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Conversation 040-066

TapeTape 40StartWednesday, June 13, 1973 at 11:35 AMEndWednesday, June 13, 1973 at 11:36 AMParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Ziegler, Ronald L.Recording deviceWhite House Telephone
AI Summary

President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler coordinated the messaging strategy for an upcoming televised speech on the economy. The discussion focused on maintaining public momentum following recent diplomatic successes while carefully managing media expectations. Nixon explicitly instructed Ziegler to withhold the full text of the speech from Cabinet members and Congressional leaders prior to the 7:00 pm briefing to avoid last-minute critiques and prevent market volatility.

Economic policyPress relationsSpeechwritingMedia managementWhite House communicationsCongressional relations
AudioNARA Description

On June 13, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 11:35 am to 11:36 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 040-066 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 40-66

Date: June 13, 1973
Time: 11:35 am - 11:36 am
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Ronald L. Ziegler.
                                              -58-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                      (rev. March-2011)

[See also Conversation No. 445-3]

     Press relations
           -Henry A. Kissinger’s news conference on Vietnam negotiations
                  -Paris
                  -Television networks, wire services
                  -President’s role
           -President’s economy speech
           -[“Big play”]
                               -President’s trip to People’s Republic of China [PRC], Union of
                   Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR], communique, economy speech
           -President’s economy speech
                  -Briefing
                         -Distribution of text
                               -Bipartisan Congressional leaders
                               -Raymond K. Price, Jr.
                               -Effect on markets
                               -Cabinet
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 Do not cite this transcript as authoritative.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.

Yes, sir.
Oh, he's interested in Henry's accomplishment?
Oh, yeah, it's moving well.
Oh, I would think so.
My goodness, we shouldn't have to move a thing like that.
No, no, we're not.
Even the jackasses ought to move it.
Oh, sure.
It's moving heavily out of Paris, and I've just been spending time with the network guys and the wires on, you know, the time you've been spending on it and the hard week and so forth and the economy and so forth.
We're about ready to announce the economy to right people.
underneath of this, so the speech tonight at 8.30.
So we have a good day going.
People are thinking and talking about other things.
For a while, yeah.
Yes, sir.
But we can't have many days like this, Ronnie.
Everybody always says, why don't you do something big, you know.
Well, you can go to China once, you can go to Russia once, and you can communicate once, and you can have an economic thing about every year, which is, I mean...
That's the one thing in your own planning that you've got to get through to the people that you can't go out with some grandstand gimmick every doggone day.
No, that's right.
You see what I mean?
But this will all add up to another...
This is something that came at the right time.
I think, Mr. President, even though this is an economic speech, and I wanted to raise this with you, and I will now if I may, we're going to brief at 7.
I think we should provide the text at 7 with a strict embargo.
I told him that we're even going to give the text to the leaders.
Well, I...
We'll give them materials, but I don't think we should give them the text of the speech.
You don't?
No, sir.
The reason for it is so that they have the materials so that when they make up their... Well, we'll tell them that because of the effect on the markets and so forth and so on, that the text will be delivered to them at 7 o'clock.
That's right.
Tell the leaders that, but don't give the leaders or the cabinet the text.
I agree.
Otherwise they'll haggle over it and want to make changes.
That's right.
Give them the basic material and outline, but not the text.
Be sure that that gets to everybody.
The leaders and the cabinet get no text, but the text will be available at 7 o'clock.
Okay, good.
How's that sound?
That's good.
All right.
Good.
And we'll fire away.
Sure.
Okay, thank you.
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