wasn't fair not to give you more of a place.
[0:53] Oh, no, no, no, Mr. President.
[0:53] I don't want the place.
[0:56] You may leave.
[0:56] I don't want the place.
[0:57] You should have the name right here.
[0:58] They all know.
[0:58] They all know.
[0:58] Anybody in the room, they all know.
[0:59] Everybody stays this way here.
[1:01] I think the major thing was to say builds and melts phase.
[1:07] And the credits.
[1:07] Right.
[1:08] No, that was fine.
[1:10] I really believe me, Mr. President.
[1:11] I have no sensitivity on that point.
[1:20] And... Well...
[1:24] If I have...
[1:27] Now, should I tell the leaders that early in January, this is an outside, outside, I don't want to say this, but early in January, I took a personal issue with the highest level of the record, that's what I said.
[1:46] I said that.
[1:46] I said that.
[1:46] But please don't use that.
[1:47] They'll use it anyway, but say.
[1:47] Yeah.
[1:47] No, I didn't say that.
[1:49] I mean, I'd say, no, I think you should say it.
[2:00] I think you should say it.
[2:10] No, sir.
[2:10] Apparently, Albert Boggs and Neil are not going to be able to attend the Democratic meeting.
[2:12] The four garrons are supposed to be here.
[2:13] They just have not arrived, sir.
[2:14] We're going to have to wait for them.
[2:15] We've got to wait three or four minutes.
[2:16] The answer is close to 10 minutes.
[2:17] Well, I don't know whether they're here or not.
[2:18] Their office is set there on their way, sir.
[2:18] I think I should say, go ahead.
[2:19] I just want to say that early in January, to these leaders, absolutely.
[2:33] You should get the credit for the reversion of issues.
[2:36] And this is the beginning of issues.
[2:37] I want some more questions.
[2:39] Dan Fulbright came up to me and said, you've been subverting the Congress again.
[2:42] I said, how could I have been subverting?
[2:44] He said, well, the vote yesterday, that was done.
[2:46] It's an act of subversion of the Congress.
[2:47] You'll be a marriage.
[2:53] I wonder whether for dramatic effect, Mr. President, but you are so much better at that.
[3:15] It isn't best just to read this statement and then go into the history for these guys.
[3:19] Just say I want to read to you a statement that's going to be released at 12 noon.
[3:31] Well, I thought that I would very quickly.
[3:35] I will say, gentlemen, the Soviet-American cross-country nuclear arms have been deadlocked for over a year.
[3:38] In early January, I undertook an initiative at the highest level to attempt to break this deadlock.
[3:40] This statement is not allowed to be read.
[3:47] Very intensive negotiations will be required.
[4:04] And that's that.
[4:04] Thank you.