Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 249 › Conversation 249-014
Nixon & Ziegler on Press briefing and Media strategy
Thursday, April 15, 1971 · 3:48 PM–4:05 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 20 sec
AI Summary
President Nixon met with Press Secretary Ronald L. Ziegler to coordinate strategy for an upcoming press briefing. The discussion focused on preparing for a specific, albeit vaguely referenced, topic set for the following day. Nixon sought to determine the optimal timing for finalizing these remarks, prioritizing effective communication of the administration's messaging.
Audio
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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.
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NARA Description
On April 15, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:48 pm and 4:05 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 249-014 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 249-14
Date: April 15, 1971
Time: Unknown between 3:48 pm and 4:05 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President talked with an unknown person [Ronald L. Ziegler?]
Press briefing
NewsAlso recorded on April 15, 1971
- 042-045 3:44 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 3:44 pm.
- 249-012 3:44 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 3:44 pm.
- 042-046 3:45 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Donald H. Rumsfeld talked on the telephone from 3:45 pm to 3:48 pm.
- 249-013 3:45 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Donald H. Rumsfeld met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:45 pm to 3:48 pm.
- 042-047 3:48 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:48 pm and 4:31 pm.
- 249-015 3:48 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:48 pm and 4:05 pm.
- 249-016 4:05 PM · 17 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:05 pm to 4:32 pm.
- 249-017 4:05 PM · 6 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 4:05 pm and 4:31 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 249-014, April 15, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/249-014 (accessed October 3, 2026).