Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 522-007
Date: Wednesday, June 16, 1971 at 12:59 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.
Recording device: Oval Office
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/522-007

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:02] Well, they said, well, the first question, one of the questions is how long are we going to continue with the suppression of this?
[0:29] And then I said, our interest is not suppressing the information.
[0:32] Our interest goes to the national security aspects, and I hit that.
[0:37] Then I said, our interest is not the details of the matter, of holding back the information.
[0:41] Our interest goes to the handling of classified information.
[0:43] I said, for example, as I understand it from what the New York Times said, this pre-advanced publicity tomorrow or today was going to be on the Kennedy administration.
[0:52] So I got that point in.
[0:54] Then I got the point in about...
[0:57] about our dealings with other governments now i said for example you take the mutual balance force reduction strategic arms limitation talks the berlin talks a number of matters that have vital interests to this country the national interest in this country the security of this country a government must be able to to engage in confidential conversations with other governments if not the government is not viable it cannot operate i said that's where our interest goes
[1:24] Not for this depression.
[1:25] Does American people have a right to know a good deal consistent with national interest?
[1:32] So I tried to...
[1:32] Were you able to use the brand finder for that work?
[1:35] I used it in relation to...
[1:36] I did pull the document up because I didn't want to...
[1:39] They wouldn't take pictures and all this type of thing, and I didn't.
[1:44] Well, just keep hitting the same point.
[1:49] They won't keep writing the other point.
[1:51] They're interested in it.
[1:52] They're interested primarily in it.
[1:54] They want to make the issue of suppressing the news.
[2:09] We want to make the issue of breaking the law, violating security, and endangering the United States.
[2:14] We've got to get to the theme of basically disloyalty, doing something that breaks the law and jeopardizes the interest of the United States.
[2:21] Let's think through it in that term.
[2:23] They want to make the issue two-fold.
[2:36] One, that we're suppressing the military right now.
[2:40] And secondly, that who got into war?
[2:40] Who was at fault for getting us into war?
[2:41] And we're suppressing it.
[2:42] Our view is we have
[2:43] We're not getting into that debate.
[2:45] That's the debate in the previous administration.
[2:48] You made that point.
[2:49] Yes, sir.
[2:49] I did again today.
[2:50] I said, I think, in relation to your questions, I said, I think it may be more meaningful to you, more productive for you to address your questions regarding this assessment of previous administration policy to the members of the former administration.
[3:02] And then I made the point, when we came into office, we completely assessed and formed a new policy.
[3:09] They attempted also, there was an attempt
[3:12] to draw a parallel between the stealing of the FBI files and the printing of those by the Post.
[3:18] I said, my judgment is that you can't draw a parallel between the FBI files and this particular material.
[3:24] I said, there's no really precedent for this type of publication.
[3:30] Then they asked if the president had the chance to read this.
[3:32] I said, do you know how big this is?
[3:35] I said, there are two large cases, five feet long, with documents, you know, throughout the whole thing.
[3:42] I said, of course not.
[3:43] But he's aware of the information that the assessment was based on.
[3:51] Well, we have to fight the crime.
[3:56] You know, we're in this position.
[3:57] We either fight it, or this place is going to be like a city anyway.
[4:00] We do realize it.
[4:01] Every son of a bitch will walk out, give it to the papers, and they'll pray.
[4:06] And there's nothing we'll do about it.
[4:08] We've got to, also, we've got to really get those hurt if he is the man.
[4:11] And he's got to be prosecuted and condemned.
[4:15] Right?
[4:15] I think so, yes.
[4:17] That's the only thing we can do.
[4:18] Otherwise, he has no deterrent to serve in the future.
[4:21] We were talking yesterday, when you look at the options available, there was no other option but to move.
[4:30] And if we play it right, we can get people concerned about, I mean, the main thing around you, you've got to make the press look bad for doing this.
[4:43] That's your job.
[4:44] They're trying to make us look bad.
[4:47] You've got to make them look bad.
[4:48] And incidentally, to make the previous administration look bad.
[4:51] In other words, say, look, this is not our problem.
[4:58] Thank you.