Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 34 › Conversation 034-042
Nixon phone call with Ziegler on Economic policy and Vietnam negotiations
Monday, December 11, 1972 · 4:59 PM–5:01 PM ET · White House Telephone · 5 min
AI Summary
President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler reviewed daily press coverage of key administration announcements, including economic initiatives led by George Shultz and the appointments of George H.W. Bush and Robert Dole to the Republican National Committee. The discussion also covered the status of ongoing Vietnam peace negotiations in Paris following the President’s meeting with Alexander Haig, as well as upcoming staff changes at the Department of Agriculture. Finally, the President addressed personal scheduling matters and issued a firm directive to ban the Washington Post from attending any events at his private residences.
- Economic policy
- Vietnam negotiations
- Press relations
- Republican National Committee
- Staffing announcements
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
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Mr. Ziegler, sir.
Yeah.
Yes, sir.
Anything new in your briefings today?
No, the Schultz thing is out, and we announced more in the hand, of course.
And then today, the Dole-Bush thing, which is playing very well.
Yeah, the Schultz thing got about what I expected in sort of a low key.
We've got a bulletin on Associated Press.
Yeah.
And very heavily on UBI.
It'll be a good story.
You've got two then.
You've got Bush.
The Bush thing was a bulletin also.
It was a bigger one, yeah.
I think you combine it, as he pointed out, the interrelated actions to deal with the economy, that impression certainly is backed up by the various things you've done.
Examining the controls, a lot of people thought you're just going to move away from those immediately.
The freeze of government pay at the executive level is a good strong position.
Yeah, $250 billion.
$250 billion is a good strong point.
And also the decision to keep the 74 budget within, you know, the full employment balance.
Each of those are, you know, big stories in themselves.
So I think that'll play well.
The Paris thing, of course, continues.
I met with Haig for another hour.
All right.
And maybe a little longer, actually.
But anyway, an hour or so.
Okay.
And I've already mentioned the fact that you will be assessing the cables as it goes in and sending further instructions to Henry tonight—or sending further cables to him tonight.
We want to keep that moving, don't we?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Okay.
Beyond that, there's no really outstanding problems in the news at all.
The Schultz announcement and the Bush and Dole thing is really carrying the day.
The Moynihan thing had pretty well moved, but that's playing out there straight, too.
Tomorrow, we're thinking about doing the agriculture shakeup.
The fact that Campbell's staying and there are a lot of adjustments below that level.
We're getting back in line at this time.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Okay.
Okay, on the Henry thing, I'll mention that you met with Haig for an hour this afternoon and that we're receiving reports from him.
We've already said he'd continue with the negotiations.
Yes, I met this afternoon and we were—well, yes, actually.
Also in reports of mine just that I had a meeting with him this afternoon.
Right.
Okay.
Mrs. Nixon indicated that you plan to go to Florida over Christmas.
Put that out.
No, I don't know how it's going to work out.
Right.
I wanted to check with you.
I, of course, won't say anything.
She said that in the
her Christmas tree opening, I'd just say, well, that's what the First Lady said and she knows the plans.
But I'll stay away from locking up.
Yeah, we don't know what's going to happen.
I just wouldn't back off.
That's right.
That's what I mean.
I don't comment whatever they work out there.
Right.
It's a family matter and so forth.
Did they get somebody over to cover the house?
Oh, yes.
That was covered well today, the Christmas tree thing.
put together—I told you now that I want you to get with Connie and tell her that she's never to raise it with Mrs. Nixon.
I don't want her to know about it, but that nobody from the Washington Post is ever to be in that house when I'm there.
Right.
She understands that?
Yes.
Just work out the pools.
The pools are invited.
Right.
The Post is never, never, never, never, never to be present.
I agree.
Okay.
I put together some material on the various
The history of the last four years of the Christmas period, the number of people who have come through the White House and so forth, and how it's been opened up, and also the whole series of things that would take place this week and before Christmas.
I'd like to move to the wires tomorrow.
It's quite impressive, you know.
You can find all of the past four Christmases, and I think spring is a story.
But I'd like to, at some point tomorrow, review that with you.
Sure.
Sure.
Well, I'll be sure to get out the— And make sure that it— That's right.
I mean, all of that.
And then Mrs. Nixon moved some of that today in general terms about the receptions and so forth and the various people that the house was going to be open to and the light tours.
So I think she got a good start going.
But I think the history of the last four years is quite impressive.
Our other house has been opened.
Okay.
Okay, sir.
NARA Description
On December 11, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 4:59 pm to 5:01 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 034-042 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 34-42
Date: December 11, 1972
Time: 4:59 pm – 5:01 pm
Location: White House Telephone
The President talked with Ronald L. Ziegler.
-38-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 34-42 (cont’d)
[See Conversation No. 385-10]
Announcements
-George P. Shultz remarks
-[Economic Stabilization and Federal spending]
-Daniel P. (“Pat”) Moynihan
-[Ambassadorship to India]
-Robert J. Dole, George H. W. Bush
-[Chairmanship of Republican National Committee]
-Shultz
-Bulletin on Associated Press [AP]
-United Press International [UPI]
-Bush
-Bulletin on AP
-Shultz remarks
-[Economic stabilization and Federal spending]
-Wage and price controls
-Freeze on government pay at executive level
-Budget
-1973
-Outlay limits of $250 billion
-1974
-Full employment balance
Vietnam negotiations
-Paris
-The President’s recent meeting with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Cables to Henry A. Kissinger
Announcements
-Shultz’s remarks
-Bush-Dole
-Moynihan
-Agriculture Department
-December 12, 1972
-J. Philip Campbell
-Staff changes
-Vietnam negotiations
-Kissinger
-39-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 34-42 (cont’d)
-The President’s recent meeting with Haig
********************************************************************
[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]
The President’s schedule
-Christmas plans
-Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon’s statement
-Florida
-Ziegler’s statements
[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
********************************************************************
White House Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony
-Press coverage
Press relations
-Washington Post
-[Constance M. (Cornell) (“Connie”) Stuart]
-Press pools
White House
-Christmas
-Ziegler’s compilation of history of first term
-Tours
-Wire service coverage
-Possible review by the President
-Receptions, tours
-Thelma C. (“Pat”) NixonAlso recorded on December 11, 1972
- 034-041 4:55 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:55 pm and 4:59 pm.
- 385-009 4:55 PM · 9 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 4:55 pm and 4:59 pm.
- 385-010 4:59 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:59 pm to 5:01 pm.
- 034-043 5:01 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:01 pm and 5:09 pm.
- 385-011 5:01 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:01 pm and 5:09 pm.
- 385-012 5:01 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Manolo Sanchez, and Julie Nixon Eisenhower met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:01 pm and 5:14 pm.
- 034-044 5:09 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower talked on the telephone from 5:09 pm to 5:10 pm.
- 385-013 5:10 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:10 pm and 5:14 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 034-042, December 11, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/034-042 (accessed October 25, 2026).