Transcripts For CSPAN3 The Presidency Remembering Richard Nixon 20240714

Governor pete wilson served as one of the four eulogists at president nixons funeral. Wilson is a marine, u. S. Marine and a graduate of Yale University and Berkeley College of law. He first became acquainted with Richard Nixon while work object 1962 Gubernatorial Campaign as an advance man. Fwas nixon who urge and inspired the wilson to service. Before serve as senator as governor he was a california state assemblyman and then mayor of san diego. He was mayor of san diego for 12 years. 3 of those years overlap with the nixon presidency. He transformed the city in part by working with president nixon to bring millions of federal tax dollars back to state and local government, bricking decisionmaking power closer tote people. This is truly a testament to democracy in america. Governor wilson will be in conversation with dr. Frank gannon. In 1971, gannon served as i white house fellow in the Nixon Administration and went ton serve in the domestic counsel and in the White House Press office. In 1974, dr. Gannon left washington to california aboard air force one following president nixons resignation and was a chief Editorial Assistant onyx sons best selling mem yore. He interviewed president nixon for 38 hours in nine theen 33 which are available in the president ial library. Some of the clips youll see in this interview today. He was comanager of the Library Renovation project. Ladies and gentlemen, governor wilson and dr. Frank gannon. [ applause ]. Governor. Its hard to believe that 25 years have passed since i wish you could figure out a way to slow it down a little. Well, im about to do that, because for at least five minutes. In as jonathan said, in 1983 over the period of eight sessions i interviewed president nixon in new york. And the he knew that what we talked about as the obituary questions, how do you want to be remembered and what do you think is your legacy, which is not the way his mind worked, he looked i think he looked forward to all of those sessions as like going to the dentist. But this one particularly because he knew they had to be asked. So, we just have a brief clip from the end of the seventh of eight sessions, the eighth one was just a cleanup. So this was really the last session and i waited till the very end to ask him these questions. As you see, i pushed him a bit too far at the end. But at any rate, before we remembered him, this is how he thought he would be remembered. How do you think you how would you like to be remembered in history . Henry kissinger said before i left office that he thought history would treat me kindly. No, Henry Kissinger said he thought history would rate me as a great president. My response was that it depended on who wrote the history. A man cannot sit in his own jury. However, if i were to be presenting the case before the jury of history, i think this is what i would say. The instant historians understandably are obsessed with watergate. They see hardly anything else about me except watergate and rate me very low. I understand that. Historians maybe 50 years from now i would hope would see it more perspective. Yes, there was watergate. The first president to resign the office, thats part of history. But theres also a more positive part. As far as the presidency is concerned, im the president that opened relations with china after 25 years of no communication. I ended a war in vietnam in which there were 550,000 americans there when i came in. And none when i left. I ended the draft. I negotiated the first arms control agreement with the soviet union. I restored balance to the Supreme Court through may appointments. I initiated programs in the field of the environment and hunger and cancer and drugs that i think are very sound Building Blocks for the future. These are positive achievements. They must be there along with the negative ones. And i hope that the jury of history would consider that. Id say finally, however, that as far as history is concerned, that my proudest legacy is something else. Winston churchill in his book great contemporary wrote of a Great British Prime Minister at the beginning of world war i and he said, his best memorial is his family. And i would say that my best m memorial are my children. Wind say that for mrs. Nixon in spades because she made them what they are. It was said of queen it was received queen mary ought to dore that s tudor that when sthe died they would open her up and they would find the world cali, the town in france, written on her heart. What would be found written on your heart . Easy. Pat. The you said when you were Vice President in an interview with stuart, you said a major public figure say lonely man. I cant confide absolutely in anyone. Even in pat. Its Something Like wearing clothing. If you let your hair down you feel too naked. And henry kiss injer has writin the essence of this man is loneliness. Do you consider yourself to be a loney man . No, i never fret about it. I would say, however, i would say of dr. Kissingers comment this way. Essence of every great leader, im not saying im great. But the essence of every great leader i have known, he was a lonely man. In the 1972 in china you told joann that what you asked for and hoped of in your life was that you would have you said in china 1972 talking to him you said you learned more from your defeats than from your victories and that you hoped at the end of your life you would be able to say that you had one more victory than defeat. Do you feel that you can say that . That would depend on what happens. If, for example, theres a breakthrough in cancer, thats a victory. If, for example, my Environmental Programs are carried out in a responsible way, thats a victory. If, for example, the China Initiative doesnt fall apart, thats a victory. Let me say if we didnt have the China Initiative now, wed be in terrible trouble. And thats why im doing everything i can to keep it together. If, for example, were able to build in the relationship with the soviet union to reestablish a hardheaded detente, thats a victory. I consider it a victory in other words if we move the world toward peace and justice and progress. Thats what i live my life for. Thats what i think we contribute it toward. And thats why in the balance of my life to make sure that i come out with one more victories than defeat, im going to do everything i can to