Transcript

Ford, Nixon and Watergate

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Nixon Presidential Collection, National Archives and Records Administration
Thursday, December 28, 2006; 8:13 PM

This May 1, 1973 call came the day after Nixon announced the resignations of his two top aides, H.R. Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman. Listen to the audio here.

FORD: Hello.

NIXON: Just wanted to express my appreciation for your note. Tell you to keep the faith and tell the guys, God damn it, to get off their ass and start fighting back.

FORD: Well, we're going to, Mr. President. And you did a hell of a job last night. And, uh, wasn't any other way I could express it this morning. But you've got a hell of a lot of friends up here, both Republican and Democrat, and don't worry about anyone being sunshine soldiers or summer patriots.

NIXON: Never Jerry Ford.

FORD: Well ...

NIXON: Okay, boy. Just wanted you to know I deeply appreciated the little note, and I saw it, and I was most moved by it.

FORD: Well, any time you want me to do anything under any circumstances ...

NIXON: Right ...

FORD: ... you give me a call, but ...

NIXON: You see I had to do what I did. It was the most painful thing I've ever done to take two totally innocent men and sack 'em, but they had to be sacked.

FORD: Yeah. Well, it just made me sit there damn near cry, 'cause I knew the problem it was, and I think both of them have done a good job, despite one of these [unintelligible] damned critics.

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