Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 11 › Conversation 011-049
Nixon phone call with Ziegler on Press conference and Robert C. Byrd
Tuesday, October 12, 1971 · 8:40 AM–8:46 AM ET · White House Telephone · 5 min
AI Summary
President Nixon coordinates with Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler to manage the logistics and messaging for an upcoming press conference. Nixon directs Ziegler to ensure media outlets correct a recent Washington Post report by emphasizing that Senator Robert C. Byrd remains under active consideration for a Supreme Court vacancy. This strategy aims to force Democratic opponents, such as George McGovern, to take a public stance on the potential nomination.
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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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.
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Yeah.
Mr. Ziegler, he was tied up in traffic.
Yeah.
Yes, sir.
On the thing today, I will start at approximately 1125.
All right, sir.
I'll just walk out of there, and don't tell them anything.
No.
Just let them think it's your briefing.
All right, sir.
And they then have, you can just, who, Carmere?
He'd be the one to cut it off.
I want to cut off at 5 minutes to 12.
5 to 12?
Yeah.
All right.
Because I have the leaders at 12 o'clock.
I have to brief the leaders on a matter.
Right.
I'll have an announcement to make.
Now, at 5 to 12, I want to cut off sharp.
All right, sir.
Fine.
Okay.
And you plan to take questions right in the press room?
Oh, yes.
Yes.
And they can film.
They can film?
They can film.
I'll come out.
You can say I'll have... Tell them that the president will...
At 1125, just a minute before I come.
They can set up film quickly, can't they?
Well, can't you tell them you've got... Yeah, I'll tell them to set up film.
Why don't you tell them that you can film...
I'll have it announced.
No, wait a minute.
On the basis that something's happening that might happen on phase two.
See that point?
Right.
I want them off on that herring off on that point.
See what I mean?
All right, sir.
Say, look, in view of the fact that this thing is going on, you can set up film today, and if I have anything, you can film it.
All right, sir.
Yes, sir.
Fine.
Have it then just repeat.
You go out 1125, I'll be out, and we'll cut her off at... 1155.
1155, 1125 in that ballpark.
Right.
And 1155, they can be cut.
Will you take questions on all subjects, or should I limit that?
I will.
I'll tell them.
Okay, you will tell them.
I'll tell them, yeah.
All right, sir.
And we can cover everything
And I'm going to let them cover anything they want, but we'll see about that.
Now, one thing I don't know, are you going to do any briefing before then?
No, sir, I won't at all.
No, because it's not uncommon for me not to go right at 11 o'clock.
So this will be very natural.
In the event that the question raised...
One of our boys got off the reservation on the bird thing and just blew a beautiful play I was trying to make here, saying that he was not under consideration, you know, that he was not, probably wasn't going to be appointed.
You are to completely reverse that.
All right.
And just say that that's totally wrong.
He's very under very active consideration, under very active consideration, the president has.
And that's a totally wrong information, you understand?
That didn't come out of your shop anyway, did it?
No, sir.
I didn't know how to handle a bird thing, so I just left it loose.
I talked to the Attorney General briefly about it yesterday.
The way we've been playing it is that he is one of those under consideration.
He is under very active consideration.
And we did not add... Just say that he's under very active consideration.
You see the White House story this morning in the Post?
I saw the Post story, yes, which... Well, that is totally inaccurate.
Absolutely.
Totally inaccurate.
I don't know where that came from.
Well, that's one of our guys, probably, you know, just trying to...
He's frightened to death because of Bergman and the Klan or some damn thing.
I don't know.
But nevertheless, I want him to name out there.
Let me explain.
You, of course, can understand this.
Let us suppose that we were not considering him.
Ron, can't you see what it's done to the opposition?
Have you considered?
Sure.
McGovern had screen around.
Sure.
All the Democratic candidates have had to determine, are they for or against Burt?
He's very actively under consideration.
Right.
You understand?
We're going to make them stand up and be counted.
All right, I'll move that in a subtle under... Well, I'd like, if you could, to get that off even before I get there.
Is there a way you could do it?
Yes, sir, I think so.
Well, I mean, I just say that, look, I'd simply call it...
Whoever wrote the post story, just call them in.
Well, Spence Rich wrote the post story.
All right, fine.
Is he there?
Calling Spence Rich in the two wires.
Calling Spence Rich in the two wires.
And say, look, fellas, you got this story, and I don't want you to get off on the wrong track.
He's under very active consideration, along with others.
I'm not going to go beyond it.
Okay, sir.
Bye.
Right, bye.
NARA Description
On October 12, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 8:40 am to 8:46 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 011-049 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 011-049
Date: October 12, 1971
Time: 8:40 am - 8:46 am
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542
Location: White House Telephone
The President talked with Ronald L. Ziegler.
[See Conversation No. 288-7]
Ziegler's schedule
The President's press conference, October 12, 1971
-Schedule
-Frank Cormier
-Questions
-Filming
-Questions
-Ziegler's briefing
-Robert C. Byrd
-Possible appointment to the Supreme Court
-Ziegler's talk with John N. Mitchell
-Washington Post story
-George S. McGovern
-Spencer Rich
-Wire servicesAlso recorded on October 12, 1971
- 288-004 8:25 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 8:25 am and 8:30 am.
- 011-048 8:30 AM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 8:30 am.
- 288-005 8:30 AM · 31 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 8:30 am.
- 288-006 8:30 AM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 8:30 am and 8:40 am.
- 288-007 8:40 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 8:40 am to 8:46 am.
- 011-050 8:46 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:46 am and 9:19 am.
- 288-008 8:46 AM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 8:46 am and 9:19 am.
- 288-009 8:46 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 8:46 am and 9:19 am.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 011-049, October 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/011-049 (accessed October 12, 2026).