Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 3 › Conversation 003-087
Nixon phone call with Arends on SALT negotiations
Thursday, May 20, 1971 · 2:08 PM–2:09 PM ET · White House Telephone · 1 min
AI Summary
President Nixon spoke with Congressman Leslie C. Arends to emphasize that the recent breakthrough in Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) was a direct result of Congressional support for the antiballistic missile (ABM) program. Nixon credited the firm stance of his allies for the success of his latest announcement and the resulting silence from political opponents like J. William Fulbright. Arends agreed to convey this message to his fellow committee members, including F. Edward Hébert, to reinforce the strategic value of their legislative unity.
- SALT negotiations
- Antiballistic missile program
- Congressional relations
- J. William Fulbright
- F. Edward Hébert
Audio
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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.
Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data
Each line starts with a timestamp button; press it to play the audio from that point.
NARA Description
On May 20, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Leslie C. Arends talked on the telephone from 2:08 pm to 2:09 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 003-087 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 003-087
Date: May 20, 1971
Time: 2:08 pm - 2:09 pm
Location: White House Telephone
The President talked with Leslie C. Arends.
[See Conversation No. 502-017A]
Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT] negotiations
-Effect of antiballistic missile [ABM] support in Congress
-F. Edward Hébert
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542
-President's announcement
-Effect
-"Doves"
-J. William Fulbright
-May 19, 1971 Senate vote
-HébertAlso recorded on May 20, 1971
- 502-014 1:45 PM · 15 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, Justin W. Dart, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, John A. Scali, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:45 pm to 2:05 pm.
- 003-086 1:47 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:47 pm and 2:08 pm.
- 502-015 2:05 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:05 pm and 2:08 pm.
- 502-016 2:05 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:05 pm and 2:08 pm.
- 502-017 2:08 PM · 28 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, and Leslie C. Arends met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:08 pm to 2:09 pm.
- 003-088 2:09 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:09 pm and 3:43 pm.
- 502-018 2:09 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:09 pm and 2:16 pm.
- 502-019 2:09 PM · 21 min — President Richard M. Nixon, William P. Rogers, and Charles W. Colson met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:09 pm and 2:46 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 003-087, May 20, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/003-087 (accessed October 10, 2026).