▁they ▁showed ▁N ixon ▁cont empt uous ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁its ▁institutions , ▁and ▁its ▁people . ▁According ▁to ▁Time ▁magazine , ▁the ▁Republican ▁Party ▁leaders ▁in ▁the ▁Western ▁U . S . ▁felt ▁that ▁while ▁there ▁remained ▁a ▁significant ▁number ▁of ▁N ixon ▁loyal ists ▁in ▁the ▁party , ▁the ▁majority ▁believed ▁that ▁N ixon ▁should ▁step ▁down ▁as ▁quickly ▁as ▁possible . ▁They ▁were ▁dist urbed ▁by ▁the ▁bad ▁language ▁and ▁the ▁co arse , ▁v ind ict ive ▁tone ▁of ▁the ▁convers ations ▁in ▁the ▁trans cript s . ▁ ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁The ▁issue ▁of ▁access ▁to ▁the ▁t apes ▁went ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Supreme ▁Court . ▁On ▁July ▁ 2 4 , ▁ 1 9 7 4 , ▁in ▁United ▁States ▁v . ▁N ixon , ▁the ▁Court ▁ruled ▁un anim ously ▁( 8 – 0 ) ▁that ▁claims ▁of ▁executive ▁privile ge ▁over ▁the ▁t apes ▁were ▁void . ▁( Then - Just ice ▁William ▁Re hn qu ist — who ▁had ▁recently ▁been ▁appointed ▁to ▁the ▁Court ▁by ▁N ixon ▁and ▁most ▁recently ▁served ▁in ▁the ▁N ixon ▁Justice ▁Department ▁as ▁Ass istant ▁Att orney ▁General ▁of ▁the ▁Office ▁of ▁Leg al ▁Coun sel — rec used ▁himself ▁from ▁the ▁case .) ▁The ▁Court ▁ordered ▁the ▁President ▁to ▁release ▁the ▁t apes ▁to ▁the ▁special ▁pro sec utor . ▁On ▁July ▁ 3 0 , ▁ 1 9 7 4 , ▁N ixon ▁comp lied ▁with ▁the ▁order ▁and ▁released ▁the ▁sub po ena