Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 9 › Conversation 009-015

Nixon phone call with Haig on Foreign aid and Democratic elections

Wednesday, September 15, 1971 · 11:59 AM–12:01 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haig, Alexander M., Jr.Conversation009-015 on Tape 9 (tape position 00:30:38–00:32:24)StartWednesday, September 15, 1971 at 11:59 AMEndWednesday, September 15, 1971 at 12:01 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 009-015 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Alexander Haig discuss a statistical analysis regarding the correlation between U.S. foreign aid recipients and the democratic legitimacy of those nations' leaders. Nixon tasks Haig with refining a previous report to identify which aid-receiving countries lack leaders elected through contested democratic processes. This request reflects the President's desire to evaluate foreign policy commitments against strict democratic standards within a tight thirty-minute deadline.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Did you get that information with regard to the number of countries that have leaders that were elected as a result of contested democratic elections?
Yes, I did, sir, and I sent it in to you.
I'll get it right over.
It must be in the system somewhere.
It's not very good.
It's almost 50% by the standards that the
popular mind would attribute to it.
And I've got the list of the countries.
That's right.
Well, now, I want to get it broken down in a different way.
I want you to pick out the countries that we give aid to.
Now, let me say in terms of aid, as you probably know, we give aid to Romania, right?
Yes, sir.
Do you remember the flood?
Yugoslavia, right?
Right.
We give aid to most of the African countries.
They're small programs, but to most of them, correct?
Yes, sir.
Understand, now, when I say a leader elected in a contested election, I mean it must be one that meets our standards.
All right, sir.
So that's my test.
And I want you to get me a figure over here, and I'd like it in a half hour.
All right, sir.
Leaders, I mean, I want the number of countries the United States gives aid to around the world.
That's line one.
Of any kind, economic, military, point four, foreign, I mean, food, et cetera, et cetera.
And second, the number of, that I want the number of those countries to whom we give aid who do not have leaders that wouldn't
who are leaders as a result of a democratic election popularly contested.
Okay?
All right, sir.
Fine.
Okay.
Good, sir.

NARA Description

On September 15, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone from 11:59 am to 12:01 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 009-015 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 9-15

Date: September 15, 1971
Time: 11:59 am - 12:01 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

[See Conversation No. 277-5]

     World leaders
         -Contested Democratic elections
               -Report to the President
               -List of countries

     Foreign aid
          -Countries
                -Romania
                -Yugoslavia
                -African countries
                -Leaders
                      -Contested elections

          -Economic
          -Military
          -Point Four
          -Food
          -Countries
                -Leaders elected in contested elections

Also recorded on September 15, 1971

  • 277-005 11:59 AM · 59 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 11:59 am to 12:01 pm.
  • 009-016 12:01 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:01 pm and 12:18 pm.
  • 277-033 12:01 PM · 11 sec — Taft Schreiber met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:01 pm and 12:18 pm.
  • 009-017 12:18 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone from 12:18 pm to 12:20 pm.
  • 277-006 12:18 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 12:18 pm to 12:20 pm.
  • 009-018 12:20 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:20 pm and 12:24 pm.
  • 009-019 12:24 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone from 12:24 pm to 12:25 pm.
  • 277-007 12:24 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 12:24 pm to 12:25 pm.

All 57 conversations from September 15, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 009-015, September 15, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/009-015 (accessed October 9, 2026).