Graham and Nixon: anti-Jewish words on tape

Christian Century, March 13, 2002 by John Dart

IN HIS 1997 autobiography Just As I Am, Billy Graham expressed fears that his Oval Office conversations with President Richard Nixon might have been taped, and wrote that he wished it were not so.

Graham was perturbed at least in part because of an unrequited promise of confidentiality. Shortly after Graham spoke at Nixon's 1969 inauguration and preached a week later at the first Nixon White House prayer service, Graham told the president that if "he ever wanted to talk to someone who would never quote him without authorization, I would be glad to be such a person," Graham said in his book.

Nixon accepted the offer. "In the interest of confidentiality, I stopped keeping written notes of our conversations," wrote Graham. Unknown to him then, Nixon did keep a record of their conversations and of staffers' suggestions about him. "He might have taped some of our conversations as well, again without my knowledge or consent," Graham wrote. "I could wish it otherwise."

Selected Oval Office tape recordings surrendered by Nixon in August 1974 confirmed his culpability in the Watergate scandal, leading to his resignation. In later years, more tapes have been released, the latest on February 28 by the National Archives. In one tape, the noted evangelist shares sharp anti-Jewish observations with Nixon. Longtime acquaintances of Billy Graham said they were stunned and disappointed by his words. The White House discussion came after a prayer breakfast in February 1972.

When asked recently about his statements, the 83-year-old Graham said that although he could not recall the discussion, "I deeply regret comments I apparently made in an Oval Office conversation with President Nixon and Mr. [H. R.] Haldeman some 30 years ago. They do not reflect my views and I sincerely apologize for any offense caused by the remarks."

In the taped conversation, Graham was agreeing with Nixon's earlier comments on Jews when he said, "This stranglehold has got to be broken or the country's going down the drain."

"You believe that?" Nixon asked in response.

"Yes, sir," Graham replied.

"Oh boy. So do I," replied Nixon. "I can't ever say that but I believe it."

"No, but if you get elected a second time, then we might be able to do something," Graham responded. (The Watergate Hotel burglary of the Democratic national headquarters took place on June 17, 1972. Nixon was reelected that November.)

The evangelist also described Jewish friends in the media who "swarm around me and are friendly to me. Because they know that I am friendly to Israel and so forth." But he added, "They don't know how I really feel about what they're doing to this country, and I have no power and no way to handle them."

Nixon then advised him, "You must not let them know."

Concurring with a Nixon claim that the president is faced by a "powerful bloc" of Jews in Hollywood and the media, Graham also said: "And they're the ones putting out the pornographic stuff."

In his statement on March 1, Graham said, "Throughout my ministry, I have sought to build bridges between Jews and Christians. I will continue to strongly support all future efforts to advance understanding and mutual respect between our communities."

Rabbi James Rudin, a leading inter-faith figure for years with the American Jewish Committee, told the Charlotte Observer in North Carolina that Graham's taped comments depicted a personality different from "the Billy Graham I've known." Rudin said that one role of national religious figures is that of "the prophetic voice holding government leaders to the highest level of behavior and standards. He could have confronted Nixon.... Instead he seems to have agreed with Nixon."

The national director of the Anti-Defamation League, Abraham H. Foxman, expressed shock at Graham's assertion that Jews had a "stranglehold" on the country and that a second Nixon administration "might be able to do something." Foxman said it "is chilling and frightening, even today, 30 years after the statements were made."

William Martin, a Rice University professor of religion and sociology who authored an acclaimed biography of Graham, said he found the revelations out of character and disappointing.

In Graham's defense, others have noted that the evangelist's stances on social and political issues evolved through the years. Once a segregationist, he later insisted on integrated crusades and bucked Protestants who disliked including Catholics in the events. A hawk during the Vietnam war, he later spoke in favor of a nuclear arms freeze. In the 1990s, he opposed targeting Jewish people for special conversion efforts.

In his five-year-old autobiography, Graham expressed his dismay at Nixon's betrayal of their confidential talks. Some exchanges emerged in written material, including Nixon's books, Graham said. In a published memo to Haldeman, one of the president's chief aides, Nixon made it clear, Graham said, "that he wanted to nurture whatever influence I might have with certain religious leaders. Needless to say, this was not discussed with me at the time."