Snippets of abhorrent conversations between President Richard Nixon and his advisors

By Pablo Fanque, National Affairs Ed.

[From various sources, including The White House tape transcripts, oral histories, and previously unreleased Oval Office tape recordings]

On homosexuality and society (Oval Office with John Erlichman)

Nixon: "I do not mind the homosexuality. I understand it. (14-second beep to hide personal information) But nevertheless, the point that I make is that goddamit, I do not think that you glorify on public television homosexuality… even more than you glorify whores. Now we all know that people go to whores…we all have weaknesses. But, goddammit, what do you think that does to kids? What do you think that does to 11 and 12 year old boys when they see that? You know what happened to the Greeks! Homosexuality destroyed them. Sure, Aristotle was a homo. We all know that. So was Socrates."

Ehrlichman: "But he never had the influence that television had."

******

Responding to Senator Howard Baker who asked : "What do you know about the Kennedy assassination?" (from Oral History Interview with Don Hewitt October 8, 2002)

Nixon: "You don't want to know."

******

On dropping the big one - April 25, 1972 (Oval Office with Henry Kissinger)


Nixon: "I still think we ought to take the North Vietnamese dikes out now. Will that drown people?"
Kissinger: "About two hundred thousand people."
Nixon: "No, no, no, I’d rather use the nuclear bomb. Have you got that, Henry?"
Kissinger: "That, I think, would just be too much."
Nixon: "The nuclear bomb, does that bother you?…I just want you to think big, Henry, for Christsakes." 

******

On Jews and marijuana - May 26, 1971

"You know, it’s a funny thing, every one of the bastards that are out for legalizing marijuana are Jewish. What the Christ is the matter with the Jews, Bob? What is the matter with them? I suppose because most of them are psychiatrists."

******

On African-Americans and Espionage - July 5, 1971

"So few of those who engage in espionage are Negroes. …As a matter of fact, very few of them become Communists. If they do, they either, like, they get into Angela Davis — they’re more of an activist type. And they throw bombs and this and that. But the Negroes, have you ever noticed? There are damned few Negro spies." 

******

On abortion - January 23, 1973

"There are times when an abortion is necessary. I know that. When you have a black and a white. Or a rape."

---o0o---