NIXON HATED THE JEWS RECORDS SHOW: "THE JEWS ARE BORN SPIES"

Conspiracy theories, as Richard Hofstadter noted, can target any demographic group. Nixon's targeted three: Jews, intellectuals, and Ivy Leaguers. Nixon privately called all three groups "arrogant" and said they placed themselves "above the law." By telling himself that Jews, intellectuals and Ivy Leaguers were immoral, even criminal, Nixon gave himself permission to do immoral, even criminal, things to any Jew, intellectual or Ivy Leaguer whom he feared could cause him political harm.

NB: This clips contains expressions of opinions that many people will find offensive.

Date: Jul 05, 1971
Participants: Richard Nixon, Bob Haldeman, Ron Ziegler
Conversation Number: 537-004

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(President Nixon): All of the Jewish families are close, but there's this strange malignancy now that seems to creep among them. I don't know, the radicalism. I can imagine how the fact that Ellsberg is in this must really tear a fellow like Henry to pieces, or Garment, you know. Just like the Rosenbergs and all that. That just has to kill him. And you feel horrible about it.

(Ronald Ziegler): Couldn't be a guy by name of Snyder.

(President Nixon): There ain't none.

(H.R. Haldeman): It would've been a Rosenstein that changed his name.

(Ronald Ziegler): It is. Right. It's always an Ellsberg or (unclear).

(President Nixon): They're all Jews. Every one's a Jew. Gelb's a Jew. Halperin's a Jew. But there are bad- Hiss was not a Jew. So that proves something. Very interesting thing. So few of those who engage in espionage are Negroes. Very lucky that way. And good. 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 damn few Negro spies.

(H.R. Haldeman): They're not intellectual enough. Not smart enough.

(President Nixon): It may be.

(H.R. Haldeman): They're not smart enough to be spies, they're not intellectual enough-

(President Nixon): The Jews are born spies. You notice how many of them are? They're just in it up to their necks.

(H.R. Haldeman): Well, got a basic devious abil- deviousness, that-

(President Nixon): Well, also, an arrogance, an arrogance that says- that's what makes a spy. He puts himself above the law. Other than spies for the pay. I'm talking about the spies that do it because of idealism.