Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 270 › Conversation 270-011

Nixon & Buchanan on Press Conference and Foreign Policy

Tuesday, August 3, 1971 · 5:10 PM–5:25 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 9 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Buchanan, Patrick J.Conversation270-011 on Tape 270 (tape position 00:52:15–01:01:04)StartTuesday, August 3, 1971 at 5:10 PMEndTuesday, August 3, 1971 at 5:25 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 270-011 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Patrick J. Buchanan met to prepare for an upcoming press conference by strategizing responses to anticipated inquiries. They discussed a range of sensitive issues, including the national economy, steel industry policies, and complex foreign policy challenges regarding Pakistan and the People's Republic of China's potential UN seat. The pair also addressed internal political concerns, specifically correcting inaccuracies regarding Vice President Spiro Agnew’s recent trip to Africa and managing controversies surrounding Rev. John J. McLaughlin.

Audio

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Position in tape: 00:52:15 – 01:01:04

270a.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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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).
I understand that, but I don't really care.
Because I... Well, you know, I'm not sure that... Yeah.
Yeah.
Good.
Everything here?
Pretty much.
Pretty much so.
He said he knew, uh, he started to comment.
Okay.
What does it say if you go back in?
Uh, I can see it.
Oh, well, we didn't get any money.
I don't know.
What parts of the future do you think are going to go away?
What's that?
But we're in action.
How long do you say you're going to be in action?
I don't know how we're going to be in action.
We're doing the hatchet job today.
Oh, it's horrible.
I don't think that I've been frustrated with the efforts of each other.
I've made a couple of mistakes, but it's going to go on.
Do you think you're going to stay back until you're out of this?
Well, I don't know.
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They've got to rely on their pain control.
They don't know how to do it.
They don't know how to do it.
They can't rely on it.
They lose.
And that will be calculated for both the rhinoceros and the musketeer.
But it's quite a study.
We're all set there.
Going to where we go.
Bill is just chomping up.
Just start telling them that it's sex lectures and stuff.
Got some of the lecture background material.
The price is very similar.
What?
Well, that I think I'm not going to say anything because I remember that Rogers was covered.
about what's going to happen this period of time.
Yeah, we're not doing any further than that this time, 100%.
What was that?
Just say we're not doing any further than that this time.
I didn't just say that, you know, that the Secretary should, you know, move further.
The situation is all for security, we're moving further not to do any further than that.
It's a very tough report to make.
Looking at the Pakistan with regard to the arms, what really is, what are the or economic embargo or both?

NARA Description

On August 3, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Patrick J. Buchanan met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 5:10 pm to 5:25 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 270-011 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 270-11

Date: August 3, 1971
Time: 5:10 pm - 5:25 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Patrick J. Buchanan.

     Forthcoming press conference
          -Possible questions
               -National economy
                     -George P. Shultz
                     -Steel
                     -Paul W. McCracken
               -People's Republic of China [PRC]
                     -Henry A. Kissinger
               -Spiro T. Agnew
                     -Africa trip
                           -Newsweek article
                                 -Meeting with Jomo Kenyatta
                                       -Duration
                                 -Response
                                       -Letter form Ambassador [Robinson McIlvaine]
                                 -Inaccuracies
               -Pakistan
               -Rev. John J. McLaughlin
                     -Kevin Phillips’ article
                           -Lectures
                           -Raymond K. Price, Jr.
               -[Unintelligible]
          -Material
          -Possible questions
               -PRC and Taiwan, Republic of China
                     -United Nations [UN] Security Council Seat
                           -National Security Council [NSC]
                                 -William P. Rogers
                           -Possible answer
                                 -Rogers

Buchanan left at 5:25 pm.

Also recorded on August 3, 1971

  • 270-008 4:12 PM · 1 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 4:12 pm and 4:50 pm.
  • 270-009 4:50 PM · 16 min — President Richard M. Nixon and George P. Shultz met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:50 pm to 4:56 pm.
  • 270-010 4:56 PM · 2 min — 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 4:56 pm and 5:10 pm.
  • 270-012 5:25 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 5:25 pm.
  • 270-013 5:25 PM · 38 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:25 pm and 5:31 pm.
  • 270-014 5:25 PM · 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 5:25 pm to 5:31 pm.
  • 270-015 5:31 PM · 10 min — 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 5:31 pm and 11:35 pm.
  • 270-016 5:31 PM · 3 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 5:31 pm and 11:35 pm.

All 51 conversations from August 3, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 270-011, August 3, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/270-011 (accessed October 13, 2026).