Nixon Now Podcast

This week marks the 47th anniversary of President Nixon's historic trip to China. We often hear about the trip in a purely diplomatic context, but how was it planned, executed, and captured on television for the American people and the world to see. To unpack this story we are again joined by Dwight Chapin. Chapin started his career in politics as a personal aide to President Nixon, and went on to serve as White House Appointments Secretary, and Deputy Assistant to the President. He’s been at the center of some of the most monumental events of the Nixon Presidency including serving as Acting Director of Protocol during the China Trip. He also oversaw the White House Television Office and presidential travel. Photo: President Nixon shakes hands with Premier Zhou Enlai as he steps off of Air Force One on February 21, 1972 (Richard Nixon Presidential Library).

On this edition of the Nixon Now Podcast, we explore how President Nixon built his majority winning coalition in 1972 with a forward thinking innovative appeal to younger voters. Our guest is Seth Blumenthal, senior lecturer at Boston University and author of “Children of the Silent Majority: Young Voters and the Rise of the Republican Party, 1968-1980." You can follow him on Twitter @sethblumenthal. Interview by Jonathan Movroydis. Photo: President Nixon speaks at a youth rally. (Richard Nixon Foundation).

On this edition of the Nixon Now podcast, we’re talking the Nixon Tapes again, with specific focus on President Nixon’s conversations about India’s War with Pakistan in 1971, and the international and domestic implications of U.S. policy in the conflict. Our guest again is Luke Nichter, Professor of History at Texas A&M University, Central Texas. He’s the nation’s foremost expert on the Nixon White House Tapes, and founder of NixonTapes.org. Interview by Jonathan Movroydis. Read the transcript here: https://www.nixonfoundation.org/2019/02/podcast-luke-nichter-white-house-tapes-indo-pakistani-war-yeoman-radford-affair/ Photo: President Nixon with India Prime Minister Indira Ghandi on 4 November 1971. (Richard Nixon Presidential Library)

What characterized the final years of America’s engagement in the Vietnam War, specifically the policy of the Nixon administration? On this edition of the Nixon Now Podcast, we're in studio with one of the nation’s foremost experts on the Vietnam War, Gregory Daddis. Dr. Daddis is professor of history at Chapman University, and director of its masters program in war and society. He is also a West Point graduate, and retired Army colonel. He specializes in Cold War and Vietnam War history, and is the author of a new book by Oxford University Press, "Withdrawal: Reassessing America’s Final Years in Vietnam." Photo: President Nixon announces his policy toward enemy sanctuaries in Cambodia on April 30, 1970 as part of his war strategy in Indochina. (AP)

After Richard Nixon lost the 1960 Presidential Election, and the 1962 California Gubernatorial election, he made a new life with his family in New York, and became partner at an historic Wall Street Law Firm, which would eventually be named Nixon, Mudge, Rose, Guthrie, and Alexander. This is all in a new book by Victor Li called “Nixon in New York.” On this edition of the Nixon Now Podcast, we explore Richard Nixon's legal career with Victor Li, assistant editor of the ABA Journal. Photo: Richard Nixon with dog Checkers in Central Park (Richard Nixon Presidential Library).

On January 20, 1969, Richard Nixon took the Oath of Office for the Presidency of the United States.This month, marks the 50th anniversary of that momentous occasion. Richard Nixon put his left hand on the Milhous Family bible held by the new First Lady Pat Nixon. Opened to Isaiah 2:4, the verse reads: “They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” Nixon later said in his memoirs that the major theme of his first inaugural address was peace. On this special edition of the Nixon Now podcast, “An Answer of the Spirit” we unpack the message of peace that Nixon communicated in his first inaugural address. Produced and narrated by Jonathan Movroydis. Edited by Chris Barber. Photo: President Nixon takes the Oath of Office for President of the United States, January 20, 1969.(Ollie Atkins/Richard Nixon Presidential Library)

On this edition of the Nixon Now Podcast, we’re in studio on President Nixon's 106th birthday with Scott Huesing, a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, and author of one of the most noted personal troop memoirs of the Second Iraq War, "Echo in Ramadi: The First Hand Story of U.S. Marines in Iraq’s Deadliest City." He discusses his career in the Marine Corps, and the historic battle. Interview by Jonathan Movroydis. Photo: Scott Huesing joined the Nixon Now Podcast in studio at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda, CA, January 9, 2019. (@PeteATurner)

