← 274-006274-008 →

Conversation 274-007

TapeTape 274StartMonday, August 16, 1971 at 2:44 PMEndMonday, August 16, 1971 at 2:49 PMTape start time00:09:29Tape end time00:12:58ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Safire, William L.Recording deviceOld Executive Office Building
AI Summary

President Nixon met with speechwriter William Safire to discuss the development of an upcoming address to the Knights of Columbus. Nixon instructed Safire to synthesize drafts prepared by John McLaughlin and Patrick Buchanan into a cohesive 1,500-word speech. The President emphasized themes of peaceful competition following his August 15th address to the nation and requested the inclusion of Buchanan’s assertive rhetoric regarding America’s critics to suit the audience's sensibilities.

Knights of ColumbusSpeechwritingWilliam SafirePeaceful competitionPatrick BuchananJohn McLaughlin
AudioNARA Description

On August 16, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and William L. Safire met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:44 pm to 2:49 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 274-007 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 274-7

Date: August 16, 1971
Time: 2:44 pm - 2:49 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with William L. Safire.

     Knights of Columbus speech, August 17, 1971
         -Draft
                -Length
                -Other drafts
                     -Patrick J. Buchanan
                     -John J. McLaughlin

                -Importance
                -Themes
                     -President’s address to the Nation, August 15, 1971
                           -Peaceful competition
                -Buchanan
                     -America’s critics
                -Time
                -John B. Connally
                     -Football analogy

     Connally's press conference

     Draft of Knights of Columbus speech
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 Do not cite this transcript as authoritative.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.

Yeah.
Hello.
I am going to send over to you a poem which I would like you to do for me.
I'm going to send you a thousand-word draft that Father McLaughlin did and another 1,500 words that you can in another direction on 19 Columbus.
I want 1,500 words outside on 19 Columbus.
Let me say it.
But I think the two, you could take the two and meld them together.
And it seems to me that I will say this in my introduction.
I am the first president of the Congress, and I want to point out that
I think really the theme that we can do is sort of cutting off our last night.
Today, we're entering a new era of all we started with, planning on a piece of competition.
I would start writing the last of the speech last night, and then say, it depends on the people, but this organization, and we've got all the fine things about, you know, about the night, the sense of history, and everything.
Buchanan's got some good...
arguing stuff about people who are non-American and so forth, which I think would be said there.
It's that kind of, you know, they're kind of a down-to-earth, mason-like type of audience, so you need a little of that in.
I'd like to hear what you're wanting to say, but I really think that we can't accept enough.
They're a little rougher than any of them, and I can say, I'll send the copies to your office, okay?
Yeah.
well let me say there's no problem
And then I think, too, the idea of those so-called compromises.
Mr. President, they seem to be late.
← 274-006274-008 →