Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 18 › Conversation 018-072

Nixon phone call with Ziegler on Barbara Walters

Wednesday, January 12, 1972 · 8:09 PM–8:11 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.Conversation018-072 on Tape 18 (tape position 03:01:10–03:03:02)StartWednesday, January 12, 1972 at 8:09 PMEndWednesday, January 12, 1972 at 8:11 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 018-072 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon directed Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler to investigate and address a television interview featuring First Lady Pat Nixon, which the President viewed as a "vicious" and "cheap shot" by journalist Barbara Walters. Nixon instructed Ziegler to consult with aide Connie Stuart regarding the broadcast and to confront Walters directly about the negative tone of the interview. Furthermore, the President established a new policy requiring total White House clearance and editorial control for any future television specials involving the First Lady to prevent unauthorized media access and poor coverage.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Hello.
Yes, sir.
I run with regard to that television show of Mrs. Dixon's.
Yes.
Let me say how I want you to handle it.
First, talk to Connie.
Right.
See if she thinks as I think she does that this is vicious, as Mrs. Dixon thought.
Right.
Then second, look at it.
Yes, I will.
And make your own determination.
Third, though, the main thing is that
You know, we've got to use Barbara Waller.
We know that people are against us and for us.
But I want her directly to be called and say, you thought it was a low shot.
If you believe that.
You know, look, Barbara, we're trying to cooperate in the rest.
Why don't you take just a cheap shot and really cut yourself off from the White House and let her come back, okay?
I have a number of wedges I can put into her office.
I'll take it.
I'll look at it in the morning anyway.
waller shouldn't have done it of course connie was not connie was and the other thing is in the future i want you to tell connie it's a strict rule that nothing is to be done for any of these specials on television without total clearance for the white house and editorial control why the hell should we now uh if we're on a press conference or the rest that's something else again but let's have editorial control because
What this did was to raise hell with a lot of press people that had covered her on the trip.
They said, why the Christ are you giving that to Barbara Walters who wasn't on the trip?
I don't want to be critical of Connie on this.
I'm sure that she felt she had that type of arrangement.
But I'll talk to Connie about it.
All right, fine.
But you do that.
Give me a report about 11 o'clock tomorrow, okay?
And give Mr. Dixon a report, will you?
All right, fine.

NARA Description

On January 12, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 8:09 pm to 8:11 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 018-072 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 18-72

Date: January 12, 1972
Time: 8:09 pm - 8:11 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Ronald L. Ziegler.

     Television show with Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
          -Handling by Ziegler
                -Constance M. (“Connie”) Stuart
                -Barbara Walters
                     -Criticism

******************************************************************************

[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 12/22/2017.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[018-072-w001]
[Duration: 4s]

     Television show with Thelma C. (Ryan) (“Pat”) Nixon
          -Handling by Ronald L. Ziegler

                -Thelma C. (Ryan) (“Pat”) Nixon’s opinion

******************************************************************************

     Television show with Thelma C. (Ryan) (“Pat”) Nixon
          -Walters
                -Stuart
          -Clearance with the White House
                -Editorial control
                      -Instructions for Ziegler
                            -Stuart
          -Ziegler's forthcoming report

Also recorded on January 13, 1972

  • 018-071 7:30 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:30 pm and 8:09 pm.
  • 018-073 8:11 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:11 pm and 8:13 pm.
  • 018-074 8:13 PM · 27 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 8:13 pm to 8:40 pm.
  • 018-075 8:40 PM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:40 pm and 9:26 pm.
  • 018-076 9:26 PM · 16 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John B. Connally talked on the telephone from 9:26 pm to 9:42 pm.
  • 647-001 10:10 AM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:10 am and 10:12 am.
  • 647-002 10:12 AM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:12 am to 10:19 am.
  • 647-003 10:19 AM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:19 am and 10:34 am.

All 54 conversations from January 13, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 018-072, January 13, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/018-072 (accessed October 12, 2026).