Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 7 › Conversation 007-090

Nixon phone call with Haldeman on Television news and Media influence

Wednesday, August 11, 1971 · 7:52 PM–7:57 PM ET · White House Telephone · 5 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation007-090 on Tape 7 (tape position 03:10:28–03:15:18)StartWednesday, August 11, 1971 at 7:52 PMEndWednesday, August 11, 1971 at 7:57 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 007-090 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman discuss the overwhelming influence of television news on public perception and the modern political landscape. The conversation reflects a mutual desire for a reprieve from the intense, constant media cycle surrounding domestic and international affairs. Beyond these observations, they briefly touch upon political developments regarding key figures like John V. Lindsay and shifting party affiliations.

Audio

Download MP3 · 6.6 MB

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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

Hello?
Yeah, it is.
I was just looking at the news.
Oh, no.
The biggest news is television.
It really is.
People need to relax.
The world needs a day off.

NARA Description

On August 11, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 7:52 pm to 7:57 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 007-090 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 7-90

Date: August 11, 1971
Time: 7:52 pm - 7:57 pm
Location: White House Telephone

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

**********************************************************************

[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 08/09/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[007-090-w001]
[Duration: 4m 6s]

      Politics
                 -John V. Lindsay
                         -Reactions
                                  -Democrats compared with Republicans
                                  -Television news
                         -People’s Republic of China [PRC] [?]
                         -Domestic policy
                         -Vietnam
                         -Media
                         -Internal polls
                         -New York
                         -American Federation of Labor Congress of Industrial Organizations
                          [AFL-CIO] head in New York
                                  -Peter J. Brennan
                         -Nelson A. Rockefeller
                                  -On trip outside of US
                         -Democrats
                         -Presidential candidacy
                                  -Fred R. Harris
                                  -Lawrence F. O'Brien, Jr.
                 -Party affiliation switch
                         -Democrats
                                  -Republican southern strategy
                                          -Harry S. Dent
                                          -Strom Thurmond
                                  -John B. Connally
                 -John V. Lindsay
                         -Robert J. Dole
                         -The President’s opinion
                         -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman’s assessment

**********************************************************************

     News
         -August
         -Harmon Killebrew
         -Relaxation
              -European countries

Also recorded on August 11, 1971

  • 272-012 2:54 PM · 39 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 2:54 pm.
  • 272-013 3:12 PM · 33 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, Adm. Thomas H. Moorer, Gen. Robert W., Jr. Cushman, Jr., John N. Irwin, II, Maurice J. Williams, Joseph J. Sisco, and Armistead I. Selden, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:12 pm to 3:45 pm.
  • 272-014 3:45 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and George P. Shultz met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:45 pm and 3:52 pm.
  • 272-015 3:45 PM · 37 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:45 pm and 3:52 pm.
  • 272-016 3:52 PM · 47 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Raymond K. Price, Jr., and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:52 pm to 4:45 pm.
  • 272-017 4:45 PM · 1 hr 42 min — President Richard M. Nixon, George P. Shultz, White House operator, John T. Dunlop, Manolo Sanchez, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:45 pm to 6:31 pm.
  • 007-091 7:57 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 7:57 pm.
  • 007-092 7:58 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 7:58 pm to 8:04 pm.

All 30 conversations from August 11, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 007-090, August 11, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/007-090 (accessed October 9, 2026).