Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 4 › Conversation 004-034

Nixon phone call with Ziegler on Nelson Rockefeller

Friday, June 4, 1971 · 3:11 PM–3:12 PM ET · White House Telephone · 49 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.Conversation004-034 on Tape 4 (tape position 02:02:57–02:03:47)StartFriday, June 4, 1971 at 3:11 PMEndFriday, June 4, 1971 at 3:12 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 004-034 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler discuss the optics and scheduling of an upcoming meeting with New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller. They deliberate on whether to permit photographic coverage of the meeting to project an image of positive federal-state relations, ultimately aiming to influence New York political perceptions. The President confirms the meeting will take place in the Oval Office rather than the EEOB to focus the conversation on topics such as revenue-sharing.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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.
Yes, sir.
I'm going to have a little 15-minute chat with Rockefeller before this meeting.
You think you want to have people take a picture of it?
I don't think we need it today, Mr. President.
I'm thinking of it for the purpose of New York.
I mean, it's having snublincy and so forth.
I mean, I'm just thinking of the... See what I mean?
Okay, fine.
Yes, sir.
The idea of just being in good relations with the governor isn't bad.
Right.
I'll talk to him and see if he...
It feels it's a good idea.
Will you do it in the EEOB?
No, no, no, no.
I'm in the Oval Office.
I see.
Yes, sir.
We just haven't popped in, and the governor and I have been chatting about federal, you know, federal... Fine, before the foreign intelligence.
Yeah, federal-state relations.
I think it's a good idea.
Revenue-sharing, federal-state relations.
Right.
Yes, sir.
Yes, sir.
Yes, sir.

NARA Description

On June 4, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 3:11 pm to 3:12 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 004-034 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 4-34

Date: June 4, 1971
Time: 3:11 pm - 3:12 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Ronald L.. Ziegler.

[See Conversation No. 512-24]

     President's schedule
           -Meeting with Nelson A. Rockefeller
           -Photographic coverage
           -John V. Lindsay
           -Location
           -Subject of meeting

Also recorded on June 4, 1971

  • 255-005 2:54 PM · 2 min — 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 2:54 pm and 3:10 pm.
  • 004-033 3:10 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:10 pm and 3:11 pm.
  • 512-020 3:10 PM · 38 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:10 pm and 3:11 pm.
  • 512-021 3:10 PM · 48 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:10 pm and 3:11 pm.
  • 512-022 3:10 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:10 pm and 3:11 pm.
  • 512-023 3:10 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 3:10 pm and 3:11 pm.
  • 512-024 3:11 PM · 56 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:11 pm to 3:12 pm.
  • 512-025 3:14 PM · 20 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, Nelson A. Rockefeller, Henry A. Kissinger, Dwight L. Chapin, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:14 pm to 3:35 pm.

All 55 conversations from June 4, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 004-034, June 4, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/004-034 (accessed September 27, 2026).