Nixon by Nixon: In His Own Words (2014) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Nixon recorded his private conversations from 1971 to 1973, reportedly to keep a historical record. However, these 3,700 hours of tapes would eventually become central to his political downfall when their existence was revealed during the Watergate hearings.

• nixon tapes
• white house recordings
• richard nixon
• watergate

The existence of the tapes was revealed during Senate Watergate hearings on July 16, 1973, when Alexander Butterfield disclosed the secret recording system. The recordings exposed damaging evidence of Nixon's involvement in covering up the Watergate break-in, making impeachment inevitable and forcing his resignation on August 9, 1974.

Foreshadowing: The tapes captured Nixon discussing paying the Watergate burglars, which later became crucial evidence.

• nixon resignation
• watergate scandal
• impeachment
• alexander butterfield

In private conversations, Nixon repeatedly declared "The press is the enemy. The press is the enemy," expressing deep hostility toward media coverage and urging colleagues to undermine media credibility at every turn.

Foreshadowing: This hostility toward the press framed his administration's relationship with journalists throughout his presidency.

• nixon press
• media
• first amendment
• presidential rhetoric

Nixon privately derided anti-war protesters, telling Henry Kissinger it "really burns me up" and claiming they lacked pride. He argued that the "voice of America" belonged to the "silent majority" rather than the protest movement.

Foreshadowing: This private contempt for protesters contrasted sharply with his public appeals to unity.

• vietnam war
• anti-war movement
• silent majority
• protest

The tapes reveal Nixon making antisemitic remarks about Daniel Ellsberg, the former Pentagon analyst who leaked the Pentagon Papers. In personal remarks, he referred to "The Jews" as "born spies" and used derogatory language targeting Ellsberg.

Foreshadowing: The Pentagon Papers leak triggered Nixon's fury, which then manifested in these hateful remarks.

• daniel ellsberg
• pentagon papers
• antisemitism
• discrimination

After the Watergate break-in, Nixon told H.R. Haldeman that the five burglars "took a hell of a risk" and "have to be paid," reflecting a willingness to shield them. He later told Pat Buchanan the scandal would pass, predicting only a few indictments.

Foreshadowing: This conversation directly contradicted Nixon's public denials of involvement in Watergate.

• watergate break-in
• h.r. haldeman
• cover-up
• criminal conspiracy

With Supreme Court vacancies, Nixon publicly mentioned women nominees like Mildred Lillie and Sylvia Bacon. However, privately he told John Mitchell he would like to "get them off the woman kick if we can," revealing his reluctance despite public posturing.

Foreshadowing: This private remark contradicted his public commitment to considering women for the bench.

• supreme court
• nominations
• gender
• judiciary

After Nixon's death in 1994, the government began gradually releasing the recordings. The final batch of tapes was made public on August 20, 2013, ending decades of secrecy and revealing more of Nixon's candid remarks.

Foreshadowing: Nixon spent his post-presidency fighting to prevent the tapes' release, knowing their damaging content.

• government release
• archives
• declassification
• transparency

In private conversations with Henry Kissinger, Nixon dismissed Vietnam veteran John Kerry, who later became a prominent anti-war voice, calling him "quite a phony." This remark reflected his contempt for veterans who opposed the war.

Foreshadowing: Kerry's anti-war activism after serving in Vietnam made him a target of Nixon's private criticism.

• john kerry
• vietnam veteran
• war protests

When the New York Times published thousands of secret Pentagon Papers detailing U.S. involvement in Vietnam, Nixon reacted furiously, calling the action "treasonable" and venting his anger to Kissinger about the journalists who published them.

Foreshadowing: This rage over the leak led to Nixon's targeting of Daniel Ellsberg as the source.

• pentagon papers
• daniel ellsberg
• classified documents
• espionage

Nixon described his 1972 visit to China as a watershed moment, signaling a breakthrough in international relations. The journey helped reshape U.S.-China diplomacy and stood as a major foreign policy achievement alongside his Moscow arms control talks.

Foreshadowing: Despite his private controversies, Nixon's diplomacy with China represented a significant presidential accomplishment.

• china visit
• foreign policy
• diplomacy
• nixon

In 1982, John Ehrlichman warned that historians would misinterpret Nixon if they listened to snippets in isolation. He emphasized that a fair assessment required listening to all the tapes and reviewing all archives to understand the "strangest paradoxical combination" of the man.

Foreshadowing: This warning anticipated how selective use of the tapes would shape public perception of Nixon.

• john ehrlichman
• historians
• archives
• interpretation