Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 767-021
Date: Friday, August 11, 1972 at 12:23 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Johnson, Donald E.; Evans, John F., Jr.; Ehrlichman, John D.; Bull, Stephen B.; White House photographer; Ziegler, Ronald L.; Nixon, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan); Kendall, Donald McI.; Kendall, Donald McI. (Mrs.); Kendall, Donald McI., Jr.; Kendall, Kent C.; Flanigan, Peter M.; White House photographer
Recording device: Oval Office
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/767-021

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.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 afraid we kept you waiting a long time.
[0:04] We're having a little problem up there.
[0:08] Sit down right here.
[0:08] Mr. President, I have to get one photograph.
[0:12] Sit over here.
[0:13] They can all see you.
[0:43] Yes, sir.
[1:11] I should be broadly publicized and better unsuppressed.
[1:54] in charge of the C.I.A.
[1:57] and in charge of the Atomic Energy and all the rest of the connection gates, which I did put you in the cabins.
[2:07] That's the...
[2:10] Very good.
[2:12] In other words, personally I'm very honored in the recognition of the VA and the role it has played
[2:24] I agree with you, Mr. President.
[2:30] PHS has
[3:12] There are only two things I can't veto.
[3:14] One, Social Security.
[3:16] The other is federal, so there's not much.
[3:18] On the other hand, don't put us in a very bad environment, as you can understand.
[3:24] And so we want you to work with Tigerville, both of these.
[3:29] That's not where the action is.
[3:32] We'll do that.
[3:33] We shall.
[3:34] We didn't have that.
[3:34] Get us a good bill.
[3:35] I know you've been working with Jim at the restaurant, but get us the best possible bill you can.
[3:41] Senate committee is, because he's grown up and works on the education bill, it's unfortunate.
[3:48] And the Tiger is very much holding the line and being a very tough partner in the Congress.
[3:55] And will continue to be.
[3:56] And we need to give some help, the LA House staff as well as ourselves
[4:13] The education bill, we have a big medical bill, which is part of your budget, which may come down.
[4:21] We think it will come down before the election.
[4:25] Those are the two big bills.
[4:26] The cemetery bill seems to be moving, but knowing how the Senate operates, it may not make it before the public.
[4:34] Do your best, Mr. Speaker.
[4:51] the incident medical school bill, it's a 08748.
[4:55] Now, the one thing, of course, there is an appropriation to go with the authorization.
[5:00] So I don't know how we're going to handle it.
[5:19] What sort of response do you get from T?
[5:21] Anything at all?
[5:23] No.
[5:23] No.
[5:23] He wants to tell you that it was good.
[5:53] small thing.
[5:54] We did it, right?
[5:57] I guess it's a big thing.
[6:00] That's what he got.
[6:03] He survived.
[6:04] I also want to say, he's a very awkward man.
[6:09] I've never really talked to him.
[6:11] I've never seen that guy.
[6:13] He recognizes this and the
[6:26] He does have, I know, some of his supporters very active in the John Connolly Edwards committee.
[6:35] In fact, I learned that one of our hospital directors is his boy, so to speak, has disregarded the Hatch Act and he's doing work on it.
[6:44] I guess everybody can do that.
[6:48] The other thing is, John, I'd like to do,
[7:05] in the period between the convention and the election.
[7:43] a lot of labor are given to them.
[7:46] Among those things, I would like me to talk not just about what we're doing for veterans, but the idea of honoring the men in the armed services.
[7:55] I would attack the hell out of Amnesty.
[8:15] I think you can make some news in some of these areas.
[8:21] Now, when I say speeches, I also, when we possibly can, John, I want him to put on that basis that we have with others.
[8:33] I want him on the talk shows in these areas.
[8:36] The regional talk shows.
[9:05] I didn't realize.
[9:19] You heard about this Paul Ramsey Clark.
[9:22] What he said about us was out there this time.
[9:47] lie after the man did.
