Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 23 › Conversation 023-104
Nixon, Haldeman & Buchanan on J. Edgar Hoover and Public relations
Tuesday, May 2, 1972 · 10:43 AM–10:44 AM ET · White House Telephone · 1 min
AI Summary
President Nixon, H. R. Haldeman, and Patrick Buchanan coordinated the timing of the President’s public announcement regarding the death of J. Edgar Hoover. Nixon insisted that the announcement of Hoover's death and his own subsequent television statement occur in immediate succession to avoid speculation or media delays. The participants finalized a strategy to ensure Nixon’s remarks served as the definitive lead story of the evening news cycle.
- J. Edgar Hoover
- Public relations
- Media strategy
- White House communications
- Death of public officials
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
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NARA Description
On May 2, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Patrick J. Buchanan talked on the telephone from 10:43 am to 10:44 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 023-104 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 23-104
Date: May 2, 1972
Time: 10:43-10:44 am
Location: White House Telephone
H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman talked with the President.
[See also Conversation No. 334-18]
[The President conferred with Patrick J. Buchanan before the conversation began.]
[See Conversation No. 334-17]
[End of conferral]
The President's statement
-Timing
-Announcement of J. Edgar Hoover's death
-Lead story
-Timing with the President's statementAlso recorded on May 2, 1972
- 023-103 10:35 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Patrick J. Buchanan, and unknown person(s) talked on the telephone from 10:35 am to 10:37 am.
- 334-016 10:35 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 10:35 am to 10:37 am.
- 334-017 10:37 AM · 19 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Patrick J. Buchanan met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 10:37 am and 10:43 am.
- 334-018 10:43 AM · 55 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 10:43 am to 10:44 am.
- 717-001 10:54 AM · 27 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:54 am to 10:55 am.
- 023-105 10:55 AM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:55 am and 10:57 am.
- 717-002 10:55 AM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:55 am and 10:57 am.
- 023-106 10:57 AM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon talked on the telephone from 10:57 am to 10:58 am.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 023-104, May 2, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/023-104 (accessed October 25, 2026).