Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 280 › Conversation 280-013

Nixon, Shultz & Ziegler on Public Opinion and Strategic Messaging

Thursday, September 23, 1971 · 12:58 PM–1:06 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 5 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Shultz, George P.; Ziegler, Ronald L.Conversation280-013 on Tape 280 (tape position 01:54:19–01:59:37)StartThursday, September 23, 1971 at 12:58 PMEndThursday, September 23, 1971 at 1:06 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 280-013 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with George Shultz and Ron Ziegler to discuss public perception and strategic messaging regarding a specific administrative program. The group assessed national support levels for the initiative, noting strong backing from states like Ohio and Georgia. Nixon emphasized the necessity of maintaining a unified position to effectively promote the program and addressed specific comparative data regarding recent fiscal or programmatic growth.

Audio

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Yeah.
Yeah.
George, with regard to the question, it's probably sort of hard for you.
Yeah, it was a good talk, and it was a fantastic meeting.
The way to do this, Bill, we have to get a good position for this, and a view of what we're talking about.
The only question is do we have to in this kind of cooperation?
Is there any problem with saying that there's a plan that comes to see if there's a support that they could make that includes a follow-up on the idea of the, you know, objections as far as the, I don't think they, I don't think so far as the, this program is concerned.
But the majority of the country, Ohio and Georgia, they're very supportive of it.
But they're out of the country.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Right.
Right.
Right.
Good.
On that one.
Okay.
The increase in .
I don't want to get through my digestion for you in a sentence.
I mean, basically you'll spend a lot of time with me, but I can't.
Basically, you'll spend a whole thing.
The highest drive in the... What is that?
The highest history.
And how does it compare to what you said you tried to do?
over the last year.
I get it.
Well, they find those things are right there.
Eight percent over last year.
Fifty percent over the first year.
What?
Yeah, I understand that now.
I can see that very well.
I understand that now.
I understand that now.
I understand that now.

NARA Description

On September 23, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, George P. Shultz, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 12:58 pm to 1:06 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 280-013 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 280-13

Date: September 23, 1971
Time: 12:58 pm - 1:06 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with George P. Shultz.

[See Conversation No. 9-141]

Ronald L. Ziegler entered at 1:00 pm.

Also recorded on September 23, 1971

  • 009-140 12:58 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 12:58 pm.
  • 009-141 12:58 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and George P. Shultz talked on the telephone from 12:58 pm to 1:06 pm.
  • 280-012 12:58 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 12:58 pm.
  • 280-014 1:06 PM · 12 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:06 pm to 1:16 pm.
  • 280-015 1:16 PM · 59 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 1:16 pm and 2:20 pm.
  • 280-016 1:16 PM · 26 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 1:16 pm and 2:20 pm.
  • 280-017 1:16 PM · 11 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 1:16 pm and 2:20 pm.
  • 280-018 2:20 PM · 16 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, Manolo Sanchez, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:20 pm to 2:42 pm.

All 32 conversations from September 23, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 280-013, September 23, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/280-013 (accessed October 12, 2026).