Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 808-015
Date: Friday, October 27, 1972 at 4:45 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Bull, Stephen B.
Recording device: Oval Office
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/808-015

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:06] Here's his radio speech.
[0:38] Okay, well, our problem is that we're a team we've got now that adds an eight to the seven people who are planning radio speeches.
[0:47] If we have another speech this Saturday, do you want to do the one America on Saturday?
[0:57] He doesn't have any speeches for me to deliver.
[1:02] All right, he had one America for Sunday and defense for Saturday.
[1:09] If the one America has done, just as it is, because they just figured it out for Sunday.
[1:22] Well, what does it make a difference?
[1:23] Do we want to have one Saturday, one Sunday, one Monday?
[1:26] Well, we have one Saturday and one Sunday.
[1:28] The question is whether he's got one for Monday.
[1:31] We don't have one down now for Monday.
[1:33] Well, we don't need this one.
[1:33] You just said you want to.
[1:34] That was, well, like you, it's a good idea to pop something out there.
[1:38] I think we can skip Monday anyway.
[1:39] We'll have the HR1 action and all that stuff on Monday.
[1:43] Well, I mean, that was just on Sunday.
[1:54] Well, so if you want defense on Sunday, that's fine.
[2:07] This is...
[2:09] The Watergate business was penetrating a little bit, and the peace initiative was thrown into the back pages.
[2:12] What do you think of the peace initiative?
[2:14] I thought it was marvelous.
[2:14] Do you just think it hurts?
[2:15] No.
[2:15] Why do you think about that?
[2:17] Our statistics don't think it hurts.
[2:20] He said the key thing, though, is that McGovern himself is a major factor in this election, and that there's no way to change.
[2:29] Do you think the fact that he's coming through is a mask?
[2:32] He says we're not in danger anywhere.
[2:36] A local government is coming up a little.
[2:37] He thinks his TV has been somewhat affected.
[2:40] And he said that he had to come up a little.
[2:44] He had a press conference in Tennessee.
[2:47] And they asked him some question about the president playing politics with the war.
[2:52] And he said, absolutely not.
[2:56] And I laughed.
[2:57] He said he was very disturbed.
[2:58] Because a commercial appeal always carries his stories on the front page.
[3:04] And they buried this on page 13.
[3:06] because he had a strong denial of the President's unapologetic support.
[3:10] He said, you know, I'm sure the commercial field is supporting the President, but I'm sure his script's not.
[3:15] He said his son, Editor, who is, you know, against his...
[3:30] He said any time we won, he would be most happy to make a very strong statement
[3:35] my behalf and Deut's behalf about the character of the men around the president, as well as the president's character.
[3:42] He said, that just makes me furious.
[3:45] He said, McGovern's lying.
[3:46] I know he is.
[3:47] He said, that's all they've got.
[3:50] He says, I don't know.
[3:52] If I make it, they'll probably ignore it, just like they ignore all the other campaigns.
[3:58] He says that we should get some money to Helms in North Carolina.
[4:05] Have we?
[4:05] Yes, we have.
[4:06] I stuck the needle a little bit.
[4:07] I said, we have.
[4:08] We've got some, as you know.
[4:09] And we've tried with an awful lot of our people that we've asked to channel money that we refuse to do it because of non-support of the president.
[4:20] So they said, well, he did say some things against him some years ago.
[4:23] And I said, yeah, but unfortunately, he hasn't been very strong this year.
[4:26] People are looking very closely at their support in terms of the level of support of the president.
[4:43] Billy said, the only problem I see is if North Vietnam blows the peace deal before the election.
[4:49] He said, that might be a problem.
[4:52] But he said, I'm not so sure even that would be.
[4:54] I think maybe, you know, just people have confidence in the president.
[5:09] As far as North Vietnam, he's blowing.
[5:12] There are going to be rumors.
[5:13] They won't do anything.
[5:20] We've got an unacceptable risk.
[5:26] Risk being that they know that they can't hold on to anything in the election.
[5:34] They're not going to do anything.
[5:42] They can't believe that, especially when they see what their first group did.
[5:46] They're reading now, I would think, if they look at our media now, it has to be that if they did anything to affect the election, they helped you.
[5:52] You're already passed, Mr. President.
[6:16] Now, how much of the, do you think they have a limit to that?
[6:24] And certainly they're not gonna have me shaking hands with our old committee to re-elect staff also.
[6:29] I'm just here, no coincidence.
[6:31] I think we can do that, it's no joke.
[6:34] Because we've been running all those through, and I don't mind if I shake hands with their staff before.
[6:40] On newer stations.
[6:40] Well, I did it.
[6:41] I did it on two or three occasions.
[6:42] They messaged me in the past.
[6:46] I think they'll appreciate this.
[6:47] This is the editor.
[6:48] We've got also the regional, the local, the state editors and publishers.
[7:07] Is there anybody that can shove these people through or we don't have some long-winded fellow introducing them to me or some damn thing?
[7:12] Because that's another problem, you know, they'll stop and take a lot of time.
[7:18] He's got to do good things.
[7:19] They need to crawl a long time.
[7:22] Who's talking to me?
[7:22] Her client was going through the induction center in Christ.
[7:27] I did speak with her and indicated that I heard it.
[7:31] Yes, sir.
[7:32] And you specifically were happy that he was doing the induction center.
[7:34] Yes, sir.
[7:36] Do you know if he would get into your exhibition?