{"conversationCode":"011-049","tapeNumber":11,"conversationNumber":49,"identifier":"37-wht-conversation-011-049","startDateTime":"1971-10-12T12:40:00.000Z","endDateTime":"1971-10-12T12:46:00.000Z","startDate":"12-Oct-1971","startTime":"8:40 AM","endDate":"12-Oct-1971","endTime":"8:46 AM","dateCertainty":"certain","timeCertainty":"certain","participants":"Nixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.;","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.","locationCode":"WHT","recordingDevice":"White House Telephone","latitudeEstimated":38.89767,"longitudeEstimated":-77.03655,"chronCode":2,"chronRelease":"Second Chronological Release","chronReleaseDate":"26-Oct-2000","aogpRelease":null,"aogpSegment":null,"lastModified":"2015-07-27T17:04:10.235Z","findingAid":"Conversation No. 011-049\n\n Date: October 12, 1971\n Time: 8:40 am - 8:46 am\n\nRichard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542\n\n Location: White House Telephone\n\n The President talked with Ronald L. Ziegler.\n\n [See Conversation No. 288-7]\n\n        Ziegler's schedule\n\n        The President's press conference, October 12, 1971\n             -Schedule\n                   -Frank Cormier\n                   -Questions\n                   -Filming\n                   -Questions\n             -Ziegler's briefing\n             -Robert C. Byrd\n                   -Possible appointment to the Supreme Court\n                   -Ziegler's talk with John N. Mitchell\n                   -Washington Post story\n                         -George S. McGovern\n                         -Spencer Rich\n                         -Wire services","filename":["011-049.mp3"],"tapeStart":"01:14:07","tapeEnd":"01:18:39","participantsList":["Nixon, Richard M. (President)","Ziegler, Ronald L."],"prevCode":"011-048","nextCode":"011-050","transcript":[{"start":1.82,"end":2.26,"text":"Yeah."},{"start":2.28,"end":4.4,"text":"Mr. Ziegler, he was tied up in traffic."},{"start":4.82,"end":5.14,"text":"Yeah."},{"start":6.91,"end":7.29,"text":"Yes, sir."},{"start":8.41,"end":11.87,"text":"On the thing today, I will start at approximately 1125."},{"start":11.91,"end":12.71,"text":"All right, sir."},{"start":13.53,"end":16.45,"text":"I'll just walk out of there, and don't tell them anything."},{"start":16.93,"end":17.12,"text":"No."},{"start":17.5,"end":18.98,"text":"Just let them think it's your briefing."},{"start":19.52,"end":20.14,"text":"All right, sir."},{"start":21.06,"end":29.05,"text":"And they then have, you can just, who, Carmere?"},{"start":29.43,"end":30.41,"text":"He'd be the one to cut it off."},{"start":30.91,"end":32.37,"text":"I want to cut off at 5 minutes to 12."},{"start":32.39,"end":33.17,"text":"5 to 12?"},{"start":33.2,"end":33.62,"text":"Yeah."},{"start":33.63,"end":34.68,"text":"All right."},{"start":34.7,"end":36.46,"text":"Because I have the leaders at 12 o'clock."},{"start":36.56,"end":38.04,"text":"I have to brief the leaders on a matter."},{"start":38.6,"end":39,"text":"Right."},{"start":39.02,"end":40.18,"text":"I'll have an announcement to make."},{"start":40.28,"end":43.79,"text":"Now, at 5 to 12, I want to cut off sharp."},{"start":43.81,"end":44.25,"text":"All right, sir."},{"start":44.55,"end":45.31,"text":"Fine."},{"start":45.33,"end":45.51,"text":"Okay."},{"start":45.53,"end":48.15,"text":"And you plan to take questions right in the press room?"},{"start":48.55,"end":48.85,"text":"Oh, yes."},{"start":48.95,"end":49.44,"text":"Yes."},{"start":49.76,"end":50.66,"text":"And they can film."},{"start":51.08,"end":51.74,"text":"They can film?"},{"start":51.88,"end":52.62,"text":"They can film."},{"start":52.68,"end":53.18,"text":"I'll come out."},{"start":53.24,"end":56.46,"text":"You can say I'll have... Tell them that the president will..."