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Conversation 001-120

TapeTape 1StartFriday, April 16, 1971 at 11:28 PMEndFriday, April 16, 1971 at 11:31 PMTape start time03:58:37Tape end time04:01:49ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  White House operator;  Ziegler, Ronald L.Recording deviceWhite House Telephone
AI Summary

President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald L. Ziegler discussed the positive reception among newspaper editors regarding the President’s recent press conference performance. Ziegler relayed feedback from various attendees, including Robert M. White and Newbold Noyes, noting that the editors viewed the session as a masterful display despite their professional hesitation to applaud. The conversation served to gauge the press corps' reaction to the President's public messaging and to monitor the influence of his recent media appearance.

Press RelationsNewspaper EditorsPublic RelationsMedia PerformanceRonald L. Ziegler
AudioNARA Description

On April 16, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 11:28 pm to 11:31 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 001-120 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 1-120

Date: April 16, 1971
Time: 11:28 pm - 11:31 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

     Ronald L. Ziegler
          -Herbert G. Klein’s location

The President talked with Ziegler at 11:28 pm.

     President's interview with newspaper editors
           -Reaction
                 -Robert M. White, II
                 -Wives
                 -William D. Cotter
                 -Newbold (“Newby”) Noyes, Jr.
           -Questions
           -Message for Otis Chandler
           -J. Edgar Hoover
                 -Figures
                       -Robert F. Kennedy
           -Reaction
                 -Felix R. McKnight
                 -Art Buchwald
           -Ziegler's possible conversation with William F. Buckley, Jr.
           -Klein
Transcript (AI-Generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

Well, they know it couldn't have come from anyone else.
No one else had ever talked over it.
All right.
As a matter of fact, you and I know that without our leadership, nothing would have happened here.
Nobody else in it, no dove could have done this.
Absolutely.
Hubert couldn't have done it.
No one could have done it politically, and no one could have done it within the bureaucracy because they didn't want to do it.
That's right.
That's right.
Well, get State, be sure State backs us up on this all the way now.
I've got them pretty well under control this way.
Right.
And be sure that Laird knows I defended him on this, too.
I said, you know...
I've already called the Mr. President.
Is he all right?
He's fine.
Yeah, because, you know, I said, well, his position is exactly right.
See, I didn't, I kept the residual force, I kept the air power, you know, I hit that hard that we're going to have it there as long as we need it.
And also in Thailand, where they said, well, now you're going to keep that.
I said, well, we have other reasons to keep people in Thailand, right?
Absolutely.
I thought the foreign policy part, I'm only not talking about the domestic part because I don't know that so well.
I thought it was beautifully handled.
I will.
Tell Adlai that, look, let's, we all are now in the same boat.
Let's try to do the things that your father, his father, is interested in.
One world, all that jazz, huh?
Okay, tell him that that's what I said to him, okay, will you?
And that I, of course, as you notice, I came out strongly against the business of the Army, uh,
In the 68th Democratic Convention, you know, I said, we stopped it.
See?
I noticed that.
Right.
And it was very effective.
Okay.
Fine, Henry.
Bye.
Yeah?
Mr. President, I have Mr. Ziegler, and he's still trying to find Mr. Klein for us.
Oh.
Ziegler, sir.
Hi.
Mr. President?
Yes, sir.
Hello.
Ron?
Yes, sir.
The, uh...
i'm in a phone booth here there's a reception taking place with the dance good good everyone everyone and i haven't even you know asked what did you think people were simply volunteering to me that they thought it was an excellent performance they liked it huh yes sir uh you know they didn't respond too enthusiastically but that's but but the room was not that kind of a room the thing of it is
A couple of the, Bob White, for example, told me, who's a good friend, as you know.
He's a good man, yes.
He told me that the people he has talked to, and they talked to him straight, said that overall the attitude, it was a great performance.
He said that a number of them said, you know, we didn't know whether we should have clapped or not because we're editors.
Yeah, I know.
They said that the wives were the ones who were clapping.
And he said that many of them began, you know, to clap even though they didn't know whether they should or not at a press conference.
The wives were clapping, yeah.
But, for example, Cotter from the Syracuse paper.
Syracuse, yeah, that's a good paper.
He's a good man and thought it was great, white.
Newbold Noyce said there's never been anything like it.
Was he pleased?
Absolutely.
He's a nice guy.
A couple of people have said it was a virtuoso performance.
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