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1252593
label
11/20/75 - Reagan Press Conference
core
doc
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document
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1
Source metadata
id
1252593
sourceUrl
contentType
document
title
11/20/75 - Reagan Press Conference
citationUrl
collections
President's Speeches and Statements Reading Copies (Ford Administration)
Reading Copies of Presidential Speeches and Statements
subjects
National security
Presidential campaign, 1976
Speeches, addresses, etc.
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1252593
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20
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1975-11-20
month
11
year
1975
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day
20
logicalDate
1975-11-20
month
11
year
1975
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nara-archive
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1
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fb5b2fc6327f5783
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The original documents are located in Box 20, "11/20/75 - Reagan Press Conference" of the
President's Speeches and Statements: Reading Copies at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential
Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Gerald Ford donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Digitized from Box 20 of President's Speeches and Statements: Reading Copies at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
THE PRESIDENT HAS SEEN .....
REAGAN PRESS CONFERENCE
NOVEMBER 20, 1975
A FEW MONTHS AGO,
WHEN MY
OPPONENT CAME TO WASHINGTON TO ANNOUNCE HIS
CANDIDACY,
SOME OF YOU HERE IN TEXAS MAY
NOT HAVE HAD THE BENEFIT OF LISTENING TO HIS
FIRST PRESS CONFERENCE
-2-
A REPORTER ASKED HIM HOW MUCH HE
WOULD RECOMMEND FOR A DEFENSE BUDGET FOR
THE UNITED STATES
-3-
-
LET ME READ HIS ANSWER DIRECTLY
TO YOU BECAUSE IT SHEDS A GREAT DEAL OF
LIGHT ON HIS CAMPAIGN:
-4-
I DIDN'T SAY WHAT I WANTED TO SPEND, "
HE REPLIED
"
YOU HAVE ME IN A POSITION IN
WHICH THE ANSWER IS VERY DIFFICULT BECAUSE I
THINK ONLY WHEN YOU ARE IN THAT POSITION OF
COMMAND DO YOU HAVE ACCESS TO ALL THE
INFORMATION THAT IS NECESSARY FOR MAKING THAT
DECISION AND OBVIOUSLY I'M NOT IN THAT POSITION
AND DO NOT HAVE THAT INFORMATION AT THIS MOMENT
- 5 -
LATER ON,
A REPORTER PRESSED
THE DEFENSE QUESTION AGAIN
AND THE CORE OF HIS ANSWER WAS THIS:
IN THE AREA OF DEFENSE,
"ONE HAS ALWAYS TO
FACE THAT FACT THAT THERE ARE FACTS NOT KNOWN
TO YOU AND WHICH CANNOT BE KNOWN TO YOU BECAUSE
OF CLASSIFICATION
AND THIS ALWAYS
MUST BE KEPT IN MIND AS A RESERVATION ABOUT
ANY OPINION THAT YOU MIGHT RENDER."
MY FRIENDS,
I WOULD SUGGEST TO
YOU HERE TODAY THAT ANY CANDIDATE WHO BEGINS
HIS CAMPAIGN BY SAYING HE DOESN'T KNOW
ENOUGH ABOUT NATIONAL DEFENSE TO TALK ABOUT
IT AND THEN,
IN THE HEAT OF BATTLE,
SUDDENLY TRIES TO MAKE IT THE CENTRAL ISSUE
CAN HARDLY EXPECT THE AMERICAN PEOPLE TO
TAKE HIM SERIOUSLY