Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 4 › Conversation 004-096
Nixon, Ziegler & Haldeman on Vietnam War and Casualty statistics
Wednesday, June 9, 1971 · 3:07 PM–3:09 PM ET · White House Telephone · 3 min
AI Summary
President Nixon, Ronald Ziegler, and H. R. Haldeman discussed how to manage media reporting regarding Vietnam casualty figures after a premature report by Howard K. Smith. Nixon emphasized the importance of formally announcing the figures to highlight that casualties had reached their lowest level since 1965, thereby validating the administration's policy following the Laos incursion. Additionally, Ziegler reported that he had publicly criticized Clark Clifford for making politically motivated, unsubstantiated claims regarding prisoners of war.
- Vietnam War
- Casualty statistics
- Press management
- Clark Clifford
- Prisoners of war
- Public relations
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
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NARA Description
On June 9, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 3:07 pm to 3:09 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 004-096 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 4-96
Date: June 9, 1971
Time: 3:07 pm - 3:09 pm
Location: White House Telephone
The President talked with Ronald L. Ziegler; H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman can be heard in the
background.
[See Conversation No. 255-38A]
Howard K. Smith's Vietnam casualty list
-Questioning of Ziegler
-Possible leak
-Number of casualties
-Release by administration
-President's conversation with Melvin R. Laird
-Laos
Clark M. Clifford
-Attack by Ziegler
-Prisoners of war [POWs]Also recorded on June 9, 1971
- 004-094 2:52 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods talked on the telephone from 2:52 pm to 2:55 pm.
- 255-037 2:53 PM · 32 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:53 pm to 2:55 pm.
- 255-038 2:53 PM · 47 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, unknown person(s), Ronald L. Ziegler, Manolo Sanchez, Alexander P. Butterfield, White House operator, and George P. Shultz met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:53 pm to 4:35 pm.
- 004-095 2:55 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:55 pm and 3:07 pm.
- 004-097 3:13 PM · 31 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 3:13 pm to 3:14 pm.
- 004-098 3:51 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:51 pm and 4:04 pm.
- 004-099 4:04 PM · 13 min — President Richard M. Nixon and George P. Shultz talked on the telephone from 4:04 pm to 4:17 pm.
- 004-100 4:17 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:17 pm and 4:38 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 004-096, June 9, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/004-096 (accessed September 27, 2026).