Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 280 › Conversation 280-025

Nixon & Haldeman on Public Relations and Media Strategy

Thursday, September 23, 1971 · 4:09 PM–4:13 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation280-025 on Tape 280 (tape position 02:52:01–03:00:21)StartThursday, September 23, 1971 at 4:09 PMEndThursday, September 23, 1971 at 4:13 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 280-025 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 417184543 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and H.R. Haldeman discuss the strategic implementation of a media or public relations campaign, focusing on the brevity and impact of political messaging. They debate the utility of purchasing advertising space and the necessity of refining the President's public statements for media consumption. The conversation concludes with a consensus on the importance of distilling complex policy points into concise, effective soundbites for public delivery.

Audio

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NARA Description

On September 23, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:09 pm to 4:13 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 280-025 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 280-25

Date: September 23, 1971
Time: 4:09 pm - 4:13 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

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

[See Conversation No. 9-142]

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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

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Yeah.

Well, I was just looking at this, and because it's so late, don't be sure to knock on your door.

I can't get in after 2 o'clock in the morning.

You shouldn't.

Of course you shouldn't go in there.

You don't have anybody working on it?

Yeah.

You don't have to go in there.

Okay.

It's something we can do even if we want to do a plan sometimes.

It's a very, well, it's also doubtful as to whether it's a good idea at any time.

I mean, it may not be.

Maybe if you've got that much money to buy something, you might go out and down the line and say,

It's not a bad idea if you're running for sheriff or a congressman or a governor, but you know.

Thousand words.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Yeah, I suppose, and put it all over.

Of course, I mean, the stuff won't last too long.

I really feel like we've got to get some stuff ready for them.

I think everybody should take the chance and go after more than a few good words.

And they tend to do the boiling down.

200 birds is actually a hell of a long answer.

It's a minute and a half to a minute and a half to a minute and a half to a minute and a half to a minute and a half to a minute and a half to a minute and a half to a minute and a half to a minute and a half to a minute

I spoke one of the ridges in the mountain hills in the long entryway.

And most of them give the home.

And I spoke on shelves in the middle and all the rest.

They want to be sure to cover everything.

Sure, sure. .

Thank you.

Also recorded on September 23, 1971

280-019 2:42 PM · 13 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 2:42 pm and 3:30 pm.
280-021 3:30 PM · 40 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:30 pm to 3:31 pm.
280-022 3:31 PM · 6 sec — 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 3:31 pm and 4:09 pm.
280-023 3:31 PM · 7 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 3:31 pm and 4:09 pm.
280-024 3:31 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:31 pm to 4:09 pm.
009-142 4:09 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 4:09 pm to 4:13 pm.
280-026 4:13 PM · 18 sec — 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 4:13 pm and 4:40 pm.
280-027 4:40 PM · 19 sec — Manolo Sanchez and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:40 pm and 4:54 pm.

All 32 conversations from September 23, 1971 →

Nixon phone call with Haldeman on Anti-war protests and Public opinion polling April 18, 1971 · 8 min
Nixon phone call with Butz on Agriculture and Public Relations December 25, 1971 · 1 min
Nixon & Colson on Public relations and Media strategy April 28, 1971 · 8 min
Nixon, Price & Gergen on Speechwriting and Media strategy February 2, 1973 · 16 min
Nixon phone call with Haldeman on Watergate and Campaign strategy September 19, 1972 · 34 min
Nixon, Ehrlichman & Bull on Republican Party and Public housing September 7, 1972 · 1 min

Cite this conversation

Conversation 280-025, September 23, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417184543). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/280-025 (accessed November 2, 2026).