},{"start":57.17,"end":60.99,"text":"At 1125, just a minute before I come."},{"start":61.01,"end":62.4,"text":"They can set up film quickly, can't they?"},{"start":62.82,"end":66.9,"text":"Well, can't you tell them you've got... Yeah, I'll tell them to set up film."},{"start":67.06,"end":68.44,"text":"Why don't you tell them that you can film..."},{"start":68.46,"end":69.18,"text":"I'll have it announced."},{"start":69.28,"end":69.94,"text":"No, wait a minute."},{"start":69.97,"end":72.57,"text":"On the basis that something's happening that might happen on phase two."},{"start":73.83,"end":74.37,"text":"See that point?"},{"start":74.63,"end":75.25,"text":"Right."},{"start":75.27,"end":78.03,"text":"I want them off on that herring off on that point."},{"start":78.11,"end":78.57,"text":"See what I mean?"},{"start":78.75,"end":79.14,"text":"All right, sir."},{"start":79.25,"end":85.42,"text":"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."},{"start":85.57,"end":86.25,"text":"All right, sir."},{"start":86.53,"end":86.87,"text":"Yes, sir."},{"start":87.45,"end":87.69,"text":"Fine."},{"start":88.05,"end":91.48,"text":"Have it then just repeat."},{"start":91.9,"end":98.89,"text":"You go out 1125, I'll be out, and we'll cut her off at... 1155."},{"start":98.91,"end":101.13,"text":"1155, 1125 in that ballpark."},{"start":101.27,"end":101.91,"text":"Right."},{"start":101.93,"end":104.89,"text":"And 1155, they can be cut."},{"start":105.25,"end":107.86,"text":"Will you take questions on all subjects, or should I limit that?"},{"start":108.11,"end":108.38,"text":"I will."},{"start":108.67,"end":110.04,"text":"I'll tell them."},{"start":110.06,"end":111.52,"text":"Okay, you will tell them."},{"start":111.54,"end":112.3,"text":"I'll tell them, yeah."},{"start":112.32,"end":113.7,"text":"All right, sir."},{"start":113.72,"end":115.54,"text":"And we can cover everything"},{"start":116.3,"end":121.67,"text":"And I'm going to let them cover anything they want, but we'll see about that."},{"start":122.07,"end":125.84,"text":"Now, one thing I don't know, are you going to do any briefing before then?"},{"start":125.88,"end":127.18,"text":"No, sir, I won't at all."},{"start":127.68,"end":132.13,"text":"No, because it's not uncommon for me not to go right at 11 o'clock."},{"start":132.43,"end":133.61,"text":"So this will be very natural."},{"start":133.63,"end":137.4,"text":"In the event that the question raised..."},{"start":137.8,"end":151.4,"text":"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."},{"start":152.06,"end":153.56,"text":"You are to completely reverse that."},{"start":154.12,"end":154.38,"text":"All right."},{"start":154.92,"end":156.64,"text":"And just say that that's totally wrong."},{"start":156.72,"end":162.07,"text":"He's very under very active consideration, under very active consideration, the president has."},{"start":162.76,"end":167.64,"text":"And that's a totally wrong information, you understand?"},{"start":167.66,"end":169.38,"text":"That didn't come out of your shop anyway, did it?"},{"start":169.41,"end":170.39,"text":"No, sir."},{"start":170.61,"end":173.43,"text":"I didn't know how to handle a bird thing, so I just left it loose."},{"start":173.81,"end":176.27,"text":"I talked to the Attorney General briefly about it yesterday."},{"start":177.87,"end":180.68,"text":"The way we've been playing it is that he is one of those under consideration."},{"start":180.7,"end":182.3,"text":"He is under very active consideration."},{"start":182.42,"end":186.42,"text":"And we did not add... Just say that he's under very active consideration."},{"start":186.44,"end":189.61,"text":"You see the White House story this morning in the Post?"},{"start":189.59,"end":193.07,"text":"I saw the Post story, yes, which... Well, that is totally inaccurate."