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Conversation 015-165

TapeTape 15StartMonday, November 29, 1971 at 5:35 PMEndMonday, November 29, 1971 at 5:39 PMTape start time04:31:26Tape end time04:35:46ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Ziegler, Ronald L.Recording deviceWhite House Telephone
AudioNARA Description

On November 29, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 5:35 pm to 5:39 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 015-165 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 15-165

Date: November 29, 1971
Time: 5:35 pm - 5:39 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Ronald L. Ziegler.

[See also Conversation No. 306-10M]

     The President's People's Republic of China [PRC] trip
          -Announcement
               -Reaction
               -Arrangements
               -"Journey for Peace"
               -Henry A. Kissinger backgrounder
                      -India-Pakistan
               -Joint US-PRC announcement
               -Purpose of trip

     Tax Bill story
          -Reaction
                 -Washington Star
                 -Stock market
                 -Democrats
                      -Wilbur D. Mills
                      -Special session of Congress
          -Television coverage
                 -PRC trip

     The President's previous California trip
          -News reactions
               -Leslie T. (“Bob”) Hope

     Christian A. (“Sonny”) Jurgensen
          -Injury
                -Washington Star report
                -The President's conversation with George E. Allen
Transcript (AI-Generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

Yeah.
Yes, sir.
Did they get the story right or right with your one-line announcement?
Yes, sir.
Yeah.
It is moving, I think, very well.
They expected it, of course, but the date was probably a little earlier than they thought.
Well, they were surprised.
Yeah, that's what I said.
And they didn't necessarily expect it today.
Yeah.
They knew it would come sometime soon.
Before Wednesday, right.
So now that's...
But it's moving.
And you said all details will be answered tomorrow.
Right.
What I said was within the next 24 hours, we would be giving the other surrounding details, like the length of the trip and the stops and so forth.
Then I referred to...
It'll create a great deal of interest.
I'll tell you, what they're going to be very surprised about is the length.
Yeah.
And the stops, I think.
Seven weeks.
Seven days.
Right.
But it's playing very well.
I referred just very briefly to what you had said in July.
Mm-hmm.
We're running for peace, yeah.
Right.
Good.
And also indicated that the reason you're going is to, as you said at that time, is to seek normalization of relations.
Right, right, right, right.
Well, Henry is doing a background, or this is the right time for him.
Don't you think he can cover all the other trips?
He can cover this one, India, Pakistan, and so forth.
And it will allow him to do something that I couldn't have done.
It will allow him to limit himself to that and not get into all the domestic things that we don't want to have override this.
I mean, I think he'll get a good story.
Don't you think so?
Yes, sir.
I think it's the right time to do it.
The only other point I referred to, you know, I read the one-sentence announcement, made it clear that that was the extent of the joint announcement.
I indicated that the president's purpose for the meeting was to seek a new direction in our relations between the two countries and then the isolation of the two great peoples from each other.
So those are the only two quotes I gave him.
And then they're filling in from your past statements or from what Henry said.
So it's played all right.
It played very well.
As a matter of fact, the tax bill is playing well, too.
Oh, I was going to say if I knew it would, I don't.
I don't know if you've seen the star.
It didn't knock the market down, at least.
No, the market's great today.
It stayed up, but it may go down a little more.
It'll probably knock it tomorrow, but we'll see.
What are the Democrats saying as a result of it?
Well, they say, but key Democrats in Congress said it probably would not be possible to pass another tax bill before adjournment.
Mr. Mills told reporters it would be almost impossible to push a new bill through before the end of this year.
So they may get a surprise if they don't get moving.
You mean the special session?
Yes, sir.
You're damn right you're going to get a surprise.
But I'm not referring to that.
We shouldn't be hinting at it.
Let's wait until we come and see the whites of their eyes.
Right.
I think this will play well on TV tonight.
Of course, the banner and the star says, Nixon warns on tax bill.
It's played very heavily on the wires and on radio today, and I think that combined with the China announcement tonight on TV should give us a good night on TV.
Right, right, right.
No other news of consequence today, huh?
Not really.
Those are the two.
They had a good time in California, didn't they?
Well, they had a lot of news.
They had big stories.
They were on the front page every day.
Good stories, that's right.
And the Bob Hope thing was a nice color story.
Yes, sir.
Here, I want to get that.
The only other thing in the star this afternoon is the fact that Jurgensen's arm isn't rebroken.
It's only bruised.
Yeah.
I talked to Alan about it.
He told me he thought it was a muscle.
Oh, I did?
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Okay.
Okay, sir.
Right, bye.
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