Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 10 › Conversation 010-044

Nixon phone call with Connally on Public Relations and Press Strategy

Tuesday, October 5, 1971 · 4:26 PM–4:30 PM ET · White House Telephone · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Connally, John B.Conversation010-044 on Tape 10 (tape position 01:28:30–01:31:43)StartTuesday, October 5, 1971 at 4:26 PMEndTuesday, October 5, 1971 at 4:30 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 010-044 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Treasury Secretary John B. Connally discussed the communications strategy for an upcoming policy announcement to ensure maximum media control and public impact. Nixon directed Connally to skip the initial technical briefing in favor of a high-profile, live press conference scheduled for the following day to preempt criticism from political opponents. This tactical approach was designed to secure prime-time news dominance and position Connally as the authoritative voice on the administration's economic agenda.

Audio

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NARA Description

On October 5, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and John B. Connally talked on the telephone from 4:26 pm to 4:30 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 010-044 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 10-44

Date: October 5, 1971
Time: 4:26 pm - 4:30 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with John B. Connally.

[See Conversation No. 585-7D]

     Briefing
           -Charles W. Colson, H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
           -Connally
           -Paul W. McCracken, Herbert G. Stein
           -President's appearance
           -Connally
                 -Press conference
                 -Media
                       -George Meany
                       -George S. McGovern
                 -Scheduling

     Veterans of Foreign Wars [VFW] representative
          -Upcoming meeting with Connally

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Hello.
Secretary Connolly.
Yes, sir.
John, I've just been sitting here talking to Chuck Colson and Bob Holoman, and I've got a different idea, which I think is better with regard to the briefing on this.
I don't think we ought to waste you.
on a background thing the day before.
I think that what we ought to do is to let McCracken and Stein and whoever they want, you know, they can give the background stuff because you see that's not on television or anything.
And they could do that.
And then...
I'll go on and make the talk and get that done.
And then I think you then ought to do what you did last time, have a press conference at 12 the next day and be on live again, you see?
How's that sound to you?
Well, that's fine.
I'm not sure they'll want me on live, but that's... Oh, they will.
They will.
See, because that'll give you a chance, too, to get into the...
They'll ask you about the international thing.
They'll ask you about the rest.
But they'll want you on.
Don't worry, because there'll be enormous interest in this, and the questions will build up for the next day.
But if you go on for the briefing thing, then they haven't had you.
But I don't think we should waste you on the briefing.
I think we should put them on the briefing.
the staff people, and then you'll come on, and they will say that the Secretary of Treasury will have press coverage tomorrow on the details.
We'll be glad to answer any background questions now.
I'll go on and make my little talk, and the next day, you come on and take the thing and get the thing.
But we, Bob, you agree they'll want it live, won't they, just like they did before?
Thank you.
Yeah, that's what we think at least.
Well, even if they don't, I could have a press conference if that's what you want me to do, and that's what I'd be glad to do.
Sure.
As a matter of fact.
As a matter of fact, you could have a press conference.
But I think they'll take it live, and anyway, it'll dominate the evening news rather than having the critics dominate the evening news, see?
Yes, sir.
Rather than Meany or, for example, McGovern or somebody like that.
So I think it's the two-day shot that we need.
All right, sir.
Okay.
All right, sir.
I'll be prepared to do that.
That'll be Friday at noon, then.
Yeah, so if you'll hold Friday at noon, and then, uh, uh, let's see, is that when we, no, oh, no, that isn't the day we're going down this, uh, North Carolina.
No, sir, go out weekly.
Friday at noon.
Right, right.
Good.
All right, sir.
Bye.
Thank you.
Or, or, incidentally, it doesn't have to be, yeah, noon is a good time, because that means you'll catch the Wall Street crowd at noon, nevertheless.
That's, uh, and in any event, let me say,
We'll make it Friday at noon, and I know that they'll carry it nationwide, all the radio networks.
So you'll get that, and I've done that at times, and I'm sure that most television will carry it.
Well, I'm sure we'll get good coverage, and frankly, even if they don't carry it, it's perfectly all right with me.
If any man can have too much exposure, I'm getting it anyway.
On this subject, though, I just like the idea of you being in command of it.
Okay.
Yes, sir.
All right.
Did that BFW guy get over there?
Yes, sir.
He's over here, and I haven't seen him yet.
Well, where do you see that dollars he's going to bring?
500 bucks.
I understand.
It's frozen money or something.
That's right.
All right.
Okay.

Also recorded on October 5, 1971

  • 585-005 3:49 PM · 4 min — Alexander P. Butterfield, Stephen B. Bull, and President Richard M. Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:49 pm and 3:55 pm.
  • 585-006 3:55 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:55 pm and 3:59 pm.
  • 010-042 3:59 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John N. Mitchell talked on the telephone from 3:59 pm to 4:02 pm.
  • 585-007 3:59 PM · 32 min — President Richard M. Nixon, John N. Mitchell, Charles W. Colson, Manolo Sanchez, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Henry A. Kissinger, White House operator, and John B. Connally met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:59 pm to 4:02 pm.
  • 010-043 4:02 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:02 pm and 4:26 pm.
  • 010-045 4:30 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:30 pm and 5:18 pm.
  • 585-008 4:33 PM · 42 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Tun Abdul Razak, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., White House operator, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:33 pm to 5:12 pm.
  • 585-009 5:12 PM · 19 sec — unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 5:12 pm and 5:15 pm.

All 40 conversations from October 5, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 010-044, October 5, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/010-044 (accessed November 12, 2026).