“You won’t have Nixon to kick around anymore, because, gentlemen, this is my last press conference.”
- January 9, 1913 – April 22, 1994
- American
- The 37th President of the United States, Lawyer, Politician
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Quote
“You won’t have Nixon to kick around anymore, because, gentlemen, this is my last press conference.”
Explanation
This quote is one of Richard Nixon’s most famous and emotionally charged statements, delivered in 1962 after his defeat in the California gubernatorial race. In telling the press, “You won’t have Nixon to kick around anymore,” Nixon was expressing deep frustration and bitterness toward the media, whom he believed had treated him unfairly and contributed to his political downfall. The phrase is defensive yet dramatic, signaling a public withdrawal from politics—or so it seemed at the time.
The historical moment was significant: having already lost the 1960 presidential race to John F. Kennedy, Nixon’s second major defeat appeared to end his national political career. His “last press conference” was widely interpreted as a farewell, marked by resentment and defiance. However, far from being the end, Nixon would stage a historic political comeback just six years later, winning the presidency in 1968. The quote thus stands as a pivotal moment of apparent surrender that would later be reinterpreted as a pause rather than a conclusion.
Today, this quote serves as a lesson in political resilience and media dynamics. It illustrates how emotions, perception, and public communication can shape a leader’s image in both damaging and redemptive ways. Nixon’s words remain emblematic of the tension between politicians and the press, and his eventual return to power reinforces the idea that even moments of bitter defeat can precede unexpected revival—a narrative familiar in politics and public life across generations.
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