Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 4 › Conversation 004-002

Nixon phone call with Haldeman on Lockheed and unemployment

Tuesday, June 1, 1971 · 4:19 PM–4:21 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation004-002 on Tape 4 (tape position 00:05:26–00:07:00)StartTuesday, June 1, 1971 at 4:19 PMEndTuesday, June 1, 1971 at 4:21 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 004-002 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and H.R. Haldeman reviewed the potential economic impact of a Lockheed collapse, noting that approximately 31,000 jobs were tied to a specific contract. Additionally, Haldeman briefed the President on the status of an administration study aimed at developing objective criteria for new gun control legislation. This initiative sought to address existing loopholes in the 1968 Gun Control Act by regulating the domestic manufacture of firearms based on performance and quality standards.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Yeah.
Mr. Haldeman, sir.
Yeah.
On the line, sir.
Hello.
At Lockheed, there are 31,000 that would be affected, 17,000 on Lockheed's payroll and 14,000 on Lockheed's supplier's payrolls.
Okay.
On that contract.
Fine.
The total Lockheed employment role is 90,000.
And if they go broke, they'd all lose their jobs.
Yeah.
But the other one, the 31, is the contract figure.
Then on the gun control, it gets a little complicated.
We launched a study when we came in because the Gun Control Act of 68 prohibited import of those guns but not domestic manufacture of them.
So we've been testing the domestically manufactured ones, and we're trying to draw a set of objective criteria at which time we will propose legislation, but we haven't done it.
which would outlaw this kind of thing?
No, it's to plug the loopholes.
So our legislation would be to require that only guns that met certain criteria could be manufactured and sold.
And so the ones that can't hit the targets or don't hold up would be outlawed.
Yeah.
But not necessarily just because of price.
Yeah, yeah.
So we have been in the process of extensive testing in order to develop criteria for legislation to plug the loophole in this.
All right.
Okay.
Thank you.
Okay.

NARA Description

On June 1, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 4:19 pm to 4:21 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 004-002 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 4-2

Date: June 1, 1971
Time: 4:19 pm - 4:21 pm
Location: White House Telephone

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

     Forthcoming Lockheed unemployment figures

     Gun control

          -Administration's study
              -1968 Gun Control Act
              -Prospective new gun control legislation

Also recorded on June 1, 1971

  • 256-022 6:16 PM · 24 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 6:16 pm to 6:17 pm.
  • 004-003 6:28 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 6:28 pm to 6:30 pm.
  • 004-004 6:28 PM · 20 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:28 pm and 8:30 pm.
  • 256-023 6:28 PM · 43 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 6:28 pm to 6:30 pm.
  • 256-024 6:28 PM · 44 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:28 pm and 8:30 pm.
  • 256-025 6:28 PM · 50 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:28 pm and 7:35 pm.
  • 256-026 6:28 PM · 49 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:28 pm and 7:35 pm.
  • 256-027 6:28 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:28 pm and 7:35 pm.

All 34 conversations from June 1, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 004-002, June 1, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/004-002 (accessed October 10, 2026).