Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 7 › Conversation 007-097

Nixon phone call with Reagan on John V. Lindsay and Foreign policy

Wednesday, August 11, 1971 · 8:24 PM–8:28 PM ET · White House Telephone · 5 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Reagan, Ronald W.Conversation007-097 on Tape 7 (tape position 03:36:08–03:40:35)StartWednesday, August 11, 1971 at 8:24 PMEndWednesday, August 11, 1971 at 8:28 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 007-097 ↗

AI Summary

President Richard Nixon and California Governor Ronald Reagan spoke to coordinate their respective schedules for upcoming travel and to arrange a meeting during the President's planned trip to California. The two discussed the political implications of New York City Mayor John Lindsay's recent party affiliation change and touched upon upcoming diplomatic developments. Nixon emphasized the importance of these confidential foreign policy matters and instructed Reagan to receive a formal briefing from Henry Kissinger regarding these hopeful, non-public affairs.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 1 minute of this recording (about 13% of it) is represented by only a few words. Listen to the audio rather than relying on the text below; a corrected transcript is queued.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Hello?
Hello?
Ron?
Yes, how are you?
I'm going to be in California toward the end of next week.
I'm going out to, you know, I'm going to stop by the DFW in Dallas, you know, the Illinois State Fair.
Well, I remember that Reagan was from Illinois and all that.
But in any event, when we're out there, I hope we get a chance to get together.
Will you be in California the last two weeks of August or not?
Yes, Sammy.
There's more going on than meets the eye, let me tell you, on other fronts.
I won't tell you, but we shouldn't do it over the phone.
But I want you, when you come down to dinner, I want Henry to tell you, let you in on some of the things that are going on that we can't say publicly.
They're very important and very hopeful, Ron.
Very hopeful.
I just, I won't leave it.
I won't say any more on that because you obviously know what's going on.
Do you see what I mean?
Yeah.
Right.
Right.

NARA Description

On August 11, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald W. Reagan talked on the telephone from 8:24 pm to 8:28 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 007-097 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 7-97

Date: August 11, 1971
Time: 8:24 pm - 8:28 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Ronald W. Reagan.

     Greetings

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

[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 08/09/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[007-097-w001]

[Duration: 2m 23s]

      John Lindsay’s party affiliation
             -Ronald W. Reagan's statement
                     -Unsurprising
                     -Effect on the two-party system
                     -Party switch by Democrats
             -New York
             -Nelson A. Rockefeller
                     -Anti-Lindsay
                     -Currently in Portugal
             -Presidential candidacy
                     -New York City budget
                             -The President’s opinion
                             -Larger than California

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

     The President's schedule
          -California trip
          -Veterans of Foreign Wars [VFW]
          -Dallas
          -Illinois State Fair
          -Reagan’s schedule

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

[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 08/09/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[007-097-w002]
[Duration: 30s]

      Schedule
            -Ronald W. Reagan
                   -Beach
            -Dinner
                   -Helicopter
                   -Thelma C. (Ryan) (“Pat”) Nixon
                   -Nancy Reagan

       John V. Lindsay
              -Ronald W. Reagan statement
                     -People’s Republic of China [PRC]

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

     Ronald W. Reagan’s schedule
         -Henry A. Kissinger briefing

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

[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 08/09/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[007-097-w004]
[Duration: 32s]

       The President's schedule
              -California trip
                      -Nancy Reagan
                      -Arrival August 19-20, 1971
                      -August 25, 1971
                      -Nancy Reagan

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

Also recorded on August 12, 1971

  • 007-094 8:05 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and George P. Shultz talked on the telephone from 8:05 pm to 8:08 pm.
  • 007-095 8:09 PM · 12 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods talked on the telephone from 8:09 pm to 8:20 pm.
  • 007-096 8:20 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:20 pm and 8:24 pm.
  • 007-098 8:28 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:28 pm and 8:36 pm.
  • 007-099 8:36 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Hobart D. Lewis talked on the telephone from 8:36 pm to 8:40 pm.
  • 007-100 8:43 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 8:43 pm.
  • 007-101 8:43 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:43 pm and 8:46 pm.
  • 007-102 8:43 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:43 pm and 8:46 pm.

All 51 conversations from August 12, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 007-097, August 12, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/007-097 (accessed October 9, 2026).