By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Writer

Even though he never made any public comment about the case, newly released tapes by the Nixon Presidential Library reveal that President Richard M. Nixon was worried about the impact of the infamous Roe v. Wade decision on morals and family life.

According to The New York Times, the newly released tapes were recorded by secret microphones in the Oval Office from January and February, 1973 and contain 150 hours worth of insight into an era that included the legalization of abortion in America, the end of the Vietnam War and the trial of seven men involved in the break-in at the Democratic headquarters at the Watergate hotel.

Just after the Roe decision was handed down, Nixon is heard expressing his worry to an aide that greater access to abortion would foster “permissiveness” and said that it “breaks the family.”

However, he also saw a need for abortion, such as in the case of rape of interracial pregnancies.

“There are times when an abortion is necessary. I know that. When you have a black and a white,” he said, then added, “Or a rape.”

The tapes also captured more mundane details of life in the White House such as what to pack for a trip, when to visit the barber, whether Mrs. Nixon would enjoy dinner at Trader Vic’s.

Also included in the tapes is a February 1973 phone call with evangelist Billy Graham during which the reverend complained that Jewish-American leaders were opposing efforts to promote evangelical Christianity, like Campus Crusade. The two men agreed that the Jewish leaders risked setting off anti-Semitic sentiment.

“What I really think is deep down in this country, there is a lot of anti-Semitism,” Nixon says, “and all this is going to do is stir it up.”

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