Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 826-002
Date: Tuesday, December 19, 1972 at 9:35 AM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Eisenhower, Julie Nixon; Sanchez, Manolo; Bull, Stephen B.; Ziegler, Ronald L.
Recording device: Oval Office
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/826-002

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:14] I love the idea of a music box.
[0:17] Does Trisha know about it?
[0:19] She'll be proud.
[0:20] They collected it.
[0:21] Yeah.
[0:22] You gonna start letting the post cover again soon?
[0:43] Well, they did cover it, but not until they're in order.
[0:48] It's like anybody else, they're not going to be in every time.
[0:52] Good.
[0:52] No, Dad, it's so ironic.
[0:54] There's no reason.
[0:55] Today's story in the Post about the party taking some pool for it was the most saleable story that's been written in four years because she had to ride it from what the pool said.
[1:05] The pool couldn't dig up any mean ankles.
[1:08] You see what I'm saying?
[1:09] What was the story about?
[1:10] Well, it was about Mom at the dramatic party, and it was taking... Well, I mean, we had been through with your mom again.
[1:16] So, of course, it's nothing.
[1:18] For four days?
[1:19] For four years.
[1:20] Four years.
[1:21] They have written nasty stories or nothing.
[1:23] The hell with them.
[1:24] I just want to, frankly, I am punishing them.
[1:26] But I'm doing it on a smart basis.
[1:28] Ron said, you know, we're letting the Kansas City Star in, and Nashville Banner, and San Antonio Light.
[1:34] You're goddamn right you're going to let them in.
[1:36] Why shouldn't you let them in?
[1:37] You'll have to let them in eventually, or you'll make Ron look like a liar, though, that they were there.
[1:41] Oh, he will.
[1:41] He'll let them in.
[1:41] It doesn't matter.
[1:43] Good.
[1:43] It's something that they won't want to cover.
[1:45] Good.
[1:46] Like, yeah, good, three presentations, I mean, that's all good.
[1:48] That's for sure, and yes.
[1:49] Great.
[1:49] Oh, the post will be in, but you see the point is, he's not going to let them in.
[1:54] He's not going to let them in.
[1:58] They're going to get like everybody else.
[1:59] They have no special prerogative in the life.
[2:02] You know, poor Mrs. Adler, when you made those comments at the dinner, I was so thrilled that you, you know, mentioned that she did so much and didn't get credit because she came up to me afterwards and said, you know,
[2:11] But Daddy, she's so great to mention that.
[2:14] And she said, you know, just this week I did six events and I didn't get covered once.
[2:17] That's not all.
[2:19] You know, so that was just great to mention her.
[2:21] I sometimes wonder how much you should cover.
[2:26] I think actually it's good to do everything because I do know we get covered in the country.
[2:31] You take the job over.
[2:32] You must always remind me.
[2:33] What we're going to do is take the job over as TV.
[2:38] That's the TV?
[2:39] Because let me give you an example.
[2:41] During the campaign, when I was in Chicago, I was on a dumb little interview show, a half-hour interview show.
[2:48] And Ned Sullivan called me yesterday and said that they had rerun that show in New York City prime time on a Sunday night.
[2:55] And he'd seen it in all his neighbors, and it was great.
[2:59] And TV is rerun and replay.
[3:00] TV is a thing.
[3:01] The other thing, I don't know what happened.
[3:04] I fired, you know, chocolate.
[3:07] I didn't ask.
[3:11] Check her out.
[3:12] I was thinking, also, maybe someone like Virginia Sherwood, who's nice.
[3:17] I'll mention that to Mother.
[3:21] All right.
[3:22] All right.
[3:23] The music's both going right in the chest.
[3:29] All right.
[3:30] That's it.
[3:30] Thank you.
[3:38] and then just let them have a special role in the White House.
[3:44] That's where we're going.
[4:08] That made you get drunk.
[4:11] Did it make you?
[4:13] Oh, yeah.
[4:14] Did you have a good time at the party last night?
[4:17] Yeah, I did.
[4:18] I really enjoyed it.
[4:19] Mrs. Longworth was in.
[4:20] Oh, by the way, before she left, when you went back with Dr. Kissinger, I said to her, you're going to come to the inauguration, aren't you?
[4:28] She said, oh, yes.
[4:29] And I said, will you sit on the platform with us?
[4:32] And she said, oh, I'd love to.
[4:34] And I could tell she was thrilled.
