Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 258 › Conversation 258-007
Nixon & Ehrlichman on Pentagon Papers and Leaks
Monday, June 14, 1971 · 7:13 PM–7:15 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 37 sec
AI Summary
President Nixon and John Ehrlichman discuss the administration's aggressive response to the publication of the Pentagon Papers. Nixon expresses a strong preference for prosecuting the individuals who leaked the classified documents rather than the newspaper outlets themselves. The two strategize on managing the ongoing media fallout from the unauthorized disclosures.
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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.
Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data
Each line starts with a timestamp button; press it to play the audio from that point.
NARA Description
On June 14, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 7:13 pm to 7:15 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 258-007 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 258-7 Date: June 14, 1971 Time: 7:13 pm - 7:15 pm Location: Executive Office Building John D. Ehrlichman talked with the President [See Conversation No. 5-68]
Also recorded on June 14, 1971
- 519-018 7:07 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 7:07 pm and 11:59 pm.
- 005-068 7:13 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman talked on the telephone from 7:13 pm to 7:15 pm.
- 005-069 7:15 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:15 pm and 7:19 pm.
- 258-008 7:15 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 7:15 pm and 7:19 pm.
- 258-009 7:15 PM · 3 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 7:15 pm and 7:19 pm.
- 005-070 7:19 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, John N. Mitchell, and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 7:19 pm to 7:22 pm.
- 258-010 7:19 PM · 12 min — President Richard M. Nixon, John N. Mitchell, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 7:19 pm and 7:37 pm.
- 005-071 7:22 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:22 pm and 7:37 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 258-007, June 14, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/258-007 (accessed October 12, 2026).