},{"start":193.45,"end":193.95,"text":"Absolutely."},{"start":193.97,"end":194.83,"text":"Totally inaccurate."},{"start":194.85,"end":195.9,"text":"I don't know where that came from."},{"start":195.91,"end":198.88,"text":"Well, that's one of our guys, probably, you know, just trying to..."},{"start":198.9,"end":201.62,"text":"He's frightened to death because of Bergman and the Klan or some damn thing."},{"start":201.68,"end":202.02,"text":"I don't know."},{"start":202.52,"end":205.55,"text":"But nevertheless, I want him to name out there."},{"start":206.43,"end":207.49,"text":"Let me explain."},{"start":207.51,"end":208.79,"text":"You, of course, can understand this."},{"start":209.47,"end":211.61,"text":"Let us suppose that we were not considering him."},{"start":212.44,"end":215.3,"text":"Ron, can't you see what it's done to the opposition?"},{"start":215.32,"end":216.36,"text":"Have you considered?"},{"start":216.38,"end":216.72,"text":"Sure."},{"start":216.74,"end":218.22,"text":"McGovern had screen around."},{"start":218.28,"end":218.5,"text":"Sure."},{"start":218.68,"end":221.69,"text":"All the Democratic candidates have had to determine, are they for or against Burt?"},{"start":222.05,"end":224.31,"text":"He's very actively under consideration."},{"start":224.75,"end":225.15,"text":"Right."},{"start":225.17,"end":225.67,"text":"You understand?"},{"start":225.85,"end":227.85,"text":"We're going to make them stand up and be counted."},{"start":228.13,"end":234.22,"text":"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."},{"start":234.24,"end":235.04,"text":"Is there a way you could do it?"},{"start":235.4,"end":236.24,"text":"Yes, sir, I think so."},{"start":236.54,"end":241.45,"text":"Well, I mean, I just say that, look, I'd simply call it..."},{"start":242.1,"end":244.93,"text":"Whoever wrote the post story, just call them in."},{"start":245.35,"end":246.99,"text":"Well, Spence Rich wrote the post story."},{"start":247.11,"end":249.07,"text":"All right, fine."},{"start":249.45,"end":249.95,"text":"Is he there?"},{"start":251.22,"end":253.2,"text":"Calling Spence Rich in the two wires."},{"start":253.98,"end":255.6,"text":"Calling Spence Rich in the two wires."},{"start":256.3,"end":262.01,"text":"And say, look, fellas, you got this story, and I don't want you to get off on the wrong track."},{"start":262.05,"end":264.75,"text":"He's under very active consideration, along with others."},{"start":264.83,"end":265.75,"text":"I'm not going to go beyond it."},{"start":266.77,"end":267.15,"text":"Okay, sir."},{"start":267.32,"end":268.16,"text":"Bye."},{"start":268.18,"end":268.4,"text":"Right, bye."}],"aiSummary":{"text":"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.","topics":["Press conference","Robert C. Byrd","Supreme Court nomination","Media strategy","Washington Post","Public relations"],"generatedAt":"2026-04-05T23:19:44.536Z"},"topicSlugs":["press-conference","robert-c-byrd","supreme-court-nomination","media-strategy","washington-post","public-relations"],"audioDurationSec":272,"audioFiles":[{"file":"011-049.mp3","bytes":6529720,"durationSec":272,"bitrate":192050,"missing":false}],"audioIsShared":false,"audioProbedAt":"2026-09-18T02:19:22.040Z","findingAidSource":"nixonlibrary.gov subject log (2024-05), reslice-v2","findingAidUpdatedAt":"2026-09-18T08:42:35.686Z","audio":["https://nixon.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/audio/011-049.mp3"],"url":"https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/011-049","nixonLibraryUrl":"https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/white-house-tapes/11/conversation-011-049","license":"Public domain (U.S. Government work). AI-generated fields (transcript, aiSummary) are provided as-is without warranty."}