Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 1 › Conversation 001-035

Nixon phone call with Haldeman on Public Relations and Southeast Asia Policy

Wednesday, April 7, 1971 · 11:08 PM–11:11 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation001-035 on Tape 1 (tape position 01:18:41–01:21:11)StartWednesday, April 7, 1971 at 11:08 PMEndWednesday, April 7, 1971 at 11:11 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 001-035 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman discussed strategies to manufacture and amplify a positive public perception of the President's recent speech on Southeast Asia. Haldeman updated the President on feedback received from Cabinet members and noted that they were actively working with press secretary Ronald Ziegler to promote favorable reporting. Nixon specifically directed Haldeman to contact Treasury Secretary John Connally to gauge his reaction and ensure his continued alignment with the administration.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Yeah.
Mr. Haldeman returning a call.
Any more.
Hello.
Yeah.
It occurred to me that, uh, you probably were already working on this, that, uh, you ought to, uh, gin up our people to say, you know, we've had a great reaction, all that bullshit.
Right.
Have you done that?
Yep.
Good.
I think we should, you know, whatever the reaction is, you've got to play it that way, Bob.
Well, we've got it.
We've got enough that it'll, that that's
Unbelievable.
You know, I mean, we can...
Right.
And, uh, I would, uh... We've heard from only three cabinet officers, which I expected.
And, uh, that's that.
That's it.
I guess we heard from Mitchell.
Who else?
Rogers.
I hope it wasn't that.
No, that's all.
Rogers, Mitchell.
Mitchell, Rogers, Hodgson.
Yeah, Hodgson, yeah.
Uh, Romney, Volpe.
Volpe, yeah.
Blunt.
Ever heard from Connolly, though?
That's curious.
Not to my knowledge, no.
Why don't you call him and ask him what he thought of it?
Okay.
I'd be curious.
Fine.
Right.
I think it's important to know what he feels.
We've got to keep him really on salvo.
Okay.
Sure.
All right.
Okay.
Do you want me to call you back, then?
If you would, yes.
Right.
But in the meantime, remember that the boys now have got to really gin up this thing.
They've got to make it appear as if it's a hell of a damn success.
You know how it is.
Uh...
great reaction all that sort of thing who's who's working on that bob is that uh the whole crew no but i mean in terms of how it gets out you know well you know i know they're working on well ron's working the press right but i meant in terms of uh you see in the press in the morning they're gonna say what's the reaction well i'd say wires calls the usual crap you know that the
The switchboard is jammed, you know?
Right, yeah.
What do you think?
Don't you think so?
Or do you think so?
Yes, and we've covered that with Ron to cover them with tonight.
Okay.
Because the first story stuff is all, you know, moving now.
Right, right, right.
Okay, you better give Conley a call.
All right.
What do you think?

NARA Description

On April 7, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 11:08 pm to 11:11 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 001-035 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 1-35

Date: April 7, 1971
Time: 11:08 pm - 11:11 pm
Location: White House Telephone

H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman talked with the President.

     President’s previous speech on Southeast Asia
          -Orders for White House staff
                -Cabinet reaction
                -John N. Mitchell
                -William P. Rogers
                -James D. Hodgson
                -George P. Romney
                -John A. Volpe
                -Winton M. (“Red”) Blount
                -John B. Connally
          -White House staff
                -Public relations
                -Charles W. Colson
                -Ronald L. Ziegler
                -Press
          -Call to Connally

Also recorded on April 8, 1971

  • 001-036 11:12 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Hobart D. Lewis talked on the telephone at 11:12 pm.
  • 001-037 11:13 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 11:13 pm to 11:14 pm.
  • 001-038 11:14 PM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:14 pm and 11:21 pm.
  • 001-039 11:14 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:14 pm and 11:21 pm.
  • 001-040 11:14 PM · 2 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:14 pm and 11:21 pm.
  • 001-041 11:14 PM · 30 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:14 pm and 11:21 pm.
  • 001-042 11:14 PM · 2 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:14 pm and 11:21 pm.
  • 001-043 11:14 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Freeman F. Gosden, Jr. talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:14 pm and 11:21 pm.

All 67 conversations from April 8, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 001-035, April 8, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/001-035 (accessed October 9, 2026).