[4:36] So wouldn't that be historical to have Mamie and Mrs. Longwood along with Mother on a platform?
[4:42] Wouldn't that be great?
[4:44] We'll follow through on it, okay?
[4:46] She really wanted to do it, I could tell.
[4:48] She's very through.
[4:52] She was quite the granddaughter.
[4:54] Isn't she amazing?
[4:55] She goes out so often.
[4:56] Gossip and everything.
[4:59] I thought she looked very well, didn't you?
[5:01] I don't know.
[5:03] I was going to let her interview Dr. Mark Fire or whatever it is.
[5:07] Hi.
[5:07] She was in yesterday.
[5:09] She saw her wound for a week.
[5:11] And she'll be back in January.
[5:15] She looked like a muscle.
[5:16] And she says she has something on.
[5:19] So she's very worried.
[5:23] What do you do?
[5:23] You've got to get her.
[5:26] You've got to get her.
[5:27] You've got to get her.
[5:29] She's got a clinker.
[5:30] We had a good talk yesterday.
[5:32] A nice little talk.
[5:32] I'm going to give you a share.
[5:33] She's such a nice person.
[5:35] She's a very nice person.
[5:37] I don't know how, I don't know, I know she loves Mother, but I don't know if she also loves Mrs. Huxbury and other people, too.
[5:47] No, I'm sure that, uh, we don't need to have somebody that's with us.
[5:55] I mean, you can't even... Well, to some extent...
[5:58] I think this can't be this event.
[5:59] I said to Marjorie, I said to Marjorie,
[6:05] You have not been, in your own personal views, compatible with the administration.
[6:10] We should talk about that first.
[6:12] She said, oh, no.
[6:13] She said, matter of fact, I've just been working so hard for the last 10 years.
[6:16] She said, I've been really apolitical.
[6:18] But she said, you know, when I think about it, I certainly do have a good feeling toward the first family and a need toward the president.
[6:28] But I'm not interested in figuring out what she says.
[6:30] She has not been a political advocate.
[6:33] Supported, you promised.
[6:35] I would think the show would support it, Danny.
[6:37] I would think.
[6:38] The television is so in on it, more important than the writing press.
[6:43] Julie was playing on TV.
[6:45] She'd get us a little program around, and she'd say, scratch the paper, you're good.
[6:50] Boy, oh boy, that television is magic.
[6:56] That little show is amazing.
[6:58] She would be really good to look into, too.
[7:00] She would.
[7:01] Well, my father was very deaf, and it's a possibility.
[7:03] But you look into that, and you look into the other one.
[7:07] Julie will talk to you when you come back.
[7:15] July 3rd, 4th, January 3rd, 4th.
[7:16] You leave today.
[7:19] And so when we get back, will you do the seminar?
[7:21] Yeah, we'll do the seminar.
[7:23] Yeah.
[7:24] But I don't think Kai should be at them, because I don't want her to feel we're criticizing any of her methods.
[7:28] So what should she leave?
[7:30] I don't know what she's leaving, but do you agree on that?
[7:32] Yeah.
[7:32] It's not going to hurt.
[7:34] Great.
[7:34] It's not going to hurt.
[7:36] Because I can improve on her methods.
[7:38] Another thing, Judy.
[7:44] You can think of another idea.
[7:46] I love a lot of ideas.
[7:47] I'd like to see them.
[7:50] And the main thing is this.
[7:53] play to the nation, not to Washington.
[7:56] See, we've done it so much.
[7:57] I mean, they bring in that poor dad down there to see me about every two months.
[8:02] Well, that's partly because he's black.
[8:04] He's not a bad fellow.
[8:05] I find it's too much.
[8:07] Or they bring in whoever happened in the Washington, you know, Boy Scouts.
[8:15] I'm not going to do it.
[8:16] I mean, they're going to bring them in from Pennsylvania, bring them in from Ohio, bring them in from the country.
[8:24] They don't appreciate it.
[8:25] They have these damn parties out here all along.
[8:28] It's always Washington kids.
[8:29] They have those boat rides.
[8:31] It's always a Washington kid.
[8:33] Yeah, we're changing that.
[8:34] Yeah, the country should know it.
[8:37] Yeah.
[8:39] But she's also about to give me that.
[8:41] Do you think?
[8:41] It really is.
[8:42] It really is, yeah.
[8:42] Do you think that dentists like that are working hard on it?
[8:47] Yeah.