see that the initiatives we began are not lost but that they are nurtured and that they grow. Do . Do you consider that youve had a good life . I dont get into that kind of crap. [ laughter ] i dont get into that kind of crap. [ applause ] were about to wallow in that crap for about three quarters of an hour followed by q a. So it is 25 years ago that sad and memorable, rainy day until the sun suddenly broke out during the sactual service in front of the birthplace. What are your memories of that day . Well, it was a sad day and started, as youve accurately recall it, a gloomy day. And then just in time for the ceremony, the clouds parted, the sun shown through a little bit, at least the rain stopped, and it was as one might expect it at any funeral, the subdued mood. But in this case it was special. There was almost a palpable feeling in the crowd that i thought was visible. And ive seen some of the film since, that this was a historic occasion. This was a man who had achieved remarkable things. He had striven like few in history. Had he come back from a defeat. And one of the things which some people knew but not very many is that his reaction to that defeat was something that has and i always thought of dick nixons a fighter. He is, in his own words, not a quitter. But after the 60 race, when there were people who were urging him to contest the election, he did something that i think few might be capable of. And it said to me it spoke volumes about this man. That whatever his ambition and whatever his reasons for wanting to be president , he thought that there was an obligation on the part of anyone who sought that office to not leave the contest with a contest that would inevitably not be just disruptive, but perhaps provoke what he accurately thought of would be a constitutional crisis. And i only wish to god that there were people serving in the congress of the United States today who are capable of that kind of magna nemity and that concern for the nation. But he was even to his critics unless their so blinded by malice that theyre incable apaf seeing it, this was a very important life. This was a man who literally changed the nation. His answer to your question, frank, right at the end, i mean, those things that he said if these come to pass, if they actually bear fruit. And he was right. He attempted major things. Major changes. No small ball. And he achieved a great many. What i think he knew because he was a realist, he could not escape the reality that time goes on and if youre fortunate enough to serve, its part of a continuum. There will be people who come after it. Some who will improve on what youve begun. Some who will fulfill the ambitions that he held. I mean, the concern he had about the number of people falling to cancer. But so many things. This was it was not just a feel good exercise for someone who took minor but popular steps. And so i think that my feelings were probably shared in large measure by many of the people in that audience that day. They knew that this important figure had, in many ways, already changed the world and had begun things that, if fulfilled, would take it further towards being a better world. So do you think he was a fighter and not a kbquitter throughout his life and the fight wasnt over until victory was achieved. So many of these things it was a process. The 20 years, his post presidency was such a fruitful period for him. And two months before his death in new jersey, on the morning of his death the gal liz for his latest book had been put on his desk awaiting his arrival in the office. And just several weeks before then he was in russia meeting with boris and then coming back and meeg and the photograph we saw of him with president clinton after he delivered a report for that. So he just continued to to work and fight and try to serve that sense of duty. The you were amongst very well they were amongst very distinguished company, but you were among the distinguished company in bob dill linger and bob dole and at the time president clinton. How to do you write a eulogy like that. How do you organize your thoughts and what you want to say . The first thing is obviously you contemplate the record. You contemplate this what this man who was seriously about the job had sought in the years that he was privileged to serve. And so then you also think at least i did, of the fact that i was privileged not just to know him but on a couple of occasions to see him in a different light. And to have personal feelings. And that came early in our in our friendship. I was, as ben pointed out, a young advance man. And dick ports, who was a friend, had said, listen, i seen your talk a good game, but, you know, we need some help. So while newer law school, why dont you find time to be on the Alameda County committee. Well, thats how i met dick ports and through dick ports i met bob haldeman. And bob haldeman said, where do you want to practice . And i said, im not sure. Theres several places that im looking at. But i said, im leaning heavily towards san diego, i think. And bob said, good. Well keep you out of there. I said, what . He said, listen, youre going to have to make some tough calls with some people who take themselves very seriously. And youre going to have to say im sorry there are is the way it has to be. And he said from it comes to it, you can pick up the phone and say, here, im going to dial the number for the Campaign Manager and im going to let you talk to him. I warn you right now that hes going to tell you what i just have. And, in fact, hes told me, if they cant do it that way, then we wont do it at all. And i thought, wow. Theyre pretty serious about this. So and that actually happened once, only once. I had to make that threat. But the point really was that i saw another side of him, the one who was his most could be substantiate companion was a man named bob hamilton. Wonderful guy. He was a Ranking Member of the federal bureau of investigation. He had taken a leave of absence for i guess for six months in order to serve his old friend from whittier, college friend. And one day something went wrong and there was some major unhappiness on the part of the candidate, the Vice President , and they were good enough friends so they exchanged some fairly heated comments. And i was in an adjoining room. And i had to i couldnt you know, i could have cleared my throat or something, but, anyway, had it all