Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 509 › Conversation 509-015

Nixon & Ehrlichman on White House logistics and Law enforcement

Thursday, June 3, 1971 · 3:06 PM–3:07 PM ET · Oval Office · 38 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ehrlichman, John D.Conversation509-015 on Tape 509 (tape position 02:37:23–02:39:17)StartThursday, June 3, 1971 at 3:06 PMEndThursday, June 3, 1971 at 3:07 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 509-015 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and John Ehrlichman briefly coordinate the timing of a meeting scheduled for later that afternoon. During the exchange, they discuss the visible presence of law enforcement around the White House grounds, which Nixon notes has successfully unsettled the press corps. No major policy decisions are reached, as the conversation serves primarily as a logistical check-in.

Audio

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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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Yeah.
Yeah.
Hello?
Yeah.
Do you guys think you want to go over before 3.30?
All right.
Fine.
Fine.
All right.
We certainly got a lot of law enforcement out today.
He said it really drove the press up the wall.
There's a goddamn man biting their nails.
That's nice.
Okay.

NARA Description

On June 3, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:06 pm to 3:07 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 509-015 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 509-015

Date: June 3, 1971
Time: 3:06 pm - 3:07 pm
Location: Oval Office

John D. Ehrlichman talked with the President

[See Conversation No. 4-21]

Also recorded on June 3, 1971

  • 509-010 1:57 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:57 pm and 2:47 pm.
  • 004-020 2:47 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower talked on the telephone from 2:47 pm to 2:49 pm.
  • 509-014 2:47 PM · 16 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and Julie Nixon Eisenhower met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:47 pm to 3:06 pm.
  • 004-021 3:06 PM · 30 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman talked on the telephone from 3:06 pm to 3:07 pm.
  • 509-016 3:07 PM · 31 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:07 pm and 3:17 pm.
  • 509-017 3:07 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:07 pm and 3:17 pm.
  • 509-018 3:17 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:17 pm to 3:27 pm.
  • 509-019 3:27 PM · 1 hr 15 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Robert J. Dole, John N. Mitchell, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:27 pm to 4:49 pm.

All 24 conversations from June 3, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 509-015, June 3, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/509-015 (accessed September 21, 2026).