Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 270 › Conversation 270-015

Nixon & Haldeman on Margaret Chase Smith and Newsweek

Tuesday, August 3, 1971 · 5:31 PM–11:35 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 10 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation270-015 on Tape 270 (tape position 01:13:56–01:23:14)StartTuesday, August 3, 1971 at 5:31 PMEndTuesday, August 3, 1971 at 11:35 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 270-015 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman coordinated upcoming travel arrangements to Maine and New Hampshire, specifically discussing protocols for interacting with Senator Margaret Chase Smith. The discussion also addressed strategies for managing negative press coverage, including plans to correct inaccuracies in a Newsweek article regarding Vice President Agnew’s trip to Africa. Additionally, the pair reviewed the President's logistical schedule and upcoming public appearances.

Audio

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Position in tape: 01:13:56 – 01:23:14

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Now, two or three things I would like to see commonly in writing, or I can see you writing earlier, and... Second letter, we have to make sure that it's in your will.
Roger, why don't you hand it over to the other hand.
I'm sorry.
Some people are not paying attention.
In our clients, we go at 11.30 a.m.
Some people are not paying attention.
Some people are not paying attention.
Some people are not paying attention.
Some people are not paying attention.
I think we should ride there on the fire.
I think we should ride there on the fire.
Making a right here.
I don't know if you can see it, but I'll let you get up there and I'll show you.
Okay, good.
Okay.
Good.
Good.
Good.
Good.
Good.
Good.
Good.
Good.
Good.
Good.
Good.
So, where did she come from?
No, I guess not.
She should go to the world.
She can say it herself.
I understand what you're talking about.
In view of the fact that we're starving?
No.
I don't think we really should, I'm really serious about it.
No.
I, uh, I don't think we want to be in terms of violence, you know, or anything like that.
I mean, not really.
I guess invite them if they want to go.
Fine.
Invite them.
Invite them if they want to go, never.
Prove them intent, just like Michael said.
Invite them to do it.
No, no, no.
We drop them off at the airport.
And that's that.
And I look at her and she's like, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
You can talk to Margaret about it.
She may not want to go up there.
She may not want to go up there.
Oh, okay.
I mean, she's welcome to come and see me.
Not that we don't share this fucking much, but we are in front of a magazine, so she doesn't want to go up there.
Okay.
Down, down, down, down.
There, good, good.
Let's start relaxing.
And how about the television?
Yeah.
Oh, shit.
Say, one thing I was going to say, don't, uh, no, no, I got this from Janet, but they, uh, I'm going to, if they ask me about anything, I'm going to correct them to take them on myself.
I think that's a good way to do that job.
It's a vicious catch-up job.
That's what I'm trying to do.
I told the cab to get me two things they lied about.
I pretend they did lie about how much time he spent in Kenyatta and the other one.
Is there anything else?
Yeah, I'll get that in here.
Nice.
Nice.
Okay, I'll get back.
Yeah, okay.
Well, I'll just get the one with my tissues, for example.
Okay.
Okay, thanks.
Anything else that interests you?
Come on.
Good.
You know, it's an interesting high-disk rattle.
It's been a while since I realized they were picking it all up.
Yeah, they like that.
Yeah, it really is fine.
It shows you, though, you know, we sort of went right off the ball all the time, but you know, well, isn't that better than doing something else about it?
That's why you might even consider that damn fair.
I'm not so sure of it, you know.
But we'll talk about that later.
Okay.
Bye.
Bye.

NARA Description

On August 3, 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 5:31 pm and 11:35 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 270-015 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 270-15

Date: August 3, 1971
Time: Unknown between 5:31 pm and 11:35 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

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

     President's schedule

          -Meetings
              -John B. Connally
              -Executive Office Building [EOB]
                    -William P. Rogers
                    -Henry A. Kissinger
          -New Hampshire and Maine trip
              -Travel
              -Duration
              -Unknown person
              -Bangor
              -Nashua
              -Margaret Chase Smith
              -Thomas J. McIntyre
              -Smith
                    -Instructions for Haldeman
              -Edmund S. Muskie

     Busing
          -Television
          -Iowa

     President’s schedule
          -Forthcoming press conference
                -Newsweek article
                       -Patrick J. Buchanan
                       -Inaccuracies
                             -Spiro T. Agnew
                                   -Africa trip
                                         -Meeting with Jomo Kenyatta
          -Trips
          -Illinois State Fair

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.
  • 270-011 5:10 PM · 9 min — 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.
  • 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.
  • 270-016 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 270-015, 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/270-015 (accessed October 13, 2026).