Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 003-105
Date: Thursday, May 20, 1971 at 8:25 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/003-105

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] Mr. President, I have Mr. Ziegler for you now.
[0:10] Yeah.
[0:11] There you are.
[0:14] Hello.
[0:14] Hello.
[0:15] Yes, sir.
[0:15] How did they play it on the news?
[0:16] Well, all of the networks used your entire statement.
[0:22] And it was very positive all the way through.
[0:23] ABC used your entire statement.
[0:24] Hardcase News said that it was a very good comment.
[0:25] You know, from all around, critics and everyone said that it was good.
[0:30] He said Fulbright didn't say anything, but he looked like it.
[0:54] And then Bergman, who was on ABC's Science Guy, went into what was a fairly good piece because it focused attention on the Soviet build-up of APM.
[0:58] NBC again used the full statement and was positive in their approach.
[1:00] CBS, same thing.
[1:12] Walter Cronkite referred to the importance of it, the significance of it.
[1:22] They have Severide on.
[1:23] Yes, that's right.
[1:23] Cronkite said it could be the most important negotiation for peace and mankind.
[1:25] Severide focused primarily on the fact that the statement was phrased to minimize disagreement and maximize agreement.
[1:27] And he referred to it as a major breakthrough.
[1:28] And he said with the
[1:30] With the good relations with China, or moving towards good relations with China, stabilization of the Middle East, assault talks, your relations with NATO, this could lead to very great significance in the overall world structure.
[1:54] It could be great progress.
[1:55] So it was all positive.
[1:55] All the networks spent a good deal of time on it.
[1:56] I talked to Henry.
[1:57] He's going to do some more backtracking.
[1:58] a little bit more tomorrow.
[1:59] The 4 o'clock session as well.
[2:02] We should do the news magazine.
[2:05] Right, they were there at the 4 o'clock session.
[2:10] We need to do the major ones.
[2:10] We can't depend on the likes of them.
[2:11] No, we invited John Steele to the 4 o'clock session.
[2:17] Well, I may have accepted the two.
[2:17] Right.
[2:18] Okay.
[2:18] Okay, sir.