Nixon was also targeted for assassination

[Scott Kaiser]

It is difficult to believe, however, that Nixon sought detente with Russia and China on his own initiative. However much he aspired to statesmanship, he lacked the stuff for it. And these detentes were grand-scale efforts that had to be coordinated over advance periods in diplomacy

This wasn't Nixon's doing, this was Kissinger doing, Nixon played along. I explain all this in my book.