▁had ▁made ▁his ▁plans ▁when ▁chief ▁executive ▁to ▁sharp ly ▁down grade ▁the ▁importance ▁of ▁the ▁C IA ▁in ▁his ▁administration , ▁in ▁which ▁case ▁N ixon ▁himself ▁would ▁interact ▁very ▁little ▁with ▁his ▁D CI , ▁e . g ., ▁at ▁security ▁meet ings . ▁ ▁Ro le ▁of ▁ag ency ▁The ▁ease ▁of ▁access ▁to ▁the ▁president ▁that ▁Hel ms ▁enjoyed ▁in ▁the ▁Johnson ▁Administration ▁changed ▁dram atically ▁and ▁for ▁the ▁worse ▁with ▁the ▁arrival ▁of ▁President ▁Richard ▁N ixon ▁and ▁N ixon ' s ▁national ▁security ▁ad visor ▁Henry ▁K iss inger . ▁In ▁order ▁to ▁domin ate ▁policy , ▁" N ixon ▁ins isted ▁on ▁isol ating ▁himself " ▁from ▁the ▁Washington ▁b ureau c racy ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁trust . ▁His ▁primary ▁gate keep ers ▁were ▁H . R . ▁Hal de man ▁and ▁John ▁Ehr lich man ; ▁they ▁screen ed ▁N ixon ▁from ▁" the ▁face - to - face ▁confront ations ▁he ▁so ▁dis lik ed ▁and ▁dread ed ." ▁While ▁thus ▁pushing ▁away ▁even ▁top ▁officials , ▁N ixon ▁started ▁to ▁build ▁policy - making ▁functions ▁inside ▁the ▁White ▁House . ▁From ▁a ▁secure ▁distance ▁he ▁would ▁direct ▁the ▁government ▁and ▁deal ▁with ▁" the ▁outside ▁world , ▁including ▁cabinet ▁members ". ▁Regarding ▁intelligence ▁matters , ▁N ixon ▁appointed ▁K iss inger ▁and ▁his ▁team ▁to ▁convey ▁his ▁instructions ▁to ▁the ▁C IA ▁and ▁sister ▁services . ▁According ly , ▁N ixon ▁and ▁K iss inger ▁understood ▁that ▁" they ▁alone ▁would ▁conce ive