[9:48] Hoover had lived beyond the moral years, so I couldn't deal with faithless.
[9:53] I wouldn't for a young man.
[9:56] I could feel nothing but relief that he was no longer a public servant.
[10:00] I thought he had become a menace to justice.
[10:04] Now listen to this.
[10:17] as head of the FBI.
[10:18] Now, I can tell you if I was out there, I could take that and kill all of them.
[10:25] Here's a man giving aid and comfort to the enemy, to the communist enemy, that has caused 50,000 American deaths in Vietnam, and saying he would be perfect to see J. Edgar Hoover as head of the FBI with all the files and copies.
[10:41] Edgar Hoover, the man who was the number one
[11:21] My experience, when I went to the channel to make the statement, they didn't mention it.
[11:30] But I don't worry about it.
[11:33] Well, I don't.
[11:35] That's right.
[11:35] And that's all you need.
[11:36] That's what we're after.
[11:39] But the response, there were two things that always triggered response.
[11:44] One was, thank you for their support of your actions in Vietnam.
[11:48] My name is Bob.
[11:50] Yes.
[11:51] And the second one is always on energy.
[11:53] Is that right?
[11:55] It's broader and really specific.
[11:59] Well, we, I think, have followed your instructions of the recent cabinet meeting we spoke to this.
[12:07] Of course, in the past week, we've been talking about the state convention as an excuse for the trip.
[12:16] There's always one other organization in the chamber, or a public fundraising
[12:23] And the TV show is now this weekend.
[12:25] I'm in Los Angeles.
[12:27] I'm leaving now to go to the Marine Corps League tonight.
[12:30] This is a nice little convention.
[12:33] And I'm ready.
[12:34] So the general commissioner will be there.
[12:36] And we're proud.
[12:37] And so he was just sitting there.
[12:44] And I think it's time.
[13:03] went out to Vietnam and served their time.
[13:05] Some of them died, some of them, some of them back home.
[13:09] And it's about time to put the emphasis where it belongs.
[13:11] Who are the real heroes?
[13:13] Not the slayers, but the people.
[13:19] Boy, I believe that's wrong.
[13:24] Well, yeah.
[13:24] I'm against it.
[13:32] the war.
[13:33] Anyone who left the country, who did not serve, must pay a penalty.
[13:39] Some guys paid with their lives, and they sure as hell didn't spend some time paying a penalty.
[13:44] There's got to be an environment of amnesty for people, because they said, well, we don't have these three-fourths of each other's wars in the world.
[13:52] I'm going to go to Canada.
[13:53] You know why they went to Canada.
[13:55] Most of us were scared to death.
[13:58] Right?
[13:59] Right.
[13:59] Or they had some other charge against
[14:08] I do it, of course, positively, as my wife has done constantly.
[14:11] It does come up in any media interview.
[15:22] I thought maybe it was the president who might have been arrested and then Governor Wallace, I don't know.
[15:28] It's not up there.
[15:47] suffering a great deal of internal infection.
[15:50] There is an under access that may have to be operated on.
[15:54] And then they will move.
[15:56] But the equipment, the personnel, everything is all set.
[16:01] We've got our stuff already in the mansion.
[16:04] And it will be handled.
[16:05] What I would like you to do after our conversation is I want you to call me.
[16:23] gave the report, and the president said that you were to do, that you were their command for the battle.
[16:31] And everything that's necessary that he deals with, he was a lawyer, a battler, who was willing to do everything we can to get him back.
[17:07] The other thing I would suggest would be to help him with his travels.
[17:15] I mean, it could be a good for him, just that we care about him, and that's not just his physical condition.
[17:40] Oh!
[18:11] I'll be back.
[18:26] Wait a second.
[19:44] Well, he's going to go out and say that
[20:12] that he wanted to return to a private life, to engage in a private activity, which is directly related to public service.
[20:19] It's an idea he's had for a long time.
