Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 464 › Conversation 464-012
Nixon, Haldeman & Ziegler on Public Opinion Polls and Vietnam War
Tuesday, March 9, 1971 · 12:26 PM–1:30 PM ET · Oval Office
AI Summary
President Nixon and H.R. Haldeman met with various staff members to analyze recent public opinion polls and strategize on ways to bolster the President’s credibility regarding his Vietnam War policy and foreign relations. The participants evaluated the public impact of events like the Laos operation and the President's recent press conferences, while also discussing the development of a more robust public relations effort involving key cabinet members and advisors. Additionally, the conversation addressed ongoing textile trade negotiations with Japan and administrative staffing concerns, including potential roles for Peter G. Peterson and Donald H. Rumsfeld.
- Public Opinion Polls
- Vietnam War
- White House Public Relations
- Japanese Textile Trade
- Presidential Credibility
- Staffing and Administration
Audio
Download MP3 (part 1) · 166.6 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 168.0 MB ·Download MP3 (part 3) · 150.1 MB ·Download MP3 (part 4) · 167.6 MB ·Download MP3 (part 5) · 11.8 MB
This conversation has not yet been cut into its own clip, so the player above contains the full tape segment shared with neighbouring conversations. It begins about 02:39:33 into the tape and ends around 03:46:46.
Transcript (AI-generated)
No transcript is available yet for this conversation. The recording may contain no audible speech, or it may not have been processed.
NARA Description
On March 9, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Stephen B. Bull, Rose Mary Woods, Ronald L. Ziegler, unknown person(s), White House operator, and William T. Kendall met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:26 pm to 1:30 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 464-012 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 464-12
Date: March 9, 1971
Time: 12:26 pm - 1:30 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
President’s schedule
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Time
Polls
-President’s credibility
-George H. Gallup poll
-Percentages
-Vietnam War
-White House-sponsored poll
An unknown person [Stephen B. Bull?] entered at an unknown time after 12:26 pm
President’s schedule
-Meeting with Kissinger
-Time
The unknown person [Bull?] left at an unknown time before 12:36 pm
Polls
-President’s credibility
-Vietnam War
-White House-sponsored poll
-Gallup poll
-Louis Harris poll
-Compared with Lyndon B. Johnson
-A 1967 Gallup poll
Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-Possible attendance at Congressional leaders meetings
Japanese textile trade negotiations
-Peter M. Flanigan’s role
-Kissinger
-Japanese industry
-Wilbur D. Mills’ involvement
Cabinet meetings
-Leader
-Cabinet secretary
-Alexander P. Butterfield
-John D. Ehrlichman
-George P. Shultz
-President’s role
Polls
White House staff
-Public relations group
-Frequency of meetings
Polls
-Chilton poll
-Percentages
-Date
-Effect of President’s press conference, televised conversation, State of the
Union
-Gallup poll
-Opinion Research Corporation [ORC] poll
-January figures compared with March figures
-Gallup poll
-1970 figures
-Chilton poll
Rose Mary Woods entered at 12:36 pm
Presidential gifts
-Robert H. Abplanalp, Elmer B. Bobst, and Charles G. (“Bebe”) Rebozo
-Pen set
-Clock
-White House glasses
Woods left at 12:38 pm
Polls
-Effect of State of the Union address
-Harris poll
-Gallup poll
-Possible effect of Laos operation (Lam Son)
-January figures
-John B. Connally’s view
-Harris poll
-December, 1970
-Before and after State of the Union address
-Gallup poll
-ORC poll
-Gallup poll
-Before President’s press conference
-Next polling
-Questions
-Vietnam War
-Gallup and Harris polls
-Approval ratings
-January and February figures
-Effect of Laos operation (Lam Son)
-Gallup poll
Bull entered at an unknown time after 12:38 pm
President’s schedule
-Kissinger meeting
-Time
Bull left at an unknown time before 1:05 pm
Polls
-Gallup poll
-January
Kissinger’s schedule
-Meeting at State Department
-Postponement
Peter G. Peterson
-Knowledge of textiles
-Foreign trade
Polls
-Gallup poll
-Vietnam
-January
Ronald L. Ziegler entered at an unknown time after 12:38 pm
A letter from the President
Ziegler left at an unknown time before 1:05 pm
[Haldeman talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 12:38 pm and 1:05 pm]
[Conversation No. 464-12A ]
Delivery of poll information
[End of telephone conversation]
Polls
-A question regarding shortening the war
-Harris and Gallup polls compared with ORC poll
-Sample
-Timing
-President’s press conference
-Cambodian operation
-Compared with Laotian operation (Lam Son)
-Approval ratings
-Results
-Compared with Cambodian operation
-Effect of events
-Press conference
-President’s foreign policy report
-State of the Union address
-President’s televised conversation
-President’s Cambodia announcement
An unknown man entered at an unknown time after 12:38 pm
Poll information
The unknown man left at an unknown time before 1:30 pm
Polls
-Changes
-President’s credibility
-Media credibility
-Commentators, press
-Congressional credibility
-President’s credibility
-Laos operation (Lam Son)
-Television networks’ credibility
-A question on withdrawal from Vietnam
-Wording
-Question on credibility of press
-Vietnam War
White House staff
-Public relations group
-Laos operation (Lam Son)
-Effort regarding President’s credibility and effort
-Raymond K. Price, Jr.’s office
-A suggestion by Connally
Presidency
-Price’s view
-Traits
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
-Connally’s view
-Public perception of President