calmed down, the Vice President said, listen, bob, i know i know what this means to you and you know what it means to me and we will be friends as we have been. And i greatly appreciate you taking the time, making the effort, my gratitude is real and indeed. And bob said, i know that, dick, thats why im here. And bob went off someplace. And for whatever reason, the Vice President came in to the room where i was sitting and he said, oh, i didnt know you were in there. I said is there anything i can do for you, mr. Vice president . He said not a thing. Youre doing quite a lot. You and the others. He said, i want you to know im very grateful. And he said, i hope its going to be a good experience for both of us. I thought, this is a man who does not take lightly people who work for him. Something that i would come to feel many times and feel very deeply. And he was, i think, for many of us a teacher. Not much by precept, except in expression his gratitude. But that was quite a lesson in itself. One that i saw was unknown and never learned by too many in public life. Some of my colleagues in the senate were notable for being unable to keep staff. They didnt deserve to keep staff because they were rotten to them. Richard nixon was very good to the people who shared his ambition and knew that they had placed that well because he was something special. So as a young law student before youd even met him, yore were a nixon republican. What was a nixon republican then and what say nixon republican in 2019 . Well, i think a number of people never fully understand public servants. And probably in many cases expect them to be better than they are. And some certainly should be. But the thing that i found interesting is that if you were to look at people and grade them, or interpret them by not so much what they said, thats part of the job, obviously, certainly during campaigning, but by what they actually attempt, i mean, again, the agenda that he had was not a lightweight agenda. It shouldnt be for the president of the United States. But he was when he was running to president eisenhower, i think he he he always exerted, i think, on people who were listening and giving him the attention, that serious people deserve, he was someone who really wanted to be a conservative dogooder. And he was a conservative in far more than most people realized. He was a student of history. He was a student of American History, certainly, and of all the sad things that has befall then country is that the young people growing up in it today, to quote David Mccullough, intelligent young people, intelligent Young Americans can grow up today, they can graduate from high school, college, even graduate school in total abysmal ignorance of their own history. And its not their fault. It is the fault of the Public School system. And Higher Education as well. But, dick nixon understood the constitution. He understood the world. He understood that the place that the world would be a better place only if america were as strong as it needed to be to deal with threats to freedom that had implications, if not immediately, pretty clear implications for the future of freedom everywhere. And certainly no one or no nation and certainly not after world war ii was close to being the super power that the United States was, not just militarily, but economically. And in terms of by its example, of letting free market economies prosper, become a model for other nations. And he took he took america very seriously. And and he made that clear, i think, very early on. He was a seriously young man in congress. And it wasnt just because he achieved instant deserved fame from his pressure that produced the alger his revelations, but he was someone to be respected because had he high ambitions not just for himself, but for this nation. The kitchen debate with christoph, you know, made that clear. You you knew that both of nixons president and mrs. Nixon, nixon and mrs. Nixon from for decades beginning, as you say, in 1962. Just to book end your relationship, do you remember the first time you met him and the last time you met him . Last time you saw him . The last time i saw him was after one of those remarkable performances that he gave where he could stand up with a microphone in front of him, no mow podium, just the standup mic and take his audience on a round the world trip of issues. And it was extraordinary. And i was privileged to experience that about three or four times. And each time i marvelled at not just how knowledgeable he was, but on his ability to articulate in very clear, concise ways what was important in all of these places that he visited and the people with whom he had these exchanges. He was a tough guy. He was tough minded. A realist. And i always thought that the phrase detente maybe was not the best chose because i dont think it really displayed that hardheaded realist which gave him the ability to go with confidence and open the door to china and to a new era in international relations. And thank god he was hardheaded. And he was also, as i think he demonstrated with the ultimate magnemeti that he displayed after the election, he constantly wanted to do what was the right thing in terms of the people of this country. And for the people of the world. And he took very seriously what was happening and was not capable of ignoring what other, frankly, what other leaders have. And i think that when he went to china, which kissinger had made these secret trips and set this up, i think that the chinese could not help but be impressed. And they did not could not, they were too smart to take lightly the importance of the man and the importance of his visit because it obviously opened entirely new global vistas for them. And i think we were fortunate that mao finally disappeared and was replaced by ping who was i think like Richard Nixon, a realist and someone who was serious about his country and who looked, i think, to be able to be forthright. To be able to engage in hard bargaining and say things that were going to require negotiation. That is a skill, it is something that not every supposed leader possesses. And i think we were very, very fortunate. And not everything that you try is going to succeed. But if you make a genuine effort and its a solid effort, and somebody else improves upon it, then you have performed admirably. I think clinton had that admiration for Richard Nixon. I think i think the