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I went home, and was talking to my nephew on the telephone when another friend called on another phone and said, “Have you heard that Walter Jenkins has resigned as a result of a morals charge, and has left the White House and has gone into a hospital in a state of collapse?” I couldn't believe it, because I had been with him a little more than 24 hours before, and I was utterly shocked. And I was in despair, because I felt that this kind of charge, coming at that time in the campaign, might make it really very serious as far as the election was concerned -- that it might jeopardize the election of the President. I really was in a state of profound shock. I couldn't understand how this could have happened. Jankins had been his devoted supporter and assistant, and I thought it would be terrifying if the election could be swung on the basis of something so surprising and so unfortunate.

I spent the following morning and part of the day talking to friends who were also very shocked. One told me later that afternoon, or next day, that on making a check throughout the country, that many of the newspaper people and many other people thought it would have no effect on the campaign at all. I think it was Lou Harris that was being quoted, and when Lou Harris said something like that, I thought, “Well, it can't be a total disaster.” Harris is very much au courant about what people think, and he's a good judge.