Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 9 › Conversation 009-019

Nixon phone call with Haig on Foreign aid and Democratic elections

Wednesday, September 15, 1971 · 12:24 PM–12:25 PM ET · White House Telephone · 1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haig, Alexander M., Jr.Conversation009-019 on Tape 9 (tape position 00:34:06–00:35:06)StartWednesday, September 15, 1971 at 12:24 PMEndWednesday, September 15, 1971 at 12:25 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 009-019 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 417189657 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon directed Alexander M. Haig, Jr. to coordinate with the State Department to produce a report quantifying the impact of conditioning U.S. foreign aid on the requirement that recipient nations hold contested, democratic elections. Nixon requested a simplified categorical analysis showing how many countries would be disqualified from receiving various forms of assistance, including loans, grants, and PL 480 shipments, under such a policy. The President emphasized that this data should be easily obtainable and expressed frustration that the administration had not already prepared such an assessment.

Audio

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NARA Description

On September 15, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone from 12:24 pm to 12:25 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 009-019 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 9-19

Date: September 15, 1971
Time: 12:24 pm - 12:25 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

[See Conversation No. 277-7]

     Foreign aid
          -Report
          -Types
                -Loans
                -Grants
                -PL [Public Loan] 480
          -Leaders elected in contested elections
          -State Department

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Yes, sir.
Now, the way I want that, I want you to prepare this answer for me on the second part of it is simply this.
I just want a simple categorical statement, which should be very easy.
The United States today gives aid in one form or another, and that's loans, grants.
PL 480 I don't give what it is or in Africa you know you give 25 000 to the ambassador that's aid okay right to blank countries okay if the United States were to cut off aid to countries whose present leaders were not elected in a contested election that to some degree
meets American standards, we would have to cut off aid to blank countries.
I got you, sir.
You get the point?
Exactly.
Now, tell them to get that to me.
It's a very easy thing.
Yes, sir.
Very easy, and they should have thought of it earlier.
Okay.
Fine.

Also recorded on September 15, 1971

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 009-020 12:25 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:25 pm and 12:37 pm.
  • 009-021 12:37 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone from 12:37 pm to 12:39 pm.
  • 277-008 12:37 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 12:37 pm to 12:39 pm.
  • 009-022 12:39 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:39 pm and 2:32 pm.

All 51 conversations from September 15, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 009-019, September 15, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417189657). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/009-019 (accessed October 30, 2026).