Ronald Reagan’s Racist Tape Released, But No One Is Surprised

Last month, the National Archives released an old audio clip of a conversation between then-California Governor Ronald Reagan and then-President Richard Nixon. Though the audio clip was first released in 2000, the National Archives omitted Reagan’s racist remarks. 

But now, in the wake of the full release, which was requested by researcher Tim Naftali- who directed the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum from 2007 to 2011, the world is reacting to Reagan’s disparaging remarks. 

According to CNN, the controversial conversation occurred in October 1971 when Reagan, who would later become the 40th President of the United States, called Nixon to discuss the recent United Nations vote to recognize the People’s Republic of China. 

During the conversation, Reagan, according to Naftali, referenced the Tanzanian celebration, saying, “To see those, those monkeys from those African countries —damn them, they’re still uncomfortable wearing shoes.” 

According to the publication, the Tanzanian delegation danced in the General Assembly when the UN took the vote to seat the delegation from Beijing instead of Taiwan. 

In a separate clip, Nixon mimicked Reagan’s words to then-Secretary of State William Rogers. 

“As you can imagine,” Nixon said, according to Naftali. “There’s strong feeling that we just shouldn’t, as (Reagan) said, he saw these…cannibals on television last night, and he says, ‘Christ, they weren’t even wearing shoes, and here the United States is going to submit its fate to that.’ And so forth and so on.’ 

Although the racist remarks came as a surprise to Reagan’s daughter, who cried after hearing the tape, the black folks on Twitter were the least surprised. In fact, in normal Twitter fashion, users let the jokes fly after hearing the tape. 

“Not a good day for Black Republicans,” one user wrote. 

“Yes Reagan was a monster but without him, we don’t get the purple tape,” Desus Nice said. “If this surprises you, wait til I tell you about pretty much every other president in history,” another wrote.

@TIME
White ppl are severe projectionists. They’ve been the most violent and destructive in this world. They are so afraid to admit who they REALLY are so they attack.

Reagan’s Daughter Cried After Listening to Dad’s Racist Tape | Time https://t.co/BeIUqDyulI

— Mia (@Mia27857116) August 1, 2019

I’m back on twitter and the news is that Reagan was a racist?
Can’t wait til they unearth that tape about wet water.

— Grégory Pierrot (@wwJJDdo) August 1, 2019

With Reagan on tape calling Africans monkeys and Nixon referring to us as cannibals–no surprises here–it simply confirms that the Republican Party has been a toxic threat to the lives of black people for quite some time.

— David A. Love (@davidalove) August 1, 2019

Here we have an op-ed by Reagan’s daughter explaining that her dad was against racism and that the recording of him saying racist shit is an aberration. Patti, your dad was as racist when he used the phrase “welfare queen” as he was in that tape from 1971. https://t.co/14VFIopH2l

— Puff the Magic Hater (@MsKellyMHayes) August 1, 2019

Well now that we have Reagan and Nixon spouting racism on tape, and George HW ran the Willie Horton Scary Black Dude ads, there is almost a direct racist GOP line to Trump

— ATP (@ATPJudge) August 1, 2019

Could anyone be surprised! Ronald Reagan was no friend to African Americans. He just got caught talking on tape like all of the rest of the racist!

— Donna Washington (@drays_) August 1, 2019