eulogy that he gave, which followed mine, was a recognition of that. And it was an admonition to nixon critics, to people who could not see past the flaw. And i must say that i that i th better of bill clinton on that day than almost any that followed. In your eulogy, the opening to china and detente with russia which i think, and he thought was misunderstood by a lot of people was welcomed by was welcomed for some of the young reason wrong reasons. In your eulogy, you said himp, he was someone willing to sit down and talk with people who he didnt want as enemies, though they were not our friends. And that i think was the key to the opening to china and what about the first time you met him . The first time actually met. He was Vice President and he had come to california after achieving some pretty heady victories. But he the first time that i really had an opportunity to see him in action was when he decided that he was going to be a candidate for governor. And i liked him. I was disappointed, bitterly disappointed that he did not win in 60. When dick port said were going to need some advancement, he said, i think youd be a pretty good one. And we didnt have too many. We started out with about three. That grew to about six and toward the end, it picked up. But he was always impressive. And i always found him likable because he was somebody who took the job seriously but he was capable of making a little fun of himself, as well as some others whom he felt comfortable doing it with. I remember one time after i was governor, he was not out of here, but he was on the phone, and i was attending a state Central Committee meeting. The Republican Party meeting. And he called in and he said something that was at my expense, and it was very funny. And finally, at the end of it, i said, after he had had a little sport with me, i said, you know, mr. President , if youd been that because he made a comment at the Reagan Library that he was again, he was poking a little gentle fun but not too much. He said, well, i see that my friend pete wilson is here and he said, i admire him because i could never become governor. So anyway, i remembered that, but when he made a little sport i said, you know, mr. President , if youd been that funny when you were running, you would have been governor. And he laughed. In your eulogy, you mentioned you gave an example of his humor, which is not generally seen as one of his strongest suits. But he did have a sense of humor, and he could make a joke. Yeah. Yes, he this was the signing of the revenue sharing bill and thats right. In front much Independence Hall in philadelphia in october of 72. Yeah, absolutely. Wonderful setting. And whoever had the idea to sign it there rather than in the rose garden made great good sense. Yeah, Independence Hall. And the whole theme of revenue sharing was to return to the taxpayers who had local needs like police and fire. Adequate resources to do it. And not preempt to the point where they were short changed because of the federal needs. So revenue sharing was a returning to local governments, the ability to participate in the revenues that their taxpayers, their local taxpayers, as well as federal. And youre now at this point, you are the mayor of san diego . I was the mayor of san diego. Sitting next to the democratic mayor of houston, louis welch who became we became cochairs of the success fful campaign. We became chairs of the local government officials for nixon. And louis was a texan. Proud texan. Proud democrat who had gotten a little less proud of being a democrat. And was willing and able and did cross the aisle in that campaign. But here we were at Independence Hall. And i made the smart wise crack that id been watching the clock and that, according to the legislation, this was already law. And i asked the president whether or not we, in fact, were going to be paid interest on our money that was sitting there in the federal deposits. And i cant remember exactly what it was, but he said something to the effect of, be grateful and not too much of a smartass. I think it was be quiet and be grateful. In your eulogy, you also mentioned his personal generosity as being a quality that you and that not too many got to see. And you gave the example of his concern while you were working for him. His concern for your political and advice for your political future. Yeah, i was much touched by that. He came out to be the headliner at another state party convention. This one in San Francisco and bob finch and herb klein called me one day. I was in san diego practicing law, and he said or they both said the boss is going to be in need of somebody in the coming two years to be kind of his personal manager. The one who keeps him on schedule and who is essentially a gatekeeper and i said, yeah. And he said, well, we were thinking that you would be good in that job. You know him, and he knows you and theres some Mutual Respect the there, and he will listen to you when you say, come on, mr. Vice president. Weve got to end this and get on to the next one. Or just, this is not going to be worth your time. And we shouldnt have. I was pretty much intrigued by that prospect. And so bob said, well, hes going to be coming out here to do this speech for the state party in San Francisco at their convention. Before that, hes going to be down here in los angeles. And we think that it would be a very good thing, if you are able, to be his advance man and bodyguard for the weekend. If you could meet with him, hell be on a flight united flight from los angeles up to San Francisco on friday night. And if you can, he would like very much for you to be on the plane with him. So that happened and i was seated there next to him, and we talked about different things. And then he said, by the way, herb tells me that you are thinking of running for office yourself. Is that true . And i said, yes, sir, it is. And he said, well, tell me about it. Whats the district . Whats the registration . What do you think . And so i answered all of his questions and he asked all the right questions, and he finally started to smile, a big grin, and he said, well, he said, you know, id love to have you with me. But i think maybe you better do this. I think you better try it and get it out of your system. He said, because, you know, if you win, and he said, i think from what youre telling me, youve got a pretty good chance. But he said, if you