Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 253 › Conversation 253-035

Nixon & Hoover on Law enforcement and Public relations

Wednesday, May 26, 1971 · 6:58 PM–7:01 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Hoover, J. EdgarConversation253-035 on Tape 253 (tape position 02:59:17–03:01:30)StartWednesday, May 26, 1971 at 6:58 PMEndWednesday, May 26, 1971 at 7:01 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 253-035 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and J. Edgar Hoover discussed strategies for strengthening public support for law enforcement and the military amidst ongoing anti-war protests and civil unrest. The President emphasized the need for a national narrative that frames service and law enforcement as pillars of societal stability, contrasting this with the negative portrayal of such institutions by media and protest movements. They further explored legislative ideas, including potential federal benefits for the families of slain police officers, as part of an effort to bolster morale and public respect for those in uniform.

Audio

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Position in tape: 02:59:17 – 03:01:30

253a.mp3

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Angela Davis, huh?
Well, you can get a lawyer, I understand.
But my God, I mean, this is a, this idea that Angela Davis, I mean, of course, it's really funny, that's what Patrick said.
She ran off.
She, they, they, they, this crowd, this Barragan crowd, they've got to be in Pennsylvania.
They're, they're, all of a sudden, they're putting out all kinds of propaganda.
I think how they can't, they release it every day as to what their case is.
What an excellent, I think, I think it's a very good thing.
But the defendant's letter came out in the second indictment.
That has caused a great turmoil amongst the followers of Philip XVI.
And, of course, they believe that he was a sincere priest.
He had nothing to do with this thing at all.
He had to look for a romance with the sonata they had made for this.
They think that he double-crossed them all.
They think he had killed them, because the letter showed that he was not one to have an affair.
And also, the letter showed about the talking about getting down at night and making the examination of the countenance.
That release of that car is more good, I think, than any other.
Now, of course, the government has been criticized for trying to keep the pavement.
They went, they won't try, and they call up the people.
Don't worry about that.
The interesting part about that is the guideline for the attachment of that rudder was put into the County General's handbook for the Ramsey Park.
That's right.
He doesn't care what the doctor says.
He has a story at the end of the day that he creates a lot of lies out of this, that he makes a lot of, that he's a junkie gentleman.
And it was done when he had a new idea of life.
Well, I haven't written the book.
Don't ever, let me say it.
Don't ever hesitate for one minute.
They asked me about it when I was in California.

NARA Description

On May 26, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and J. Edgar Hoover met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 6:58 pm to 7:01 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 253-035 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 253-35

Date: May 26, 1971
Time: 6:58 pm - 7:01 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with J. Edgar Hoover

[See Conversation No. 3-145]

Also recorded on May 26, 1971

  • 003-143 6:46 PM · 1 min — Alexander P. Butterfield, White House operator, and Toni Sidley talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:46 pm and 6:50 pm.
  • 003-144 6:50 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:50 pm and 6:58 pm.
  • 253-033 6:50 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:50 pm and 6:58 pm.
  • 253-034 6:50 PM · 2 min — 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 6:50 pm and 6:58 pm.
  • 003-145 6:58 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and J. Edgar Hoover talked on the telephone from 6:58 pm to 7:01 pm.
  • 003-146 7:01 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:01 pm and 7:10 pm.
  • 253-036 7:01 PM · 5 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 7:01 pm and 7:10 pm.
  • 253-037 7:01 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 7:01 pm and 7:10 pm.

All 83 conversations from May 26, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 253-035, May 26, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/253-035 (accessed October 12, 2026).