Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 14 › Conversation 014-057
Nixon phone call with Safire on Press Conference and Briefing Book
Thursday, November 11, 1971 · 6:11 PM–6:16 PM ET · White House Telephone · 5 min
AI Summary
President Nixon and William L. Safire discuss the final preparations for an upcoming press conference, specifically focusing on the structure and content of the provided briefing book. Nixon emphasizes the importance of incorporating positive economic indicators to counter public uncertainty while reinforcing his strategy to avoid commenting on political matters, such as remarks by Edward Kennedy or Edmund Muskie. Ultimately, Nixon decides to adopt a "no comment" stance toward political queries to maintain a presidential demeanor and deny the media opportunities to portray him as actively campaigning.
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Hello.
Hello, sir.
Bill Sapphire.
Yeah, Bill.
About the briefing book, I just sent in my update for today.
Yeah, yeah, I got it.
I got it.
I already read it.
It's the first time I've done it.
I just want to know if there's anything else you need.
No, it's just fine.
Only one other thing, which I asked Colson to get some raw material to you on.
Some of the positive figures on that, you know, the retail sales and
at uh all that crap you know which i've knocked that uncertainty thing in the head well it isn't that i mean actually well it isn't the answer i mean i just i think some of the positive things about the economy you know which we there are a number of things but uh i just said to get five or six of them over to you and then we could have them because uh you see we'll have the uncertainty thing to the extent that it can be knocked out of the head this week as a result of the
pay board and the price board.
But in a free economy, there's always uncertainty.
And these people are just, you know, the business people have just talked about something else.
Then next week, it'll be what about the international situation?
Well, we'll have that handled within a month or so, and then it'll be something else.
But that's, that's, that'll all change.
This is a temporary
deal that the market's going through and the rest, it'll turn around.
But I think if I get a chance, I will put in a little positive stuff.
Like if I get a good solid question about, well, look here, let's look and see what's doing.
Retail sales are up blank and housing is, you know,
Another Million Month in Automobiles predicted consumer sentiment, and according to Sinlinger, you know what I mean.
Okay, I'll work that out with Chuck tonight.
Yeah, you may have some stuff yourself, but I know that he's been developing these figures for other people, and it may be, I think he's sending some over to Connolly for his speech when he returns.
But the book is in fine shape.
It's done in a very, very effective way.
And as you pointed out, it's an enormous amount of work.
But it's helpful to do it this way.
I've learned more than I want to know about the government.
It's an amazing, you sort of wonder, don't you, that you can now see why even a mini press conference, which I, you know what I mean, where you just go in and, well, or you're not on television.
Well, of course, it'd be the same on television.
I had the same thing.
It's practically the same, but you can see why it takes so much work for the staff and so much work for me to put it all together.
You've just got to be ready for anything.
You've got to be ready for anything, but also you've got to be ready not to just, you know, too many people, Bill, in the government, I mean our own people, they go on programs and all the rest, and they wing too much stuff.
They really aren't prepared.
Don't you agree?
Absolutely.
They really aren't prepared.
They just don't sit down and do the work.
They say they go on and they gas around.
And they do well enough.
Most people don't notice it.
But I can't wing anything.
I've got to be prepared in every damn question.
And those people expect me to be.
So that's why they work hard.
I really think that tomorrow, after the follow-up on the troop stuff...
Dan Rather and a few others are going to really try to get you on politics based on the political dinner.
Oh, hell, that's so easy.
Just like falling off a log for me.
But that's what they're hungry for.
Yeah, they want me to comment on politics so that I get in a ring with the others.
Right.
So I'm just going to say, no, I don't have any comment on that.
Don't worry.
Right, there'll be a lot of fallen faces.
On what reasons?
For what reasons should I?
Absolutely.
Except to give them a story.
I just have nothing to comment on.
I'm too busy with other things right now.
That's the way I'm going to handle that.
Okay.
Don't you agree?
Absolutely.
Once you start that, there's a... Oh, hell, you can't open anything.
You can't say a word about anybody, and I'm not going to comment on what Teddy said about Ireland or what Muskie said about the black vice president.
I've covered all these things.
No comment.
You know, just no comment about anything.
Okay.
Right, sir.
Is there anything else that comes up in the morning?
Yeah.
Don't send it over unless you think it's pretty hot, because I think it's...
I think that, generally speaking, they'll zero in pretty much on the announcement and probably a little on the economics.
But the political thing, believe me, Bill, I know that Buchanan, when he prepares this, he usually prepares about a third of the book on
political thing and what the Rippon Society said and this and that and the other thing.
That sort of stuff's the easiest of all.
That's the only stuff I don't need any preparation on.
I really don't.
I mean, I need nothing on because I just know what they're going to ask and they're not going to get any damn answers.
And it's best not to answer them, not to give them a thing.
Right.
Because they just hate the idea.
You know, they hated the idea on this.
Ziegler was, he said, well, he said they couldn't say it, but they were so goddamn mad they all went on this trip and I didn't say anything, you know, on politics, you know, on this trip to Chicago.
And I didn't use the word Republican in either speech.
Not once.
Yeah, that's kind of Zieg when they were expecting you to Zieg, you know.
Yeah.
No, they weren't expecting it.
They wanted me to.
You see what it means?
Then they could then have a great business about...
The political season is here.
The political season is here.
Then they could say, using the presidency for this or that.
You know, they'll crack you either way, so they're just not going to get at it.
Okay.
Right, sir.
It's a fine job, and I appreciate it.
Oh, thank you very much.
Bye.
NARA Description
On November 11, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and William L. Safire talked on the telephone from 6:11 pm to 6:16 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 014-057 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 14-57
Date: November 11, 1971
Time: 6:11 pm - 6:16 pm
Location: White House Telephone
The President talked with William L. Safire.
[See Conversation No. 298-42]
Briefing book for press conference
National economy
-The President's previous conversation with Charles W. Colson
-The President's forthcoming press conference
-Albert E. Sindlinger's prediction
-John B. Connally
Press conference
-Briefing book
-Safire's preparation
-Preparation
-Vietnam
-Troop withdrawal
-Dan Rather's possible questioning
-Politics
-Edward M. Kennedy's comments on Ireland
-Edmund S. Muskie's comments on a black Vice President
-Patrick J. Buchanan's preparation of briefing book
-Politics
-Ripon Society
The President's speech in Chicago, November 9
-Ronald L. Ziegler's comments on press reaction
-PoliticsAlso recorded on November 11, 1971
- 298-042 6:11 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and William L. Safire met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 6:11 pm to 6:16 pm.
- 014-058 6:16 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:16 pm and 6:21 pm.
- 298-043 6:16 PM · 5 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 6:16 pm and 6:21 pm.
- 014-059 6:21 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 6:21 pm to 6:29 pm.
- 298-044 6:21 PM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 6:21 pm to 6:29 pm.
- 014-060 6:30 PM · 20 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:30 pm and 6:55 pm.
- 014-061 6:30 PM · 20 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:30 pm and 6:55 pm.
- 014-062 6:30 PM · 2 min — Henry A. Kissinger, White House operator, and John J. McCloy talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:30 pm and 6:55 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 014-057, November 11, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/014-057 (accessed September 30, 2026).