[8:47] I think so, periodically.
[8:49] Yeah, I do.
[8:50] She don't do them that often, and I think it's,
[8:53] I think it's good.
[8:54] I think it's really good.
[8:59] And the evening ended early.
[9:00] I know for you it didn't.
[9:01] I heard you at about 11 o'clock talking.
[9:04] But it ended at 20 and 10.
[9:05] It's good.
[9:08] All right.
[9:08] Good.
[9:09] Thank you.
[9:09] Thank you very much.
[9:14] Thank you a lot.
[9:14] Bye.
[9:15] Thank you.
[9:26] I sure wish you well.
[9:28] I hate to leave.
[9:28] I really do.
[9:29] Merry Christmas.
[9:29] Well, that's right.
[9:30] So close.
[9:30] I fired him on just one other day.
[9:33] I'm glad you're here at the parties.
[9:36] Oh, I am too.
[9:37] I'm glad the Christmas thing went so well.
[9:39] Now, tomorrow you'll be down in Florida to be fine.
[9:42] Mr. Fisher's working on a lot of activities for down there.
[9:44] That's right.
[9:45] The whole thing is to return it to him.
[9:51] my whole story four years was awful fast so we finished four now we have four more we really can't make deep because of what we know we can make i mean the thing to do is to enjoy every day do something every day that makes somebody you know to use this office in some way to to bring somebody up like you know like these
[10:18] Either have somebody pat him on the back or even call him on the phone.
[10:22] And so we'll get the jury here.
[10:26] You can talk to Mommy.
[10:27] Mommy will enjoy it when she starts doing a little bit.
[10:30] You know, she does an awful lot, but you should do it not in terms of the fact that it's a burden, but in terms of, well, this is a great thing to do.
[10:37] You know what I mean?
[10:38] That's what the purpose of this office is.
[10:40] The purpose of this office is to do good things.
[10:42] And you're able to do good things and make them far more important because of the office.
[10:48] I agree.
[10:49] That's awesome.
[10:49] If you pick up the damn phone, call Paul Hedy or somebody who's having open heart surgery, and I call two of those every day.
[10:57] Wow.
[10:58] They really mean a lot to me.
[10:59] But they're a little thing.
[11:00] In addition to that, you have all your staff, some people who work with you and so forth.
[11:06] It's good, though, that you and Julie, you and Trisha go out for the first time.
[11:16] In Florida, it's much better that we be there than here in the markets.
[11:21] Much better.
[11:22] I think so, too.
[11:23] And as I say, I'll come down.
[11:25] I'll come twice.
[11:26] Yeah, I will.
[11:27] I will if you can.
[11:28] If you can.
[11:28] I think you can.
[11:31] I'm sure you can.
[11:32] I wonder if you could take the... Yeah.
[11:39] Want me to call Pete about that?
[11:41] No.
[11:41] You were, uh...
[11:42] I think, though, that Mommy should go to California right after this.
[11:45] She really should.
[11:46] Yeah.
[11:47] It'd be better for me, even then, if I could have a week by myself to do my writing and my business.
[11:54] She's really thinking about it.
[11:55] And Elaine's going to call me.
[11:57] Okay.
[11:57] At the keynote.
[11:58] Sure about this.
[11:59] Thanks.
[11:59] Have your money, then.
[12:00] Take your little old business.
[12:02] I'm here.
[12:02] Okay.
[12:03] And I got my...
[12:06] I'd like to get down here and put down your little, uh, uh, textbook.
[12:08] Yeah.
[12:08] Carry that right for me.
[12:08] Yeah, or take notes and use them when I get back.
[12:13] Take notes and use them when I get back.
[12:16] Take notes and use them when I get back.
[12:17] Take notes and use them when I get back.
[12:18] Take notes and use them when I get back.
[12:19] Take notes and use them when I get back.
[12:19] Take notes and use them when I get back.
[12:20] Take notes and use them when I get back.
[12:21] Take notes and use them when I get back.
[12:22] Take notes and use them when I get back.
[12:23] Take notes and use them when I get back.
[12:25] Take notes and use them when I get back.
[12:26] Take notes and use them when I get back.
[12:28] Take notes and use them when I get back.
[12:29] Take notes and use them when I get back.
[12:30] Take notes and use them when I get back.
[12:31] Take notes and use them when I get back.
[12:32] Take notes and use them when I get back.
[12:34] Take notes and use them when I get back.
[12:35] Take notes and use