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Conversation 251-010

TapeTape 251StartTuesday, April 20, 1971 at 3:00 PMEndTuesday, April 20, 1971 at 3:04 PMTape start time00:10:07Tape end time00:12:38ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Recording deviceOld Executive Office Building
AI Summary

President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman discussed the recent Vietnam veterans' anti-war demonstration, specifically addressing the lack of mention regarding the protests during a morning leadership meeting. Nixon expressed frustration that the media's focus on the demonstration had not been effectively countered or addressed by administration officials. The two participants sought to clarify whether the topic had been raised by anyone present at the meeting, concluding that it had been deliberately avoided.

Vietnam War protestsWhite House leadership meetingMedia relationsAnti-war demonstrationsPolitical strategy
AudioNARA Description

On April 20, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:00 pm and 3:04 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 251-010 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 251-10

Date: April 20, 1971
Time: Unknown between 3:00 pm and 3:04 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman

[A transcript of the following portion of this conversation was prepared under court order from
December 1978 through March 1979 for Special Access [SA] 8, Ronald V. Dellums, et al. v.
James M. Powell, et al., No. 71-2271. The National Archives and Records Administration
produced this transcript. The National Archives does not guarantee its accuracy.]

[End of transcript]
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 Do not cite this transcript as authoritative.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.

I'm curious what you said about the way they're getting around and the effect of the leadership meeting this morning.
Only 30% of those in this demonstration were Vietnam veterans.
That's a crisis, and of course it wasn't that early.
The matter was, there was absolutely nobody brought up the demonstration, nobody in the discussion.
I wonder if Agnew said something like this, or the slightest idea how many, all week, all week.
We don't know.
It was just the press and everybody else.
But I just wondered if somebody had done anything.
I just want to turn around that wall and say it wasn't to be discussed.
Absolutely.
My great-grandson and me, there was absolutely no discussion.
What?
Ever of that.
Whatever.
Absolutely not.
About any demonstration.
Did you just touch that one, Trish?
You didn't just touch any of them, did you?
Oh, I thought you brought them out.
You've got to shake them up a little there.
There must be... No, the only ones that were in there that aren't usually there are his men.
I don't want to trip you, but his man might make up some such man.
I don't want to check, but this is a chance to nail somebody.
It absolutely was not even a...
It isn't one where he got married.
There was no discussion at all.
There was absolutely no question.
Something great about the demonstration.
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