Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 602 › Conversation 602-004

Nixon & Reagan on United Nations and Taiwan

Tuesday, October 26, 1971 · 11:13 AM–11:25 AM ET · Oval Office · 9 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Reagan, Ronald W.Conversation602-004 on Tape 602 (tape position 01:42:33–01:51:51)StartTuesday, October 26, 1971 at 11:13 AMEndTuesday, October 26, 1971 at 11:25 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 602-004 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Ronald Reagan discussed the recent United Nations vote to expel Taiwan and recognize the People's Republic of China, expressing disappointment regarding the lack of support from various African nations. Nixon articulated concerns about the potential repercussions in Congress, particularly regarding foreign aid appropriations, while emphasizing the importance of remembering allies like Japan who stood with the U.S. during the vote. Additionally, the two men reviewed Nixon's recent Supreme Court nominations of Lewis Powell and William Rehnquist, focusing on the political necessity of balancing regional representation and professional background.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 1 minute of this recording (about 11% of it) is represented by only a few words. Listen to the audio rather than relying on the text below; a corrected transcript is queued.

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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815, and I didn't know you called that night, and I thought, man, that's why I said, that's all right.
No, that's all right.
I'm usually out until around then, but I must have gone out.
Well, that was a bad boat, wasn't it?
We worked our tails off, I must say.
54 to 59, and I'm telling you, I just finished a meeting with Ted Egg, and he's back from there, and from Greece and Turkey, and both of them we got.
It's not like we didn't get it wrong.
You know, we figured there was a job, and all the things were in, but these African countries, they're the ones that I must say were disappointing.
Thank you.
I was trying to think here about what the reaction would be.
I must say that the congressional action may be very interesting on the appropriation side.
Let me give some thought to the whole thing.
It's a tough one, if you're well aware.
We've got some patient bribes.
India and Pakistan are trying to avoid a war there.
And the U.S. may have to play some damn role there.
Because we don't want to get involved, you see, in that miserable place.
It's a, it's a, where we will, let me, let me hear some thought for this whole thing.
I have a message, you know, I have a thing about it.
And I've talked this morning with a few people about it.
So far.
I know, I appreciate it.
That's a good one.
That's a good one.
Right.
What a remarkable man.
You must have really enjoyed it.
He's such an amazing man.
He's dying there in all this, you know, eating.
I know, but you never know.
And you are quite aware, of course, this has nothing to do, this action does not affect at all our defense treaty and all that.
I mean, we're, and he knows that.
And he also knows that we did, as a matter of fact, I mean, no one calls for the, to the four capitals on this thing myself.
Got two of them, two to abstain.
I'm sure they should have got the other two, but that's not all.
Well, the tail wag is off there, isn't it?
The tail wag is off.
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah, yeah, I got it.
Why?
Well, I have to tell you, I had an idea.
It was a hard night here.
We were on the phone right until last week.
Well, let me give some thought to the thing.
I'll keep you posted on what our strategy is.
You know, we can do some things.
They're quite effective in many areas here.
We're going to remember all of our friends that stood with us on this.
Among them were the Japanese.
They were great.
The Japanese were great.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
a hell of a precedent, you know, that you can throw out a nation with a simple majority that the next day might throw out Portugal or South Africa or Ghana, who knows?
Let me get at it.
When did you get back?
It's very hard, but you had a good trip.
Yeah, I got reports on it, and that's it.
Exciting part of the world.
We hit Vietnam and everything.
And it's going well there, isn't it?
Casualties this week were six, so we got wound up.
If I had to take the thing, for example, that you feel, you know, Gracie Lincoln's support for the United Nations in the United States, you know, that the repercussions of the Congress, you know, that sort of thing is a little, a little, a little, you know,
I probably signed it too, but I didn't go to anything, I can assure you.
There are all sorts of dentists, you know.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
That's what I think you should know.
On another subject, we've got two terrific nominees for the Supreme Court.
They're tough, strong, conservative, and they are just squiggling like this.
You know me.
If you know me, we rant a little bit about you.
And we have in mind Smith for another one.
But these two, you have been banked on.
Our liberal friends, Powell, for example, is just a great fellow, and Rehnquist is probably a strong young guy.
Well, he's not too dangerous.
He's 47.
He's probably the strongest man in the court.
Yeah.
Let me say, he's in the right, and he is right up there on the list.
consideration.
Our problem was that we had to take one southerner, and it was Paul.
And I couldn't take two corporation lawyers.
You see the problem.
He's a corporation lawyer, and the other, but Smith, you know, he's got a terrific record, chairman of the Board of Regents and so forth, and it's a much little chasm.
He was, he was, right, and one of those other guys, what the heck, they can't do this forever.
Let's hope the good guys live longer.
Well, give my best to Nancy, and I'll be back in touch with you about this.
Okay.

NARA Description

On October 26, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald W. Reagan met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:13 am to 11:25 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 602-004 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 602-4

Date: October 26, 1971
Time: 11:13 am - 11:25 am
Location: Oval Office

The President talked with Ronald W. Reagan.

[See Conversation No. 13-8]

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[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 04/13/2022.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[602-004-w002]
[Duration: 13s]

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Also recorded on October 26, 1971

  • 602-002 11:09 AM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:09 am and 11:13 am.
  • 602-003 11:09 AM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:09 am and 11:13 am.
  • 013-008 11:13 AM · 12 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald W. Reagan talked on the telephone from 11:13 am to 11:25 am.
  • 602-005 11:24 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:24 am to 11:29 am.
  • 013-009 11:25 AM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:25 am and 11:37 am.
  • 602-006 11:35 AM · 42 min — Alexander P. Butterfield, Wallace F. Bennett, George P. Shultz, Clark MacGregor, John D. Ehrlichman, President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, unknown person(s), and Marjorie P. Acker met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:35 am to 12:18 pm.
  • 013-010 11:37 AM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and William P. Rogers talked on the telephone from 11:37 am to 11:42 am.
  • 013-011 11:42 AM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:42 am and 1:41 pm.

All 44 conversations from October 26, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 602-004, October 26, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/602-004 (accessed October 12, 2026).