dont do it, if you dont at least try it, some day youre going to say, damn it, i wish id done that. I think you better try. He said, good luck. And he was always very encourage i ing. He was very truthful and frank. But he was genuinely encouraging, and i was touched that someone who was in need of that kind of a personal manager and somebody that he could trust said, no, you better do this thing for yourself. You were given a signal honor, not only of eulogizing president nixon but 11 months earlier, eulogizing mrs. Nixon. You knew both of them and got to observe this formidable team, the dick and pat team. Recently shes been getting the recognition that is her due. But yeah. But how did you prepare for writing and delivering her eulogy, and how do you remember her . Well, i remember her with great affection and with great respe respect. Very much like the president. She was someone who was very kind to the people who worked for them. And very, very concerned about them. Thoughtful. And during the campaign for governor, she made a number of appearances with him, but she made a great many by herself. And she tended to go to a lot of events where there were young people. And one toward the end of the campaign was at Los Angeles Community college. And it was in the early evening, but it was not a day event. And we were a little bit concerned because the campus had a number of staircases that we were going to have to traverse. We tried to avoid them. But anyway, as we were walking down a staircase, i said to her, mrs. Nixon, dont you want to take the other side and theres a railing there. And she said, well, thank you. Thats very thoughtful. And all of a sudden, she no sooner said that, she turned to me and her heel caught on one of the steps, and she started to fall, and i just reached out and grabbed her. I mean, put my arms around her. And i had two sensations at that time. One was that she was remarkably fragile. She was she was a little woman. She was tiny. And that concerned me because, you know, if she had if she had actually fallen, i think she could have broken ribs or worse. So anyway, after i had grabbed her and got her back on her feet and over near the railing, she said thank you very much. She said, im so sorry. I mean, she was so apologetic, and i said, there is no need for your apology. Thats what im here for. But if you would, when its not bright, when its not brightly lit or even when it is, might not be a bad idea to hang onto that handrail. And she kind of stood back and she looked at me. And i thought, uhoh. Maybe i have offended her. And she said, youre absolutely right and gave me this dazzling smile. And she said, i very much appreciate your concern, as well as your catching me. And i thought, you know, this is really a lovely woman. And i heard her give some speeches. And she was quite impressive. But she also conveyed a warmth. I mean, i think the kids who came as skeptics, if they were not helpless, had to be impressed with the fact that she was not only articulate, but that she, obviously, she projected a sense of being concerned with their wellbeing. And i think she was. She was an extraordinarily thoughtful woman in both senses of the word. And, you know, as i look back and i have many times and certainly did when she fell ill and then passed away, they were remarkably well paired because she not only was supportive of him but she was she long, long since earned his respect. And gratitude. And it showed. It showed. He knew, i think, how lucky he was. And then, at the funeral, he was inconsolable. I mean, tough guy, yes. But, wow. Even watching that on if you were there its memorable. But even watching it on video today, his lyncisten, i have watched it. And bringing me to tears because he was poor man. I mean, he was truly inconsolable for a long time. Today is earth day. And the first earth day took place in the Nixon Administration. Of course, his environmental accomplishments are beginning to be, or are recognized. The sierra club now lists the main president ial stewards of the environment as theodore roosevelt, franklin roosevelt, Richard Nixon and jimmy carter for their records. Certainly what he did in that area is relevant today. And there are so many areas today in which things that he did 50 years ago or during his presidency are still unfolding today and affecting the lives of people, if you are a volunteer if youre in the military services. He created the allvolunteer army. Allvolunteer forces. And what is the how is Richard Nixon relevant to people for how his history and in some cases ancient history, why should they be interested in and aware of and even grateful to Richard Nixon for what he did 50 years ago . Well, weve seen a great deal of concern properly expressed about the fact that not everybody in this country has had equal access to opportunity. And that has led to some excesses in the other direction as were seeing now in some of these unhappy reports about people trying to go to college. Richard nixon was and im always slightly amused when i think of it in the context of what is now being called white privilege. Richard nixon was white, but he was not privileged in the sense that he was the child of privilege. The child of wealth. He would have said, yes, i was. I was privileged to be an american. Privileged to live in this country where there is huge opportunity for people willing to work. And, again, as ive said, i think he taught by his example more than direct precept that if you worked hard, if you took seriously the opportunities that were given to you, you could go as far in many cases as your energy and willingness to work hard would take you. He believed it. He was living proof of that. And he was, i think, constantly aware that while you shouldnt substitute one set of victims of discrimination with a new set, which is unhappily what has happened in a lot of what was called affirmative action. It was nonetheless really important to the country that we increase opportunity for everybody, and that meant, of course, increasing opportunities for education. Education and the upward ladder of mobility. And he believed in it. He was living proof that it was true. And for that reason, i think that he certainly never had the snobbishness that you found in an earlier generation in law firms, in on wall street. He was someone who judged people based upon their intelligence, their integrity and their