Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 1 › Conversation 001-134

Nixon phone call with Haldeman on Pete McCloskey and William P. Rogers

Saturday, April 17, 1971 · 4:22 PM–4:24 PM ET · White House Telephone · 1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation001-134 on Tape 1 (tape position 04:12:56–04:14:24)StartSaturday, April 17, 1971 at 4:22 PMEndSaturday, April 17, 1971 at 4:24 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 001-134 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman deliberate on how to effectively counter political criticism from Representative Pete McCloskey regarding administration policies. They reject the idea of using Gerald Ford, instead concluding that Secretary of State William Rogers should defend his ambassador and Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird should directly confront McCloskey. Haldeman is tasked with coordinating with Laird and ensuring Rogers takes a more aggressive public stance against the congressman.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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, yes, sir.
I've been thinking a little more of your suggestion on McCloskey.
I'm not so sure that having somebody like Jerry in the house doing it is the best idea, where they have to see him all the time and all that sort of thing.
Why not Rogers?
I mean, after all, he can talk on this subject.
He's just been over there.
And it's not political.
Understand, it's not partisan.
Rogers has got to step up to a couple of these things now, you know.
Isn't that what really is involved?
Yeah, probably so.
Well, maybe he could hit him hard.
That gets to your new point.
The cabinet officer's attacking if he would do it.
And maybe he would.
Well, then how about Laird?
Laird might even be better as a former House member.
And it's really defense is who he's hitting.
Well, we'll try to see.
Well, tell me about it.
Let's see if we can get maybe Laird in.
I'll have Laird in.
Well, I want him to check first, too, but I think maybe Laird ought to just crack him up, you know, hit him right between the eyeballs.
Yeah, yeah.
Okay.
Although, get Rogers down on that other thing.
Well, it might be worth getting Rogers on this because it's Rogers' ambassador.
That's right.
It's Rogers' ambassador he's taken on.
Rogers should defend his ambassador and attack McCloskey.
Right.
That's what I think.
Okay.
Okay.

NARA Description

On April 17, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 4:22 pm to 4:24 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 001-134 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 1-134

Date: April 17, 1971
Time: 4:22 pm - 4:24 pm
Location: White House Telephone

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

     Paul N. (“Pete”) McCloskey, Jr.
          -Gerald R. Ford
          -William P. Rogers
                -Ambassador
          -Melvin R. Laird
                -Henry A. Kissinger

Also recorded on April 17, 1971

  • 001-130 4:10 PM · 2 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:10 pm and 4:19 pm.
  • 001-131 4:10 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:10 pm and 4:19 pm.
  • 001-132 4:19 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 4:19 pm to 4:21 pm.
  • 001-133 4:21 PM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone from 4:21 pm to 4:22 pm.
  • 001-135 4:24 PM · 2 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:24 pm and 4:35 pm.
  • 001-136 4:35 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Patrick J. Buchanan talked on the telephone from 4:35 pm to 4:40 pm.
  • 001-137 4:41 PM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 4:41 pm.
  • 001-138 4:41 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Patrick J. Buchanan talked on the telephone from 4:41 pm to 4:42 pm.

All 49 conversations from April 17, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 001-134, April 17, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/001-134 (accessed October 12, 2026).