Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 3 › Conversation 003-097

Nixon phone call with Klein on Press relations and Joseph Alsop

Thursday, May 20, 1971 · 7:46 PM–7:50 PM ET · White House Telephone · 5 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Klein, Herbert G.Conversation003-097 on Tape 3 (tape position 01:52:47–01:57:46)StartThursday, May 20, 1971 at 7:46 PMEndThursday, May 20, 1971 at 7:50 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 003-097 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 417188433 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Herbert Klein discuss the favorable press reception following a recent meeting between the President and financial journalists, as well as the positive public reaction to recent foreign policy developments. Klein reports that journalists were deeply impressed by Nixon's long-range strategic thinking, despite some dissenting views from columnist Joseph Alsop. Nixon instructs Klein to have Henry Kissinger meet privately with Alsop to better manage the columnist's perspective. Additionally, Klein updates the President on the enthusiastic support for his policies from the Naval War College.

Audio

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NARA Description

On May 20, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Herbert G. Klein talked on the telephone from 7:46 pm to 7:50 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 003-097 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 003-097

Date: May 20, 1971
Time: 7:46 pm - 7:50 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Herbert G. Klein; background noise can be heard in the original
recording.

     A previous financial event
          -Peter G. Peterson
          -Paul W. McCracken
          -Peterson
          -President's role
          -Lester Bernstein of Newsweek
                -Call to Klein
          -Forthcoming articles
          -President's role
          -Forthcoming articles
                -President's role
          -Peterson
                -Journalists’ questions

     President's May 20, 1971 announcement

            -Television coverage
            -Joseph W. Alsop's response
            -Press coverage
                 -Print media
                       -Washington Star headline
            -Henry A. Kissinger's briefing for columnists
                 -Richard Wilson
            -Alsop
                 -Kissinger's forthcoming briefing
                       -Klein's call
                 -Kissinger's forthcoming briefing

     Naval War College
         -Klein's call regarding President's visit

**********************************************************************

[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 10/24/2017.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[003-097-w001]
[Duration: 41s]

     Naval War College
         -Possible military voter registration drive
               -Herbert G. Klein’s memo to H.R. Haldeman
               -Support for the President among military
               -John Mitchell
               -Robert J. Dole
                    -Register all military

**********************************************************************

            -President's accomplishments
            -Nelson resolution
                  -Response

Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).

Hello.
Yeah.
Yes, sir.
Herb, how did the thing with the financial thing turn out the other night?
Did Peterson do a good job?
He did a very good job, and the whole thing turned out extremely well.
Paul McCracken was with him briefly during the cocktail thing and answered questions.
He was more positive than he usually has been.
Pete did an excellent job in follow-up on what you had.
And all of them were deeply impressed with being with you that long.
Lester Bernstein, for example, from Newsweek, who's, I think, probably the most honest of their people, called me to tell me how much he appreciated it and how much he was impressed with your in-depth thought about the long-range future.
Good.
And so I think...
I hope they write that kind of story.
Well, I think they will on it and also... Because they had a...
In my meeting, they had an unusual opportunity to see the things we were thinking about in enormous depth.
Yeah, they really did.
And I think some of... Well, most of them are going to write about it on their own as our senior high people in government are going to be thinking about this.
I don't mind.
I don't mind.
They're indicating the president's thinking about this or that.
You know, that's the bottom of it.
Well, they're going to do it on... Because they don't quote me directly.
No, they won't quote you directly and they'll do it to...
highest sources of government are thinking in these ways.
And you were so candid with them that they were all struck by that and their questions later with Pete related to where are we going ahead in the long range just as you did.
So it was a major plus.
How about the situation today?
How did the television handle it?
It came off well on...
I didn't see the evening news, so I don't know that one, but it came off well after.
The only person I ran into who was a little bit negative was Joe Alsop.
Joe is such a hawk that his view is that what you ought to be doing is talking about spending $20 billion more on building new missiles.
I know, I know, but he's wrong.
Yeah, sure he is.
And at this moment when you really have an opportunity to make a breakthrough...
But he was the only one of all of them that I talked to today.
And the rest...
The writing for us did a very good job.
The headline, the star, could have been better.
It's perfect.
It's a big break.
And I think... And I listened to Henry talking to some of the columnists at 4 o'clock, and they asked him some probing questions he dodged around, which he had to.
And I think they're...
They're good.
And, you know, like with Dick Wilson and others, they understand what we're getting at and what we can't say.
Why don't you give Henry a call sometime today or tomorrow and tell him he ought to have a private talk with Joe about it?
I plan to.
I thought I'd do it first thing in the morning so Joe wouldn't think I was reacting tonight.
Yeah, that's right.
Because if Joe's brought in, he should be brought in specially to see Henry and talk about it.
I think, you know, because Joe can be an ally, and he's got that goddamn ego of his.
Yeah.
Which is so special.
Henry should see him alone.
Yeah, I think he should.
Talk to him tomorrow.
All right, I'll do that.
Tell him something.
He thought he should have a special reason.
We'll do that for sure.
Good.
Yesterday, I talked to the Naval War College up at Rhode Island.
Oh, yeah.
And...
They, first thing, they were all very ecstatic still about your visit up there.
Were they?
Good.
But, you know, this is a segment with the things you've done on foreign policy, which has to be more solid for us than ever before.
And basically they start that way.
And talking to these people yesterday, when the Nelson thing was defeated, you know, they all cheered.
I announced it to them and they all cheered.
Right?
And so this is a good, you know, there are a lot of people involved in it.
Good.
All right, I'll get on it.
Fine.
Okay, Herb, good.
Thank you.
Thank you.

Also recorded on May 20, 1971

  • 003-096 7:46 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 7:46 pm.
  • 003-098 7:50 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:50 pm and 7:52 pm.
  • 003-099 7:52 PM · 20 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 7:52 pm.
  • 003-100 7:53 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 7:53 pm.
  • 003-101 7:53 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:53 pm and 7:59 pm.
  • 003-102 7:59 PM · 32 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone from 7:59 pm to 8:00 pm.
  • 003-214 8:00 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:00 pm and 8:11 pm.
  • 003-103 8:11 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 8:11 pm to 8:12 pm.

All 54 conversations from May 20, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 003-097, May 20, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417188433). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/003-097 (accessed November 3, 2026).