Carson1975: Difference between revisions

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Carson: True.
Carson: True.


Reagan: But I think one of the sad things is that the American people cannot know instead, frankly, we have to have a counter intelligence organization for our own safety. If the American people knew the extent to which were being spied on by the Russians, they'd throw détente out the window and Brezhnev aand few fellows with it.
Reagan: But I think one of the sad things is that the American people cannot know instead, frankly, we have to have a counter intelligence organization for our own safety. If the American people knew the extent to which were being spied on by the Russians, they'd throw détente out the window and Brezhnev and a few fellows with it.


well obviously I agree that that has to
Carson: Well, obviously, I agree that... that has to go on internationally to protect your national security but when they start looking at, you know, their own their own congressmen and own private citizens who's only a threat to national security seem to be to voice some difference of opinions that's going a little over the line isn't it.
go on internationally to protect your
 
national security but
Reagan: No because... well again as I say we...
when they start looking at you know
 
their own their own congressmen and own
Carson: Oh that's right you can't...
private citizens who's only a
 
threat to national security seem to be
Reagan: We can't... we can't give any progress report for you...
to voice some difference of opinions
 
that's going a little over the line
Carson: You want to speak into the ashtray here and tell me privately.
isn't it no because
 
well again as I say we oh you're with me
Reagan: All I'd say to the people is wait until the report comes in and I think when a report comes in, uh um, maybe they might be greatly reassured.
we can't
 
we can't give any progress for you you
Carson: I didn't mean to put you behind the eight ball there I realize of course you're on that commission and you couldn't expand on that. Let's take a brief break and we'll come right back and get on another subject
want to speak into this right here and
 
tell me privately
Commercial Break
all I'd say to the people is wait until
 
the report comes in
Carson: We're talking with, uh, former governor Reagan and uh during the break we were discussing what I mentioned, uh, that I thought most people uh were not apathetic I think they're confused, basically, because you hear intelligent people from both political parties or in the middle, conservatives and liberals, and they all seem to have different answers as to what is going wrong in the country. Some people say well let's let the government spend billions of dollars and then other people say no no more federal spending, uh, let's give the tax rebates, and the other intelligent people say no tax
and I think when a report comes in uh um
rebates we've got to do this and do that so everybody is confused how do you see the thing what how are we going to get out of this?
maybe they might be greatly reassured i
 
didn't mean to put you behind the eight
Reagan: Well, Johnny I think that one of the things is that people keep looking to government for the answer and government's the problem. ''(Applause)'' You... A moment ago you asked you know about people and feeling not only confused but low and and down in America.<BR />
ball there I realize of course you're on
First of all, the American people, if they would just take a little inventory and look around... you triple our troubles and we're better off than any other people on Earth. And we've asked so much of government and we've gotten in the habit over the last 40 years of thinking the government has the answers. There's very little that government can do as efficiently and as economically as the people can do themselves and if government would shut the doors and sneak away for about three weeks we'd never miss them.<BR />
that commission and you
Now the... if the people...
couldn't expand on that let's take a
 
brief break and we'll come right back
Carson: Anybody you had in mind, particularly?
and get on another subject
 
we're talking with uh former governor
Reagan: No, I said this while I was in government.
reagan and uh during the break we were
 
discussing what I mentioned uh
Carson: Okay.
that I thought most people uh were not
 
apathetic I think they're confused
Reagan: Our biggest problem is that we have built a permanent structure of government, federal state and local, the permanent employees and they've come to the place that they actually determine policy in this country more than does the Congress of the United States. There are 14 and a half million public employees in the united states, that's quite a voting bloc, and the bureaus and agencies not in Washington, I heard you talking earlier about some of the research programs. Well there was a senator the other day and he took up some pages of the congressional record he was doing the
basically because you hear intelligent
same thing you were listing all these crazy research programs and how much they were costing and wound up his speech by introducing his own he wants a study in a research of transcendental meditation
people from
both political parties or in the middle
conservatives and liberals and they all
seem to have
different answers as to what is going
wrong in the country some people say
well let's let the government spend
billions of dollars and then other
people say no no more federal spending
uh let's give the tax rebates and the
other intelligent people say no tax
rebates we've got to do this and do that
so everybody is confused how do you see
the thing what how are we going to get
out of this
well johnny I think that one of the
things is that people keep looking to
government for the answer and
government's the problem
you a moment ago you asked you know
about
people and feeling not only confused but
right low and and down in america
first of all the american people if they
would just take a little inventory and
look around
you triple our troubles and we're better
off than any other people on earth
and we've asked so much of government
and we've gotten in the habit over the
last 40 years of thinking the government
has the answers
there's very little that government can
do as efficiently and as economically as
the people can do themselves and if
government would shut the doors and
sneak away for about three weeks we'd
never miss them
now the
if the people anybody had in mind
particularly
no I said this while I was in government
okay our biggest problem is
that we have built a permanent structure
of government federal state and local
the permanent employees and they've come
to the place that they actually
determine policy in this country
more than does the congress of the
united states there are 14 and a half
million
public employees in the united states
that's quite a voting bloc
and the bureaus and agencies not in
washington
i heard you talking earlier about some
of the research programs
well there was a senator the other day
and he took up some pages of the
congressional record he was doing the
same thing you were listing all these
crazy research programs
and how much they were costing and wound
up his speech by introducing his own he
wants a study in a research of
transcendental meditation
[Music]
[Music]
so you know there's a state senator in
so you know there's a state senator in

Revision as of 20:50, 22 March 2026

Ronald Reagan's Interview on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

On December 24, 2024, Elon Musk posted on X (formerly Twitter) a short video of Ronald Reagan talking to Johnny Carson on the Tonight Show, adding only "Very Wise Words." The 7:43 clip went viral.
(The portions of the full video that are included in the clip will be emphasized in the transcript below.)

This clip was a portion of a 20+ minute Interview on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Reagan had just recently ended his terms as governor of California and would have just started recording his short-form radio show, as well as writing a syndicated newspaper column.

There seems to be some confusion in the Youtube video as to when this occurred. The video from the Reagan Foundation claims it was January 3, 1975, but sources such as Wikipedia, IMDB and the Johnny Carson Youtube channel, indicate the video is from March 13, 1975. This fits the early discussion, in which Reagan jokes about having been "unemployed" for a couple months.

Transcript

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