Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 505-005
Date: Wednesday, May 26, 1971 at 12:13 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Butterfield, Alexander P.
Recording device: Oval Office
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/505-005

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.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 going to have to tell you of some temporary decisions I've made on the state of the country.
[0:20] All right, more than I was established yesterday.
[0:22] Alex, I'm not going to waste my time working.
[0:35] I just have a lot of work to do.
[0:36] Put it around the, if he wants to meet a lot of people, put it around the, just stay down, you know, 40 people around the square table and stuff like that.
[0:39] You just have to call and put your money on it at that time.
[0:41] I thought you'd approve the 18.
[0:51] I thought that you'd approve it, but we can certainly add to it.
[0:55] They've only got, you know, they've got comedy and much bad.
[0:56] This is a chance to get us together.
[0:57] I want to see it.
[0:57] I'd add, I'd go up to, I'd get on the phone and add, and get up to 30, 30 to 40 people, you know what I'm saying?
[1:09] That'd be a lot more, a little like March, yeah.
[1:11] Okay, so we've got, there's no formal, it's just an announcement, it's just a blue line.
[1:13] We've got a short period of air, sherry, and fruit juice in the blue room.
[1:25] All right.
[1:25] String ensemble on the outside.
[1:28] All right.
[1:28] You want to stay down here.
[1:29] I'm going to sit down.
[1:29] No friends, only Ollie.
[1:30] Sharky, get a few crutches as you sit down.
[1:31] All right.
[1:31] Only one wine, but more than that would be pretty heavy if I should look at it.
[1:35] Just have champagne.
[1:36] Just champagne, okay?
[1:37] Nothing else.
[1:39] All right, champagne.
[1:40] You'll give a short toast with your sugar, and he'll respond.
[1:41] He'll speak English.
[1:42] He does speak English, but they think if he's going to say any new substance, he's going to use the interpreter.
[1:53] How many people seem to think that?
[1:57] I never used the interpreter.
[1:58] You understand?
[1:59] Do we?
[1:59] Do you remember our rule?
[1:59] Never interpret what I say.
[2:00] Yes, sir.
[2:00] Do you remember that?
[2:01] Yeah.
[2:02] So we never do that.
[2:03] If he speaks in the other language, interpret what he says, but don't interpret my stuff in English.
[2:07] Just read it.
[2:07] And then copy it and take it and do it again.
[2:11] Can I have this thing now?
[2:15] Good.
[2:16] Uh, three courses only.
[2:19] Not any four.
[2:19] No, three courses only.
[2:21] Five o'clock.
[2:21] Yeah.
[2:21] They're having a sand and fish course in a small club in the desert.
[2:23] I'm not sure what it is.
[2:26] You've got to go there and sit here.
[2:35] One wine or three, never two.
[2:36] Just one.
[2:37] We've always said, just champagne.
[2:37] That's the, that's what you have as a broiler.
[2:38] Just champagne.
[2:39] Nothing else.
[2:39] It is served with champagne.
[2:39] We'll let it move that way.
[2:40] We'll let it move that way.
[2:41] I'd add 10 or 12 if you can find them.
[2:57] There's a chance you can get ahold of McGregor's instrument.
[3:02] You can add 20 for that matter.
[3:02] I mean, make it up to 40.
[3:03] I mean, we ain't gonna sit around working on this bunch of bullshit.
[3:05] Nobody talks.
[3:05] I mean, nobody talks in that kind of event.
[3:06] Even I don't talk.
[3:06] Just sit 40 of them.
[3:07] Let them all sit around and get things.
[3:08] They've got a chance to get some coverage.
[3:08] So I'm just gonna have to show you the ones that are semi-semitic and the best.
[3:10] But some of our guys have done a good job for us, particularly the conservative side, those that have done a good job for us.
[3:24] Get them a graver and say, here's a chance to get 20 congressmen to watch.
[3:26] Fair enough.
[3:26] This is good.
[3:26] If there's any big shot, nobody can oil.
[3:29] It shouldn't happen to oil people, but if you have some oil people, it's going to be good.
[3:34] Rock holders.
[3:36] No, we just walk around.
[3:43] No, no, no, no.
[3:43] If we have 40, we'll stand there and let them come around.
[3:49] We must not walk around like that.
[3:50] We'll walk in first.
[3:51] We'll just walk in, stand around, let them come around, go right in and sit down.
[3:54] If I can run the thing out, it's an hour and a half a weekend.
[3:58] All right.