ability. Their tenacity. And god knows he was living proof that tenacity pays. And it does. At the opening of the library he said its a long way from yorba linda to the white house. And he thats right. He was proof of he believed in the American Dream because he was proof that it could work. And he spoke about young people who were there. And you were there and you gave a very eloquent and concise biography of Richard Nixon at the reopening of the library in 2016. Talk a little bit about the Nixon Library as a fitting as a representation of his personality and a fitting tribute to his legacy. I think its very important that this library and birthplace exists. And very much enhanced by the fact that this small house, the birthplace, is where it is. Next to this quite impressive museum. And it is if youve never been here and come for the first time and go all through it, and you go to the birthplace, whether you start there or whether you end there, you have to be impressed that this is someone who was given the gift of a vastly superior intellect but also of the right kind of ambition and of the ability to understand how important it was to give all americans not equal result. Not equal reward for different things. But equal access to opportunity and thats a distinction that eluded a number of people. And god knows in todays democratic party, which is rent by people who are the few remaining moderates and their preoccupation with identity politics. He was, instead, someone who said, yes, there should be expanded opportunity for all and there should be equal access to opportunity for all. And that way those who are deserving and who undertake with great energy and great tenacity, they will find that the opportunity leads to responsibility. And he felt that very clearly and his whole life demonstrated that. And i confess, i did not know that the you just mentioned the sierra club. I did not realize that they had done that. And im impressed that they did. Because he did create the environment environment Environmental Council and the legislation that created it, and that created the agency. It came from a Richard Nixon in his first term. And he was extraordinary. You pointed out that title ix, but what i think is also true, and i suspect he would do this, but its no reason not to make steps forward, even though they may not be fulfilled, as you hope they will be. And god knows i think the environmental the epa has been a mixed bag. I think that in the preceding administration, it has been badly abused. And in the state of california, it has been. 160 of the first endangered species were in the state. No other state came even remotely close to that. Well, you know, it was an opportunity for no growth advocates to seize upon some things that really did not make sense and dont today. But he definitely understood that education was vitally important and that people should have the opportunity whether they were rich or poor to go to whatever educational level they could, in fact, achieve. And title ix is an example of something that both was a good step forward in some respects but one that has been abused. And thats true of anybody that serves this president. I couldnt wait for this president to take office and undo many of the executive orders that president obama had put in place. To me, one of the most important things in the u. S. Constitution is the doctrine of separation of powers. It was extraordinary that the Founding Fathers made that as strong as it is, but its constantly in danger, and there are reasons to have a very strong executive and to assign powers, commensurate with the responsibilities of that office. But when a president said as president obama did, well, i have a pen and a phone and if congress cannot do what i am asking them to, do ill do by executive order. That is an abuse of power. Its an abuse of the constitution. And it should have been called out. [ applause ] so, you know, i think that there is a lot that young people can learn, and the tragedy is what David Mccullough pointed out. And he said its not their fault. Well, thats true. In many cases, it is not their fault. They simply havent been taught. And that is not just sad. Its dangerous because it leads to the kind of, really, mindless ignoring of peril that led to the first to the second world war. I mean, god, theres only 20 years between the first and the second world war. And it was perfectly obvious that we were not going to have peace in our time with hitler and with the other axis powers. Why not . Well, because they had already in the case of europe overrun virtually all of europe other than socalled vishi france. And Winston Churchill god bless him was hanging on by his fingernails and urging fdr to bring america into a war that seemed to churchill inevitable. And it was inevitable. The question is how we would enter it. But the thing that was so tragic is that half or more of the u. S. Senate were such strict and outspoken isolationists that we were, as a result, woefully unprepared for war, and that obvious weakness invited war. And it came. And when it came on the eve of pearl harbor, ranking armies of the world put the United States army at, i think, 18th right behind either romania or bulgaria. The marine corps in 1939 jack had 17,000 officers and men. A future commandant of the marine corps was a Second Lieutenant for 15 years. Thats patience. But it was dangerous, and it led to the death of 440,000 Young Americans. Thats the number of k. I. A. And the reason is because the warlords in berlin and tokyo quite reasonably expected that either the United States would not fight listening to all the isolationists in the senate or that if we did fight, they could make short work of this because we were such a weak power. Now they made a terrible mistake. But it should never happen again. And there is nothing wrong with being a superpower if youre the kind of superpower that the United States was, and i hope well always be. After world war ii, we rebuilt europe with the marshall plan. We were idealistic enough to agree that there should be an organization like the United Nations. The United Nations was a good intention, but it also was another example of something that people who were not of the same mind but who were not democracies could undermine. And it has been undermined by the very structure that it was given. The Security Council has five members, all of whom have a