Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 27 › Conversation 027-031

Haldeman & Ziegler on Press relations and Public announcements

Friday, July 21, 1972 · 12:07 PM–1:02 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsHaldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); White House operator; Ziegler, Ronald L.Conversation027-031 on Tape 27StartFriday, July 21, 1972 at 12:07 PMEndFriday, July 21, 1972 at 1:02 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 027-031 ↗

AI Summary

H. R. Haldeman and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler coordinated the logistical arrangements for a significant upcoming administration announcement scheduled for the following morning. The two discussed potential briefing formats, weighing the pros and cons of a morning press conference versus a direct call-out to media. They agreed to finalize the execution strategy later, while emphasizing that the President would remain uninvolved and that any public disclosure should be delayed to avoid distracting from the day's current economic news 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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Sigler, please.
Thank you, sir.
Sigler, please.
Thank you.
Ron, when do you brief tomorrow, Saturday?
I don't.
You don't.
We had an announcement we wanted to make tomorrow morning.
How would you do, what would you do?
I could either set a briefing for tomorrow morning at the 3 o'clock posting or do a call out.
Okay.
What are you thinking about?
I don't know, any time, 10, 11.
well you let me know we work the mechanics out okay the big one the little one or medium sized one be pretty big uh but i don't think we'd you'd want you wouldn't want to say anything this afternoon because that just tips it off we don't want to undo anything on the economic story today
You see, I've said he'd probably go to Camp David this afternoon.
Right.
He probably will.
He won't make the announcement.
You would.
This wouldn't involve the president.
Can you say what it's on?
No.
Well, we can work it out.
Let me talk to you when you get out of there, but just tell him that we can work it out.
Okay.
Whatever he plans or whatever you plan to do, we can work it out.
Okay.
Okay?
Right.

NARA Description

On July 21, 1972, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:07 pm and 1:02 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 027-031 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 27-31

Date: July 21, 1972
Time: Unknown between 12:07 pm and 1:02 pm
Location: White House Telephone

H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman talked with the White House operator.

[See Conversation No. 749-5B]

      Request for a call to Ronald L. Ziegler

Haldeman talked with Ziegler.

      Schedule
          -Ziegler's forthcoming briefing on July 22, 1972

                 -Announcement
                    -Arrangements
                         -Time
                    -Size
                    -July 21, 1972 economic story
                    -The President's schedule
                         -Camp David

Also recorded on July 21, 1972

  • 749-001 10:11 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander P. Butterfield, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:11 am to 10:16 am.
  • 104-009 10:16 AM · 29 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Vice President Spiro T. Agnew, and Cabinet officers and staffers, including William P. Rogers, George P. Shultz, Melvin R. Laird, Ralph E. Erickson, Rogers C. B. Morton, Earl L. Butz, James D. Hodgson, John G. Veneman, George W. Romney, John A. Volpe, David M. Kennedy, Caspar W. ("Cap") Weinberger, Robert H. Finch, Donald H. Rumsfeld, George H. W. Bush, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman, Peter M. Flanigan, Dr. Edward E. David, Jr., Raymond K. Price, Jr., Alexander P. Butterfield, Robert J. Brown, Charles W. Colson, Dr. James R. Schlesinger, James C. Fletcher, Donald E. Johnson, Frank J. Shakespeare, Dr. John A. Hannah, Arthur F. Sampson, Frank C. Carlucci, Clark MacGregor, Robert J. Dole, Herbert Stein, Arthur J. Sohmer, and Kenneth R. Cole, Jr., met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 10:16 am and 10:57 pm.
  • 749-002 10:45 AM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Clark MacGregor, and Robert J. Dole met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:45 am to 11:39 am.
  • 749-005 11:43 AM · 44 min — President Richard M. Nixon, George P. Shultz, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, unknown person(s), White House operator, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:43 am to 1:02 pm.
  • 749-006 1:02 PM · 9 sec — Alexander P. Butterfield and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:02 pm and 1:30 pm.
  • 027-032 1:41 PM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 1:41 pm.
  • 027-033 1:45 PM · 37 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman talked on the telephone from 1:45 pm to 1:46 pm.
  • 027-034 1:47 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and George P. Shultz talked on the telephone from 1:47 pm to 1:53 pm.

All 35 conversations from July 21, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 027-031, July 21, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/027-031 (accessed October 2, 2026).