Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 43 › Conversation 043-184

Nixon phone call with Bull on Public relations and National Theatre

Friday, February 23, 1973 · 3:02 PM–3:03 PM ET · White House Telephone · 1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Bull, Stephen B.Conversation043-184 on Tape 43StartFriday, February 23, 1973 at 3:02 PMEndFriday, February 23, 1973 at 3:03 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 043-184 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon instructed his aide, Stephen B. Bull, to ensure that members of the press no longer displace audience members to secure seating during his future visits to the National Theatre. Nixon expressed concern over reports that eight patrons had lost their seats to reporters, characterizing the practice as improper. Bull clarified that the theater had independently allocated the seats, and he agreed to the President’s directive that future press coverage should occur from the back of the venue.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Yeah.
See, one point I wanted to make with you that for the future we probably are going to have it come up in the future very, very soon.
But I noted in the story this morning that eight members of the press had seats in the theater and that, of course, that required eight people to give up their seats.
Now, under no circumstances in the future when I go to the theater are we to insist on seats for the press.
I don't know how that ever happened because that's not my rule.
All right, sir.
If they want to go, they stand in the back.
Yes, sir.
How did it happen?
Did they check that with you?
Well, as a matter of course, in almost all cases, the theaters make seats available for the press because it
It behooves them to have press with the president, and we don't really, we don't push for them.
We've had them stand in the past.
It was the theater's doing, sir.
Well, just throwing people out, you know, and when we go late like this, everything really is, judges don't like the feel of it, right?
Well, it was the theater who did it.
All right.
Just tell them not to do it then when we come in the future.
That is, unless it's going to throw anybody out, okay?
All right, sir, that's fine.
All right.

NARA Description

On February 23, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone from 3:02 pm to 3:03 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 043-184 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 43-184

Date: February 23, 1973
Time: 3:02 pm - 3:03 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Stephen B. Bull.

[See Conversation No. 413-6]

       Public relations
             -The President’s attendance at National Theatre
                    -Press attendance
                    -The President’s instructions
                    -Press attendance
                          -Circumstances

Also recorded on February 23, 1973

  • 413-002 2:48 PM · 13 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 2:48 pm and 3:02 pm.
  • 413-003 2:48 PM · 56 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 2:48 pm and 3:02 pm.
  • 413-006 3:02 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:02 pm to 3:03 pm.
  • 043-185 3:03 PM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:03 pm and 3:05 pm.
  • 043-186 3:05 PM · 19 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 3:05 pm.
  • 043-187 3:05 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:05 pm and 3:18 pm.
  • 413-007 3:05 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 3:05 pm.
  • 413-008 3:05 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 3:05 pm.

All 92 conversations from February 23, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 043-184, February 23, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/043-184 (accessed October 1, 2026).