[20:20] The president requested he stay on because of the war with the council.
[20:24] He's done that.
[20:25] The rest of the time, he's deeply involved in the matter of what was first.
[20:29] And he has no plans at this point.
[20:31] What about in the future?
[20:32] Well, of course, I'm going to go into this, but I've got nothing to announce now.
[20:36] After your information, we're going to do it after the convention in Sacramento.
[20:44] But he will, uh, they will actually speculate and get you to say, well, I don't understand.
[20:49] But he'll go pre-election.
[20:51] Oh, yes.
[20:52] If he wants to go pre-election.
[20:56] Fine with those.
[20:57] This is whatever he wants.
[20:59] Oh, I think that's great.
[21:01] We're bridging today, right?
[21:03] That's fine.
[21:03] Okay, I'll just say that.
[21:05] I'd say that when you go.
[21:06] No, I would say that.
[21:34] Well, I don't know if you're honest.
[21:37] You see, if you put it out, I'm fighting this right now.
[21:41] The president's fighting this right now.
[21:43] I'm going to fight this right now.
[21:46] Sidney said, Sidney was on the briefing.
[21:50] And he said, he said, he said, I said, I'm in an administration scam.
[21:56] I said, forget it.
[21:56] I know you're not, Sidney.
[21:57] You are for just a brief.
[21:59] Yeah, I was giving it back to him.
[22:00] He said, well, I'll tell you, McGovern scares the linen hell out of me.
[22:03] This is Sidney.
[22:05] He said, now look, he said, I'm on meet to press with Shriver on Sunday.
[22:09] He said, do you have anything that I can do?
[22:12] So I said, well, as a matter of fact, I said, as a matter of fact, you and I read him a letter, which was going to be released when he got a kick out of it.
[22:18] I said, you know, I think I recall this, but at that time, when he left, the guy was really kind of begging around to say, oh, I said, you should talk to Earlyford about this.
[22:29] So Earlyford can give him that information.
[22:32] And then Shriver called him.
[22:35] Okay, great.
[22:35] Debbie Sloan, I want her to do today.
[22:37] Is she here?
[22:38] Yes, sir.
[22:39] We'll do that right after.
[23:14] the license of golf clubs.
[23:17] All right.
[23:30] All right.
[23:36] All right.
[24:03] Oh, look at you, dear.
[24:05] Hi, honey.
[24:07] How are you, honey?
[24:08] That's a big load.
[24:09] It weighs a ton.
[24:11] It weighs a ton.
[24:13] Oh, I can't hold it.
[24:15] Oh, wait a minute.
[24:18] You must have had a great dream last year.
[24:21] Oh, of course.
[24:37] You're six years old?
[24:43] Five.
[24:44] All right.
[24:45] Thank you very much.
[25:08] Oh, in your package.
[25:10] In my package?
[25:11] We'll get them.
[25:12] I'll tell you what we'll do with them.
[25:16] They're two layers.
[25:18] Oh, two layers.
[25:20] This is beautiful.
[25:23] Hey, we can't use this.
[25:25] I'll make it this year.
[25:26] This is an 1837.
[25:27] This is the first gold.
[26:17] Well, because the cocks have got all kinds of bad taste.
[26:20] Well, they sure have.
[26:21] From what you can say on it, and the propellers included.
[26:26] Well, that's the time.
[26:27] Let me, uh, let me try two different things.
[26:30] I'm going to try one.
[26:32] You come over here.
[26:34] Not you, necessarily.
[26:35] Come on.
[26:36] You stand up.
[26:37] Come on, Pat.
[26:37] Don't forget.
[26:38] Don't forget that.
[26:40] Just stand up.
[26:42] Come on, come on.
[26:44] Don't stand away.
[26:46] You stand right here like that.
[26:49] You stand here like this.
[26:51] You stand here and I'm fine.
[26:55] Look out here.
[26:56] Smile real big.
[26:58] Real big.
[26:58] Now I'm going to try another.
