Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 650-008
Date: Tuesday, January 18, 1972 at 11:27 AM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.; Bull, Stephen B.
Recording device: Oval Office
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/650-008

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] I talked to you about the state of the union.
[0:05] I thought it was occurring this year.
[0:08] If we could say today that you would deliver the personal address, the state union address, would we be supplemented by a written state union address?
[0:21] You know, the state union itself wouldn't need that with the address.
[0:25] But that has to be associated with the address being made.
[0:30] That could possibly be 100% a recon.
[0:32] You don't know all of a sudden, hey, we're going to have a crash.
[0:37] We're going to have a crash.
[0:39] That was the first time this has been done.
[0:41] I'm happy that they've got a subject.
[0:44] So if you want to do that again, it's going to be two.
[0:46] You want to do it.
[0:51] Right, thank you.
[1:10] Both are state unions.
[1:11] It's a composite, so you don't think, you know, well, which is a state union?
[1:14] They both are state unions.
[1:16] Because the Constitution says that...
[1:19] Right.
[1:19] Right.
[1:20] Right.
[1:40] or a letter which will highlight certain subjects.
[1:46] Right.
[1:46] Now, I'm saying that it will, although we will touch on foreign policy, likely, it will focus on domestic policy because the foreign policy is foreign policy.
[1:54] I will talk about foreign policy.
[1:55] I will talk about foreign policy specifically when we come to the state of the world and put out the date, February 8th.
[2:02] Right.
[2:03] This will concentrate this session on my oral message.
[2:08] that the written message will totally be on domestic policy, and that the oral message will be primarily on domestic policy.
[2:18] Now, they'll say, when can we have it?
[2:19] And I'm going to say, sometimes Thursday morning.
[2:21] I think we can give them that longer version if it's ready, don't you?
[2:24] The longer?
[2:24] Okay, fine.
[2:24] I appreciate it.
[2:25] Well, I don't need them.
[2:27] I don't need them.
[2:29] Okay, that's all I had then for today.
[2:33] I'm going up to New York this afternoon.
[2:49] Yes, that's one of the things that I wanted to mention right now.
[2:54] I said, look, let's make it clear that you requested this.
[3:00] I'm not going to say it.
[3:02] I'm not going to say it.
[3:05] I'm not going to say it.
[3:09] If this begins to unfold, we're going to make it very clear immediately that what our efforts were, were at your request.
[3:13] I hope so.
[3:14] Is that true?
[3:14] Yes, sir.
[3:14] They are cut to the bare minimum when they come along.
[3:18] They've asked for one.
[3:19] I don't think they're going to give it to them.
[3:20] Well, okay.
[3:21] I think that's all.
[3:23] I'll let you know, Harry.
[3:30] Do you like to hear what I'm going to say?
[3:34] Yeah, I'll talk to you.
[3:38] That's all for today.
[4:01] It's an old story.
[4:03] Good.
[4:04] Okay.