Nixon vowed to 'ruin Foreign Service'

Embittered by career diplomats during his
first term, President Nixon said he wanted to "ruin
the Foreign Service" before leaving office, according
to newly released State Department documents.

Days after his re-election on Nov. 7, 1972, Nixon
vented his frustrations about the diplomatic corps
during a meeting with his national security adviser,
Henry Kissinger.

Just before saying he was going "to take the
responsibility for cleaning up" the department, the
president told Kissinger on Nov. 13 that he was
determined that his "one legacy is to ruin the Foreign
Service. I mean ruin it ˜ the old Foreign Service ˜
and to build a new one. I'm going to do it."

Months later, Kissinger would become the chief U.S.
diplomat as secretary of state, and major changes were
never made to the Foreign Service.