[27:02] I'm going to try another.
[27:20] Oh, my God.
[27:54] Right.
[27:55] Good.
[28:25] I'm 12 and he's 5.
[28:28] Mommy's going to take me up to the big tower.
[28:32] Oh, the what, honey?
[28:34] And me, the big tower.
[28:35] Right.
[28:36] And they're all the Americans who are at the market.
[28:39] They're all the blacks who are at the market.
[28:41] He's the president of Mexico.
[28:45] Mexico?
[28:46] I know he's the president.
[28:56] Lincoln.
[28:56] My dad is going to give me a small car.
[29:00] He is?
[29:02] Well, that's great.
[29:04] It's all gone.
[29:05] Yes, aren't you?
[29:06] They cut a big man's side and got a children's side.
[29:09] And that's a beautiful house up there, isn't it?
[29:12] A marvelous place.
[29:15] Yes.
[29:15] Oh, here's the project.
[29:21] First time down the line.
[29:22] I don't know.
[29:24] I don't know.
[29:56] I love that.
[30:49] Well, that's what my dad's driver had when he couldn't hear me.
[30:53] He had a phone that was in his ear.
[30:55] That's exactly the same thing.
[30:58] How does it take to go out?
[31:01] That's exactly the same thing.
[31:04] No, you brought us something.
[31:08] You brought us something.
[31:12] Now we got a new present.
[31:16] This is a viewfinder.
[31:24] Here's a tie.
[31:26] You don't have to wear a tie.
[31:30] Here's a little thing for you.
[31:32] It's a seal with a bow.
[31:33] These are the new products, John.
[31:36] This is a special pearl pin for a seal.
[31:44] Only for special people.
[31:47] And, Don, we haven't got a nice set of golf clubs.
[31:54] Thank you.
[31:55] Thank you.
[31:56] Thank you.
[31:59] Thank you.
[32:30] No, you don't show him anything.
[32:33] He's really, really proud of you.
[32:44] I'm proud of you.
[32:46] I'm proud of you.
[32:49] I'm proud of you.
[32:51] I'm proud of you.
[32:59] I wish you would, because he's going to get to Dallas by 1220 and talk to you.
[33:08] And he hasn't missed one of the meetings.
[33:14] And we finally have one.
[33:16] We've now got, I don't know, every city's governor.
[33:22] We've got 321 city governors.
[33:24] So we're kind of busy.
[33:27] Yeah, we got there all too all the way inside.
[33:30] My dad has gave me one of those.
[33:33] Oh, yeah, it's mine.
[33:34] And he's gave me money for one of the presents.
[33:37] Then I wanted to sell it out.
[33:41] Hey, help.
[33:43] He's a rock.
[33:46] My daddy's a rock.
[33:49] And Candy, too.
[33:52] That's right.
[33:52] Good dream.
[33:53] Thank you.
[33:54] Thank you.
[34:19] What are you doing?
[34:20] You're good.
[34:22] That's right.
[34:24] Look at that.
[34:42] I'll show you something else.
[34:45] Come here.
[34:47] You were talking about the peace in the world.
[34:49] I'll show you something.
[34:51] This is a tree we brought back from China.
[34:56] That's 30 years old, that tree.
[34:57] It's what they call the world tree, the world of mine, all the way from China, 30 years old.
[35:05] Have you seen the pandas?
[35:07] The pandas?
[35:08] You know, you know the pandas.
[35:17] Oh, well, thank you.
[35:44] Good for you.
[35:45] Do you have a driver?
[35:48] We're going to open the whole class.
[35:52] Give it back.
[35:53] Okay.
[35:53] I hear you.
[36:15] Wow.
[36:15] Wow.
[36:15] Wow.
[37:01] We're important people.
[37:03] Oh, hey.
[37:04] I don't know what I was about to tell him.
[37:17] This is a knockout.
[37:19] He said knockout.
[37:33] Thank God.