veto. And that has not been a good thing. So if youre president of the United States, you can look forward to some time when a successor undoes something good that youve done. And thats why it is so important that what we used to call and teach as physics excuse me, civics be taught to young people so that by the time they come of voting age, they will have some understanding of what to expect and what to demand of the people who are asking for their votes. You mentioned churchill just before we go to questions. Andrew roberts who has written a great book. Major one volume book biography of churchill was here at the library in february. And after his visit, he said he wrote, what a giant r. N. Was. Easily one of your great president s. And i believe in the light of history hell be presented as one of the very greats. How do you think of sort of summing up how do you think history will, answering the question that the president began with. How do you think hell be remembered . Well, i think that, except for those who are unhappily suddenly, shockingly one of the Major Political parties in this country is having to decide whether or not they are going to become fullblown socialists or not. And many of them are. And some who are not, who are saying that they are moderates will be in the awkward position of having to deal with their people who are much more interested in having power for its own sake than they are in following the constitution. They are trying to make bill barr something that he is not. What he is is a very, very bright, very principled, very gut sy attorney general who was attorney general 30 years ago. It amuses me when people who are ignorant of even recent history say, well, he just wants to keep the job. He had the job. He had the job 30 years ago. And was the same kind of gutsy guy that he is now. I think that, by the way, i am not surprised that roberts rendered that judgment. Its one that i share. But i think that there will always be people who attempt to tear down those with whom they disagree. There will always be people who are incapable of they are such total advocates for a point of view that they cant be good negotiators. And the thing that he sees as an historian are that or what he sees is that Richard Nixon was a man with a powerful intellect with absolutely i mean, what he did coming back from the defeat in 60 and the defeat in 62 and stepping up and speaking as he did so that he won the confidence of the people and did so in a time when they needed confidence restore d deserves recognition of the kind that a really remarkable historian like roberts is capable of giving. I think that hes right. Maybe time has to pass before people can the people who have been incapable of the kind of intellect honesty and integrity that that judgment requires. Maybe they have to pass from the scene. And i hope that he is proven right. I think he will be. But i certainly hope that that is true. I think its interesting. Andrew roberts was also recently in the pages of the wall street journal with an oped about brexit. And there are certainly arguments both ways, i suppose, but he took a point of view that i shared that the voters of the United Kingdom took. And they cant seem to figure out how to quite implement it yet, but i thought it was interesting because in his oped, he made the point, he said, something to the effect, im not going to do it justice, but he said certainly our american cousins would understand why so many in our nation do not wish to delegate to a foreign capital decisions that more rightly should be made in the british parliament. I think he was right. I think a lot of americans did feel that way. Rang a bell with me. We are going to have to be what we have been, which is a model of intelligent and truly benevolent strength. The benevolence is admirable. Its what we are. The strength had better be admirable or we can lose the opportunity to be a benevolent superpower which is what Richard Nixon wanted us to be. What we should all want it to be. Its a small, small planet. And there are people on it who are not only not democrats with a small d but they are far from it. And when a nation puts itself in the hands of someone who has become a president for life, thats a sign that they are going to bear watching and the kind of toughminded negotiation that has to be backed up by real strength and power. Otherwise, democracy and diplomacy become not only endangered but diplomacy becomes without the credibility that we would hope peaceful nations would give to it. And thats a clear and present danger. Well, thank you for revisiting the library on the 25th. [ applause ]. Jonathan is going to take some questions. A couple questions . Thank you, governor wilson, for being here with us today. Your comments are tremendous, and really inciteful. President nixon opened up china famously 50 years ago. If you were to fast forward to today, clearly both the United States and china have benefited a great deal. You could argue china has really benefited a great deal. And now we are in a situation where we do have a somewhat of a trade dispute, you could say. How do you think president nixon would handle whats happening right now with the relationship with china . I think that he would instruct those who are charged with negotiating to drive a very hard bargain. And where, in fact, there needs to be change and, you know, i have been most of my adult life a free market advocate. I believe in free markets. Free market competition. I think its brought this country greater prosperity and strength than any other in the world. But i would also say that i think President Trump has been accurate in his observation that we have made some deals that were less beneficial than they should have been. That we have made some bad deals. I was for nafta. And it was an improvement, but it was not as good in some of the aspects as it should have been. Things change. So there comes a time when even something that was a good step forward needs to be renegotiated because its no longer producing the results that led to its creati creation. And i think that we have been not only generous as a people. I mentioned the marshall plan. Thats a notable example, but by no means the only one. Herbert hoover, before anybody thought of him for much else, was the administrator of a Similar Program after world war i. And he was in paris as the administrator of essentially a rescue