Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 4 › Conversation 004-102
Nixon, Graham & Kissinger on Yippies and Media bias
Wednesday, June 9, 1971 · 4:38 PM–4:48 PM ET · White House Telephone · 11 min
AI Summary
President Nixon and Billy Graham discussed the disruptions caused by Yippie protesters at Graham's recent Chicago crusade, comparing these incidents to broader trends of civil unrest. The conversation also touched upon the upcoming wedding of Tricia Nixon Cox, arrangements for guest Ethel Waters, and the political implications of media bias. Additionally, the participants examined public opinion polling regarding the administration’s handling of demonstrators and critiqued the perceived liberal influence within the press and church institutions.
- Billy Graham
- Yippies
- Media bias
- Tricia Nixon Cox wedding
- Public opinion
- Civil unrest
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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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.
I know.
NARA Description
On June 9, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, William F. ("Billy") Graham, and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 4:38 pm to 4:48 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 004-102 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 4-102
Date: June 9, 1971
Time: 4:38 pm - 4:48 pm
Location: White House Telephone
The President talked with William F. (“Billy”) Graham.
[See Conversation No. 255-40A]
******************************************************************************
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 03/13/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[004-102-w001]
[Duration: 10m 40s]
William F. (“Billy”) Graham's attendance at Tricia Nixon Cox's wedding
William F. (“Billy”) Graham's Chicago crusade
-Appearance of Yippies at crusade June 8, 1971
-Activities of Yippies
-Laughing
-Cursing
-Reaction of crusade attendees
-Press reaction
-Chicago Daily News
-“Jesus people” compared to “power people”
-Yippies
-President’s description of appearance
-Fight with member of William F. (“Billy”) Graham's staff
Thomas Walter Wilson [T.W.]
-Compared to Yippies who arrived in Washington D.C.
-Protests around United States
-Protests at Lyndon B. Johnson presidential library
-William F. (“Billy”) Graham’s concern
-Possible violent reaction of crusade attendees
-Similarity to event in Knoxville Tennessee
-Crusade attendees
-Possible use in 1972 election
-Restraining protesters
-President’s description
-Yippies
-President’s opinion
-Cowardice
-William F. (“Billy”) Graham’s description
-Altercation between crusade attendee and Yippie
-Press coverage
-Chicago newspapers
-Agreement with William F. (“Billy”) Graham
-President’s opinion
-Comparison of Chicago press to New York Times
-Attendance
Tricia Nixon Cox's wedding
-William F. (“Billy”) Graham’s schedule
-Departure for wedding on June 11, 1971
-Return to Chicago June 12, 1971 after wedding
-Ethel Waters
-Guest of William F. (“Billy”) Graham
-Pearl M. Bailey and Ethel Waters
-Invited to wedding
-Friends of President
-Ethel Waters
-President’s favorable opinion
-William F. (“Billy”) Graham's conversation with Lucy A. Winchester
-Ethel Waters
-Health
-Mobility
-Participation in Chicago crusade
-Arrangements for assistance at wedding
-Military escort
William F. (“Billy”) Graham's Chicago crusade
-Length of stay in Chicago
-May 31-June 9, 1971
-Interest and crowds
Turning of American youth attitudes
-President’s June 5, 1971 trip to Tulsa, Oklahoma
-President’s May 25, 1971 trip to Alabama
-President’s re-election
Presbyterian Church
-Contribution to Angela Y. Davis defense fund
-Rescinded by Presbyterian General Assembly
-Address by unknown Jewish woman
-First to address Presbyterian General Assembly
-Escape from Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
-Persecution in Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
-Reaction of Presbyterian General Assembly
-Conservatism of remaining conference
-President’s previous conversation with William F. (“Billy”) Graham
-[first name unknown] Osler book
-President’s reaction
Opinion Research Corporation [ORC] poll
-Taken after President’s June 1 1971 press conference
-Arrest of May Day demonstrators
-President’s reaction
-President’s opinion of press coverage
-Wording of poll question
-High levels of public support for President
-Public support for rougher handling of demonstrators
-Public opinion
New York City
-Quotation in June 9, 1971 New York Times article
-Public opinion of New York City
-Desire of some residents to leave
-John V. Lindsay
-President’s opinion
-Strike by sewer workers
-William F. (“Billy”) Graham’s opinion
-Conditions as result of political liberalism
-Difficulties
-President’s opinion
-Media
-TV networks
-Potential move to Chicago
President's June 1, 1971 press conference
-William F. (“Billy”) Graham’s reaction
-Reaction of press
-President's meeting with National Broadcasting Corporation [NBC] executives
-June 8, 1971
-Tone of meeting
-Media bias
-President’s opinion
-Reaction of executives
The press and media
-Walter L. Cronkite Jr.
-William F. (“Billy”) Graham’s observation
-Difficulty speaking
-Due to guilt over criticism of President
-William F. (“Billy”) Graham’s opinion
-Objectivity
-Potential public reaction
-President’s opinion
-Liberal writers for program
-William F. (“Billy”) Graham’s opinion
-Jewish
-Jews
-William F. (“Billy”) Graham’s opinion
-Synagogue of Satan
-Jews in Israel
-Synagogue of Satan
-Pornography
-Left-wingers
-Control of US media
President's June 1, 1971 press conference
-President’s treatment of press
-William S. White's opinion
-Friend of Lyndon. B. Johnson
-Columnist
The President conferred with Henry A. Kissinger at an unknown time.
Greetings
[End of conferral]
President’s June 1, 1971 press conference
-President’s treatment of press
-William S. White’s opinion
-Letter to President
-William F. (“Billy”) Graham’s opinion
-Potential attacks from President on press
-Attacks on news media
The press
-William F. (“Billy”) Graham’s opinion
-Spiro T. Agnew
-Comments about news media
-Harshness of comments on other subjects
-William F. (“Billy”) Graham’s previous remarks
William F. (“Billy”) Graham’s attendance at Tricia Nixon Cox’s wedding June 12, 1971
******************************************************************************
The President conferred with Henry A. Kissinger at an unknown time.Also recorded on June 9, 1971
- 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.
- 004-101 4:17 PM · 6 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.
- 255-039 4:35 PM · 7 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 4:35 pm and 4:48 pm.
- 255-040 4:38 PM · 31 min — President Richard M. Nixon, William F. ("Billy") Graham, Henry A. Kissinger, Ronald W. Reagan, John D. Ehrlichman, and Tricia Nixon Cox met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:38 pm to 5:18 pm.
- 004-103 4:50 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald W. Reagan, and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 4:50 pm to 4:55 pm.
- 004-104 4:55 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman talked on the telephone from 4:55 pm to 5:00 pm.
- 004-105 5:15 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Tricia Nixon Cox, and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 5:15 pm to 5:18 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 004-102, 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/004-102 (accessed October 20, 2026).