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.
Transcript (AI-Generated)This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.
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.