Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 11 › Conversation 011-094

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on Press relations

Thursday, October 14, 1971 · 9:14 AM–6:06 PM ET · White House Telephone · 5 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation011-094 on Tape 11 (tape position 02:27:10–02:27:17)StartThursday, October 14, 1971 at 9:14 AMEndThursday, October 14, 1971 at 6:06 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 011-094 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon coordinates a press strategy with his Press Secretary regarding an upcoming media briefing, explicitly timing the session to end by noon to accommodate a meeting with congressional leaders. He instructs the staff to deflect attention toward potential 'Phase Two' economic policies while allowing filming for his appearance. Furthermore, Nixon orders an immediate correction to a Washington Post story concerning a judicial nominee, directing the press team to clarify that the candidate remains under active consideration to force opposition politicians to take a public stance.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Yeah.
Mitch 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 bathroom?
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 was 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's totally wrong.
He's very under very active consideration, under very active consideration, the president has said.
And that's a totally wrong information.
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.
Did you see the White House story this morning in the Post?
I saw the Poe story, yes.
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 frighten to death because Bergman and the Klan or some damn thing.
I don't know.
But nevertheless, I want it.
I want it.
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.
Dr. Kissinger, please.

NARA Description

On October 14, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:14 am and 6:06 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 011-094 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 011-094

 Date: October 14, 1971
 Time: Unknown between 9:14 am and 6:06 pm
 Location: White House Telephone

 The President talked with the White House operator.

        Request for call to Henry A. Kissinger

Also recorded on October 14, 1971

  • 011-088 9:14 AM · 6 sec — Henry A. Kissinger and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:14 am and 6:06 pm.
  • 011-089 9:14 AM · 23 sec — Henry A. Kissinger and unknown person(s) talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:14 am and 6:06 pm.
  • 011-090 9:14 AM · 1 min — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, and unknown person(s) talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:14 am and 6:06 pm.
  • 011-091 9:14 AM · 5 sec — Henry A. Kissinger and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:14 am and 6:06 pm.
  • 011-092 9:14 AM · 14 sec — Henry A. Kissinger and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:14 am and 6:06 pm.
  • 011-093 9:14 AM · 36 sec — Henry A. Kissinger and Gerard C. Smith talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:14 am and 6:06 pm.
  • 011-095 9:14 AM · 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:14 am and 6:06 pm.
  • 592-003 9:14 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:14 am and 9:32 am.

All 42 conversations from October 14, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 011-094, October 14, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/011-094 (accessed October 12, 2026).