[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 32, Number 22 (Monday, June 3, 1996)]
[Page 953]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks on the Verdict in the McDougal-Tucker Trial and an Exchange With 
Reporters

May 28, 1996

    The President. I'd like to make a brief statement about the jury 
verdict in Arkansas today. First of all, the jury has completed its work 
and they obviously worked for quite a long time and debated this 
thoroughly and tried to make a good decision. So I think we should all 
accept that.
    Obviously, on a personal level, I'm very sorry for Governor Tucker 
and Jim and Susan McDougal. But the jury has decided. I was asked to 
give testimony; I did that. And for me, it's time to go back to work. 
That's what I intend to do.
    Q. Do you think Governor Tucker should resign?
    The President. I don't want to comment on that. I think those 
questions have to be resolved by the people involved and in terms of 
what their other options are. I don't want to comment on that. I just 
think that this is a day for saying that these jurors worked a long 
time; they were out for an extended period of time; they reached their 
verdict. And as I said, for me it's more of a personal thing today. I'm 
very sorry for them personally.
    But I did what I was asked to do, and now I've got to go back to 
work. That's what I intend to do.
    Q. Sir, do you think this is a repudiation of your statements?
    Q. Did the jurors not believe you, sir? Did the jurors not believe 
you?
    The President. You ought to ask them that. I doubt that. I doubt 
that that's what was going on. But you ought to ask them. I don't know.

Note: The President spoke at 6:20 p.m. on the North Driveway of the 
White House. In his remarks, he referred to trial codefendants Gov. Jim 
Guy Tucker of Arkansas and James and Susan McDougal. A tape was not 
available for verification of the content of these remarks.