On this edition of the Nixon Now Podcast, we’re talking the Nixon Tapes again, with specific focus on President Nixon’s conversations about diplomacy with leaders of the Soviet Union. Our guest is Luke Nichter, Professor of History at Texas A&M, Central Texas. He’s the nation’s foremost expert on the Nixon White House Tapes, and founder of NixonTapes.org. Read transcript here: https://www.nixonfoundation.org/2019/01/luke-nichter-soviet-union-white-house-tapes/ Interview by Jonathan Movroydis. Photo: President Nixon and Soviet Premier Leonid Brezhnev sign the AMB Treaty and interim Strategic Arms Limitation Agreement in Moscow on May 26, 1972.

On this edition of the Nixon Now Podcast, we’re talking again about the relationship between President Nixon and the late President George Herbert Walker Bush. Our guest is former governor of New Hampshire, and chief-of-staff to President Bush, John Sununu. He’s also author of a memoir about his time in the Bush White House, "The Quiet Man: The Indispensable Presidency of George H.W. Bush." Interview by Jonathan Movroydis.

On this edition of the Nixon Now Podcast, we’re discussing the Nixon Tapes again, with specific focus on President Nixon’s conversations about rapprochement to the People’s Republic of China beginning in 1971, and culminating with the historic trip in February 1972. Our guest is Luke Nichter, Professor of History at Texas A&M Central Texas. He’s the nation’s foremost expert on the Nixon White House Tapes, and founder of NixonTapes.org. Read Transcript here: https://www.nixonfoundation.org/2018/12/podcast-luke-nichter-1971-1972-white-house-tapes-china/ Interview by Jonathan Movroydis. Photo: President Nixon's historic handshake with Premier Chou en-Lai upon stepping off Air Force One in Beijing on February 21, 1972 (Richard Nixon Presidential Library).

What characterized the relationship between President Nixon and the late President George Herbert Walker Bush? Nixon’s former foreign policy assistant Monica Crowley wrote in a Spectator Column early this month that Nixon mentored Bush, and that Bush carefully considered the elder statesman’s advice during the period of the end of the Soviet Union, and the run-up to the Gulf War. On this edition of the Nixon Now podcast Crowley discussed her column, and working for former President Nixon. Monica Crowley is senior fellow at the London Center For Policy Research, columnist with the Washington Times, and best selling author. Interview by Jonathan Movroydis.

On this edition of the Nixon Now Podcast, we explore the legacy of America's seventh President, Andrew Jackson. Early in his administration, President Trump compared himself to Jackson; it's likely that he admires "Old Hickory's brashness and populist flair. Trump has even placed a portrait of Jackson in the Oval Office. Why is Andrew Jackson, whose face is on America's $20 bill so important to our nation's history? Why is he significant today? To answer these questions, we are joined by Brian Kimeade, co-host of Fox News Channel's morning show "Fox and Friends," and "The Brian Kilmeade Radio Show." He is author of books, "George Washington's Secret Six" and "Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates." His most recent book, "Andrew Jackson and the Miracle of New Orleans" was recently released in paperback. Interview by Jonathan Movroydis. Photo: Official Portrait of President Andrew Jackson, 1835. (Ralph W.E. Earl/White House Historical Society)

On this edition of the Nixon Now Podcast we explore how President Nixon made his improbable comeback for President in 1968 — 50 years ago — and what it was like to be in the inner workings of the campaign. There wasn’t anyone as closely involved as Dwight Chapin, then candidate Nixon’s personal aide. Chapin went on to serve as President Nixon’s appointments Secretary, and Deputy Assistant to the president. He’s been at the center of some of the most monumental events of the Nixon Presidency including serving as Acting Director of Protocol during the historic trip to China in 1972. He also oversaw the White House Television Office and Presidential Travel. Interview by Jonathan Movroydis.

On this edition of the Nixon Now Podcast we explore what became known as the Watergate "Road Map." In October, Politico reported that Chief U.S. District Court Judge Beryl Howell granted a request to unseal a large chunk of the “Road Map” that a federal grand jury in Washington sent to the House Judiciary Committee in early 1974 as part of the Watergate investigation. The petition to the court was made by our guest today, Geoff Shepard, author and former Nixon White House official who served as Associate Director for General Government on the Domestic Council, and deputy to Nixon’s defense attorney Fred Bruzhardt. Mr. Shepard is the author of two books about Watergate, “The Secret Plot to Make Ted Kennedy President: Inside the Real Watergate Conspiracy” and "The Real Watergate Scandal: Collusion, Conspiracy, and the Plot That Brought Nixon Down." Interview by Jonathan Movroydis.