-President
-President’s public appearances
-Des Moines
-Campaign behavior compared with presidential behavior
-President’s view
-Press coverage
President’s schedule
-Meetings with Congressmen and young Senators
-Public relations
-Surrogate speakers
-Breakfasts
-A scheduled breakfast
-Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield
[The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 12:38 pm and
1:05 pm]
[Conversation No. 464-12B]
Call to Peter H. B. Frelinghuysen
[End of telephone conversation]
Campaigning
-Connally
-Scheduling
-1970
-President’s activity
-President’s actions
-Prospects for 1972
-Current
-Motorcade
-Crowd shots
[The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 12:38 pm and
1:05 pm]
[Conversation No. 464-12C]
President’s call to Frelinghuysen
[End of telephone conversation]
[The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 12:38 pm and
1:05 pm]
[Conversation No. 464-12D]
Call to Frelinghuysen’s secretary
[End of telephone conversation]
Frelinghuysen’s support for the President
-President’s appreciation
-William P. Rogers
-W[illiam] Stuart Symington’s comments
Polls
-Trends regarding President’s Vietnam policy
-Influential events
[The President talked with William T. Kendall between 1:05 pm and 1:06 pm]
[Conversation No. 464-12E]
Frelinghuysen’s statements
-Congressional Record
-President’s appreciation for support
Mills
[End of telephone conversation]
Kendall’s statements to President
Polls
-Trends regarding President’s Vietnam policy
-Influential events
-Approval ratings
-Gallup poll
-White House-sponsored poll
Press credibility
-Possible White House action
-Need for public relations efforts
-Patrick J. Buchanan
-Ehrlichman
-Kissinger
-Connally
-Buchanan
-Price
-William L. Safire
-Buchanan
-Leak of plan
Vietnam
-Possible White House public relations effort
-Laos operation (Lam Son)
-Kissinger’s view
-General Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Tchepone
-Approval ratings
-Melvin R. Laird’s view
-Chou En-lai
-Hanoi trip
-Negotiations in Paris
-Kissinger’s view
-Effect of Lam Son
-Possible Kissinger trip to Paris
-Secrecy
-President’s view
-Military action
-North Vietnam
-Possible White House public relations effort
-President’s leadership
-Laos operation
-Public comments
-Kissinger and Haig
-US accomplishments
-Military action
-Rogers
-Kissinger
Middle East
-Forthcoming meeting
White House staff meeting
-Connally
-Kissinger
-Ehrlichman
-Kissinger
-Connally
-Kissinger
An unknown man [Bull?] entered at an unknown time after 1:06 pm
Call to Harry S. Dent
-Possible telephone call
The unknown man [Bull?] left at an unknown time before 1:30 pm
Public relations efforts
-Haldeman’s memorandum
-President’s leadership
-Kissinger, Ehrlichman, Shultz, Connally
-President’s view
-Johnson
-Meetings with the President
-Need for more effort
-Recognition of needs
-Safire’s request of President
-Connally’s meeting with Haldeman
-Comments on President
Bull entered at an unknown time after 1:06 pm
Dent’s schedule
Bull left at an unknown time before 1:30 pm
Public relations
-Connally
-Comments on President
-White House staff and Cabinet officers
Textile trade negotiations with Japan
-President’s meeting with Peterson
-Proposed action
-Mills
-Connally
-Mills’ dealings with Japanese
-Peterson’s actions
-Mills
-Peterson
-Peterson and Shultz’s position
-Compared with Mills
-Dent’s position
-Maurice H. Stans’ position
-Follow-up meeting between Peterson and Haldeman
-A proposed letter from the President to Connally
-Effects
-Alternatives
-Peterson
-Kissinger
-Peterson
-Shultz
-Rogers
-Stans
-Donald H. Rumsfeld
-Possible job as Special Trade Representative
-Loyalty to the President
-Role
-Possible meeting between President and Mills
-Bryce N. Harlow and Clark MacGregor
-Harlow’s role
-Mills
Polls
-Changes
-Effect of President’s press conference
-Effect of stock market
-Increases
Vietnam, Laos
-Haig
-Prospects
-Public statements
[Unintelligible]
The President and Haldeman left at 1:30 pmAlso recorded on March 9, 1971
- 464-006 10:36 AM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:36 am and 10:40 am.
- 464-007 10:40 AM · 46 min — President Richard M. Nixon, John L. ("Jack") Swigert, Jr., William R. Pogue, Jack R. Lousma, William A. Anders, Donald H. Rumsfeld, Jeb Stuart Magruder, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:40 am to 11:28 am.
- 464-008 11:30 AM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:30 am to 11:39 am.
- 464-009 11:39 AM · 23 min — President Richard M. Nixon, George P. Shultz, Henry A. Kissinger, Peter M. Flanigan, Peter G. Peterson, and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:39 am to 12:03 pm.
- 464-010 12:03 PM · 21 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Fred Fassen, Foster J. Pratt, Arthur Schuettner, Raymond Ast, Emily T. Barhydt, Louis Blueth, Charles C. Fichtner, George E. Gilbert, Robert C. Gillingham, H. Benjamin Hendler, Florence Krieger, Leslie O. Long, A. O. Mathias, William J. Powell, Willie C. Ray, Jayne B. Spain, J. Cecil Sandberg, H. A. Tiller, Lola Tilly, Jennie S. Wilmot, Emma Woodward, Bernard E. Nash, Dorothy Crippen, Cyril Brickfield, Lloyd Wright, Charles Thomas, Bernard S. Van Rensselaer, John B. Martin, George T. Bell, Robert H. Finch, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:03 pm to 12:23 pm.
- 464-011 12:23 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:23 pm and 12:26 pm.
- 464-013 1:30 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:30 pm and 2:34 pm.
- 464-014 1:30 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:30 pm and 2:34 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 464-012, March 9, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/464-012 (accessed September 20, 2026).