Kenneth R. Cole Jr. served on the White House staff throughout the entire Nixon administration, playing a key role in shaping domestic policy. During the White House taping period (February 1971 – July 1973), he initially served as Deputy Assistant to the President for Domestic Affairs under John Ehrlichman before being promoted to Executive Director of the Domestic Council in December 1972. Following Ehrlichman's resignation, Cole's influence grew, and he was appointed Assistant to the President for Domestic Affairs in January 1974, serving as Nixon's chief domestic advisor until the end of the administration.
On June 13, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Vice President Spiro T. Agnew, and Cabinet officers and staffers, including [David] Kenneth Rush, George P. Shultz, Dr. James R. Schlesinger, Elliot L. Richardson, J. Philip Campbell, Frederick B. Dent, Richard F. Schubert, Caspar W. ("Cap") Weinberger, James T. Lynn, John W. Barnum, Roy L. Ash, Anne L. Armstrong, George H. W. Bush, Herbert Stein, John T. Dunlop, Rogers C. B. Morton, General Alexander M. Haig, Jr., Peter M. Flanigan, Kenneth R. Cole, Jr., William E. Timmons, Ronald L. Ziegler, General Brent G. Scowcroft, Raymond K. Price, Jr., Virginia H. Knauer, David R. Gergen, David N. Parker, Frederic V. Malek, and Arthur J. Sohmer, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 4:32 pm and 5:42 pm. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 126-001 of the White House Tapes.
On June 13, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Vice President Spiro T. Agnew, George P. Shultz, Herbert Stein, John T. Dunlop, and bipartisan Congressional leaders, including Michael J. ("Mike") Mansfield, Hugh Scott, Robert P. Griffin, John G. Tower, Russell B. Long, Wallace F. Bennett, William Proxmire, Jacob K. Javits, Milton R. Young, Carl B. Albert, Thomas P. ("Tip") O'Neill, Jr., Gerald R. Ford, Leslie C. Arends, Wright Patman, William B. Widnall, Herman T. Schneebeli, Roy L. Ash, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., Ronald L. Ziegler, Kenneth R. Cole, Jr., William E. Timmons, Thomas C. Korologos, Max L. Friedersdorf, John J. McFall, and members of the press, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House from 5:42 pm to 6:52 pm. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 126-002 of the White House Tapes.
On July 10, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Vice President Spiro T. Agnew, George P. Shultz, Herbert Stein, John T. Dunlop, and Republican Congressional leaders, including Hugh Scott, Norris Cotton, John G. Tower, William E. Brock, III, William L. Scott, Robert W. Packwood, Charles H. Percy, Gerald R. Ford, Leslie C. Arends, John B. Anderson, John J. Rhodes, William J. ("Jack") Edwards, Samuel L. Devine, David T. Martin, Barber B. Conable, Jr., Robert H. Michel, J. William Stanton, Joel T. Broyhill, George H. W. Bush, Melvin R. Laird, Bryce N. Harlow, Anne L. Armstrong, Roy L. Ash, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., Peter M. Flanigan, William E. Timmons, Kenneth R. Cole, Jr., Max L. Friedersdorff, and Frederick L. Webber, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 8:32 am and 10:24 am. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 128-001 of the White House Tapes.