On this edition of the Nixon Now Podcast, we talk with Stephen Hess, the Senior Fellow in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution. He served as a professor of Media and Public Affairs at the George Washington University, as an advisor to Presidents Carter and Ford, and on the White House staff to Presidents Eisenhower and Nixon. He's the author of a dozen books including a biography of President Nixon. In this podcast we explore his new memoir, "Bit Player: My Life with Presidents and Ideas." Photo: Stephen Hess, then chairman of the White House Conference on Children and Youth with President Nixon during a meeting with Dr. Edward Zigler, director of the White House Office of Child Development in 1970. Interview by Jonathan Movroydis.

On this edition of the Nixon Now Podcast, we discuss the Nixon Tapes again, with specific focus on President Nixon’s conversations with National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger, in 1971. Our guest again is Luke Nichter, Professor of History at Texas A&M Central Texas. He’s the nation’s foremost expert on the Nixon White House Tapes, and founder of NixonTapes.org. Nixon writes in his memoirs that he installed the taping system as a way to record history accurately and he mentions that the installation occurred around the time of the Lam Son 719 operation to combat Communist infiltration in Laos. He felt that much of the press coverage was wrong about the Vietnam War, and decided to give another major speech about Vietnam on April 7, 1971. It covered the Laos operation and the way forward for American policy in Indochina. Read Transcript Here: https://www.nixonfoundation.org/2018/10/podcast-luke-nichter-early-1971-tapes-vietnam/

Why did Richard Nixon install a taping system in the White House? On this edition of the Nixon Now Podcast we explore these and other questions about the capturing of presidential history from February 1971 to July 1973. Our guest is Luke Nichter, Professor of History at Texas A&M University, Central Texas. He’s the nation’s foremost expert on the Nixon Tapes — and founder of NixonTapes.org, the only website dedicated solely to the scholarly production and dissemination of digitized Nixon tape audio and transcripts. He’s also co-editor of two volumes on the Nixon tapes with fellow historian Douglas Brinkley. Interview by Jonathan Movroydis. For more information and transcripts click on the link below: https://www.nixonfoundation.org/2018/10/podcast-luke-nichter-origins-white-house-taping-system/

What were the United States’ relations with Thailand during the Nixon administration? On this edition of the Nixon Now Podcast we are joined by Kantathi Suphamongkhon, the former Foreign Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand.  Dr. Suphamongkhon is a regents professor at his alma mater, the University fo California, Los Angeles, a senior fellow for international relations at the Burkle Center at UCLA, and a director of the advisory board of the Center for Asia Pacific Policy at the RAND corporation.  Interview by Jonathan Movroydis. Photo of a sign with the anti-Communist message "Sock it to then hard, Nixon" taken from a motorcade in the streets of Bangkok, Thailand during President Nixon's visit on July 28, 1969.

How did the United States win the Cold War at sea? This edition of the Nixon Now podcast explores these and other questions about U.S. Maritime power with John Lehman, author of a newly released book on the subject, "Oceans Ventured." Secretary Lehman is founding director of J.F. Lehman and Company. His government service includes serving as Secretary of the Navy, Deputy Director of the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, and senior staff member on the National Security Council during the Nixon administration. Photo: President Nixon with Navy personnel, aboard the USS Saratoga flight deck duirng an Armed Forces Day celebration, May 17, 1969 (Richard Nixon Presidential Library). Introduction Music: “Victory at Sea" by Richard Rodgers (1952) Interview by Jonathan Movroydis.

This edition of the Nixon Now Podcast explores how the conservative media influenced public debate about U.S. foreign policy during the Cold War. Our guest is author and historian Laurence Jurdem, an expert on the history of American conservatism. His writings and commentary have been featured in a wide number of publications, including National Review, the New York Times, Newsweek, the Washington Post, Cold War History and the History News Network. Dr. Jurdem’s is the author of a newly released book, "Paving the Way for Reagan: The Conservative Press and the Forging of the Reagan Foreign policy 1964-1980." President Nixon with conservative leader, writer, and commentator William F. Buckley in 1969. (Bettman / Getty) Interview by Jonathan Movroydis