mission of a europe that had undergone a very divisive and destructive war. They had no idea what a truly destructive war could be, but they had one 20 years later. I think that President Trump has said that we are willing to trade with not only china but with the world on the basis of free trade. That is wise trade. And thats exactly what we should do. Thats the instruction he should have given. Its the instruction im convinced that Richard Nixon would have believed was the right thing to do. We have a question right here. Thank you. This is a question that came to me and asked in an extemporaneous way. But a long time back, just before water gate came and there was some dark times at that time there, i was part of i was never there in 1974, but there was a part where i was part of a group where many groups, many young people were standing there with a plaque and saying forgive, love and unite. And actually, i know a lot of those people. They wanted to surround Richard Nixon and lift him up on their shoulders to cheer him on so we can build confidence in our country again because having him not being that position we saw what a tremendous loss that was for us. And i was wondering, one, were you there, and i know it wasnt something that we were able to pull because of security, but if it was and we would have been able to put Richard Nixon back in office and give him the hope that he needed to know that people were behind him, what do you think would have happened at that time . Well, youre asking me to secondguess the future. And i think that Richard Nixon in his apology to the American People made clear that he was not condoning a lapse. And i think he made up in an extraordinary fashion with the advice that he gave to a succession of president s and advice that he gave in 9 of the 10 books that he wrote. He wrote after leaving the presidency. So he was, for those wise enough to appreciate it, a remarkable mentor to the nation in saying the things that he did, in writing the books that he wrote, in advise iing president s who w wise enough to take his advice. And bill clinton, i think, was smart enough to appreciate that. And i think that a number of other people in future, looking back and reading what he wrote and what he said will see that there was a great deal of wisdom and a great deal of benevolence in what he wrote and said and in the way that he conducted the presidency that led to the list of events that frank has talked about today and that he was rightfully that Richard Nixon was rightfully proud of. That is the legacy that he leaves us, and i think that there will be people, historians, in the future if its the right kind of world, that will say were not talking about watergate. Were talking about the things he did as president that we all admire. And there was much to admire. And much wisdom to follow. [ applause ] thank you, governor wilson. Please give these gentlemen another round of applause. [ applause ] please check back for future events with the Nixon Foundation and well see you next time. All week, were featuring American History tv programs as a preview of whats available every weekend on cspan3. The lectures in history. American artifacts. Reel america. The civil war. Oral histories. The presidency. And special event coverage about our nations history. Enjoy American History tv now and every weekend on cspan3. Tonight on the communicators. People come up to me and they say, sir, i cant i cant get you. I cant follow you. They make it impossible. These are people that are really good at what they do. They say they make it absolutely impossible. Well talk about the recent president ial social media summit where President Trump discusses social Media Censorship by big tech firms and what should be done about it with robert bluey and Patrick Hedger from the competitive enterprise institute. I think as consumers, we can certainly demand that as users of facebook and twitter and google that if were going to be on that platform, we expect that, you know, they will respect our ability to communicate. If we dont like it, we can quit. To me, it seems hard to levy an accusation that big tech is a net negative in any way, shape or form to conservative speech when somebody like Dennis Prager is now getting a billion views on the products and the videos that hes putting out. Watch the communicators tonight at 8 00 p. M. On cspan2. Weeknights this month were featuring book tv programs showcasing whats available every weekend on cspan2. Tonight, the theme is biographies. George packer talks about the life and career of diplomat richard holbrooke. Martha saxton, history and womens studies professor at Amherst College recalls the life of George Washingtons mother. Mary ball washington. And josh levin, National Editor at slate talks about linda taylor, a criminal whose exploits launched the idea of the welfare queen in the United States. Thats all tonight at 8 30 p. M. Eastern on cspan2. In 1979, a Small Network with an unusual name rolled out a big idea. Let viewers make up their own minds. Cspan opened the doors to washington policy making for all to see. Bringing you unfiltered content from congress and beyond. A lot has changed in 40 years, but today that big idea is more relevant than ever. On television and online, cspan is your unfiltered view of government. So you can make up your own mind. Brought to you as a Public Service by your cable or satellite provider. 50 years ago, there were almost 500,000 u. S. Military personnel in south vietnam. On may 14th, 1969, a few months after his inauguration, president nixon made his first address to the nation on the vietnam war outlining a proposal for withdrawal of u. S. Forces from the south if the north vietnamese would agree to do so as well. The plan was not accepted but u. S. Troop levels gradually decreased between 1969 and 1972 after peaking in 1968. This is 20 minutes. Good evening, my fellow americans. I have asked for this Television Time tonight to report to you on our most difficult and urgent problem. The war in vietnam. Since i took office four months ago, nothing has taken so much of my time and energy as the search for a way to bring lasting peace to vietnam. I know that some believe that i should have ended the war immediately after the inauguration by simply ordering our forces home from vietnam. This would have been an easy thing to do. It might have been a popular thing to do