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Conversation 039-019

TapeTape 39StartFriday, May 25, 1973 at 1:39 AMEndFriday, May 25, 1973 at 1:43 AMParticipantsWhite House operator;  Eisenhower, Julie Nixon;  Ziegler, Ronald L.;  Nixon, Richard M. (President);  Cox, Tricia NixonRecording deviceWhite House Telephone
AI Summary

Julie Nixon Eisenhower contacted Press Secretary Ronald L. Ziegler to gauge media sentiment following a dinner honoring former prisoners of war, with President Nixon and Tricia Nixon Cox present for the discussion. They reviewed the positive press coverage surrounding the President’s speech, specifically focusing on the favorable reaction to his remarks on December 1972 bombing operations and national security. Ziegler confirmed that the event received strong television coverage and effectively portrayed the President’s interactions with the attendees.

POW dinnerPress coverageDecember 1972 bombingNational securityPublic relations
AudioNARA Description

On May 25, 1973, White House operator, Julie Nixon Eisenhower, Ronald L. Ziegler, President Richard M. Nixon, and Tricia Nixon Cox talked on the telephone from 1:39 am to 1:43 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 039-019 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 39-19

Date: May 25, 1973
Time: 1:39 am - 1:43 am
Location: White House Telephone

The White House operator talked with Julie Nixon Eisenhower.

       Incoming telephone call

Julie Nixon Eisenhower talked with Ronald L. Ziegler. The President and Tricia Nixon Cox can
be heard in the background.

       Former prisoners of war [POWs] dinner
             -Press coverage
                     -President’s statement concerning December 1972 bombing
                                              -20-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                     (rev. February-2011)

                                                            Conversation No. 39-19 (cont’d)

                     -State Department reception
                     -President’s activities
                             -Receiving line
                     -President’s speech, May 24
                             -Television [TV] coverage
                                    -Applause
                                    -National security
                                    -Ovations

       Ziegler’s schedule
              -Key Biscayne
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.

Hello?
Mr. Ziegler's on the line for the president.
Thank you.
Ron?
Hi, Julie.
Hi, Ron.
I wanted to know what the press's reaction was to the evening.
Do you have any reactions to tell us?
You know, were they really upset when the men applauded the bombing statement Daddy made, how necessary that was?
Well, I think the reaction was good, Julie.
You do?
The whole evening, yes.
Yeah, I think so, too.
Oh, absolutely.
Yeah, I think so.
And I think there's going to be a lot of positive press out of it, don't you?
There's going to be a lot written out of this.
There's going to be a lot that's going to be, you know, part of the whole, you know, sense of things that people will have.
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
Well, then the press did not seem unhappy.
In other words, they weren't unhappy with the evening because it was going well.
You didn't get that sense.
No, I didn't.
Yeah.
No.
Well, good.
I think they, you know, I think they recognized both with the State Department and the Knight that they may have over-graduated some things, but I think they're kind of stunned back into reality.
Good.
Did they notice that Daddy moved around from table to table and all that?
Absolutely.
Good.
Sure.
Good.
Did they notice him standing today in line?
Yeah.
Yes.
Well, that's great.
Good.
There's a lot of good press coming out of this, and there will be.
Good.
I'll tell him.
We'll get some, you know.
negative shots.
You don't have to say that.
But overall, to be quite frank with you, Julia, it was a good day.
Daddy wanted to know if you felt that the speech today got good play.
I felt it did.
Well, you tell them on TV tonight, on every network, they showed the tremendous applause when they walked in.
Yeah.
They showed the perfect line about the national security.
National security, right.
And then they showed the standing ovation and the overwhelming standing ovation.
Standing ovation, right.
By the
by the crowd, and it was a good, hard... And there were about four or five minutes, weren't there?
Yeah.
Yeah.
I thought it was, too.
It was very good coverage.
Very good, because they covered the important lines.
There's a speech.
And they showed the reaction, too.
Yeah, right.
They don't always do.
That's true.
That's true.
Well, are you going down to Key Biscayne?
Yes.
Yeah, well, we'll see you down there.
Okay.
It was a good day.
I thought it was, too.
I thought so.
Okay.
Okay.
Okay, bye.
Bye-bye.
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