Liberal Forum

Ronald Reagan referred to Africans as "monkeys" during racist phone call with Richard Nixon.

A newly-released recording from Richard Nixon's presidency reveals that Ronald Reagan, the next Republican to be elected commander-in-chief, once referred to people from Africa as "monkeys."

"Last night, I tell you, to watch that thing on television as I did," Reagan, then the governor of California, can be heard saying to Nixon during a phone call following China's recognition by the U.N.

After Nixon interrupted to affirm what Reagan had said, the governor pressed on.

"To see those — those monkeys from those African countries — damn them, they’re still uncomfortable wearing shoes," Reagan said.

Nixon responded with audible laughter.

"Had the story stopped there, it would have been bad enough.

Racist venting is still racist.

But what happened next showed the dynamic power of racism when it finds enablers," Tim Naftali wrote about the recording in the Atlantic.

"Nixon used Reagan’s call as an excuse to adapt his language to make the same point to others.

Right after hanging up with Reagan, Nixon sought out Secretary of State William Rogers.

When Nixon found Rogers, he mentioned Reagan's comments as a way of arguing that American foreign policy should account for racist views.

"As he said, he saw these— these, uh — 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," Nixon told Rogers.