Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 281 › Conversation 281-064

Nixon alone in his EOB office on Supreme Court and Lewis Powell

Thursday, October 21, 1971 · 6:45 PM–7:05 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President)Conversation281-064 on Tape 281 (tape position 04:54:46–04:57:30)StartThursday, October 21, 1971 at 6:45 PMEndThursday, October 21, 1971 at 7:05 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 281-064 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon practiced a public address in the Old Executive Office Building, focusing on the upcoming nominations of Lewis Powell and William Rehnquist to the Supreme Court. The President emphasized the need to build public trust in these appointees and their ability to uphold institutional integrity. The session served as a rehearsal for a broadcast intended to garner political support for his judicial selections.

Audio

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Position in tape: 04:54:46 – 04:57:30

281a.mp3
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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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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I have noted the great distress of growing tendency to criticize the Supreme Court as an institution.
Let all Americans recognize that every individual has a right to disagree with the decisions of the Court.
After all, the things are handed down by the Court.
It is our obligation to obey the law, whether we like it or not.
And it is our duty as citizens to respect the institution of the Supreme Court of the United States.
We've had many historic and even sometimes violent debates throughout our history about the role of the Supreme Court.
Let us never forget that respect for the court, as the final interpreter of the law, is indispensable to the survival of freedom in America.
except for the contribution he may be able to make to cause a world peace, there is probably no more important legacy that a president leaves in these times than his appointments to the Supreme Court of the United States.
I believe that Chief Justice Berger and Chief Justice Blackmun, by their conduct and their decisions, have earned the respect not only of those who supported them at the time I nominated them, but of those who opposed them.
It is my firm conviction that Lewis Powell and William Rehnquist will earn the same respect, and that as guardians of our Constitution, they will dedicate their lives to the great goal of building respect for law, order, and justice throughout the land.
Lips, please.
Yeah.
How many words?
All right.
Call me back.

NARA Description

On October 21, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:45 pm and 7:05 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 281-064 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 281-64

Date: October 21, 1971
Time: Unknown between 6:45 pm and 7:05 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President rehearsed a speech.

[A transcript of the final broadcast of this speech appears in Public Papers of the Presidents,
Richard M. Nixon, 1971, pp. 1053-1057]

Also recorded on October 21, 1971

  • 012-055 6:36 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods talked on the telephone from 6:36 pm to 6:37 pm.
  • 281-061 6:36 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 6:36 pm to 6:37 pm.
  • 281-062 6:37 PM · 52 sec — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:37 pm and 6:44 pm.
  • 012-056 6:44 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods talked on the telephone from 6:44 pm to 6:45 pm.
  • 281-063 6:44 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 6:44 pm to 6:45 pm.
  • 012-057 6:45 PM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:45 pm and 8:03 pm.
  • 281-065 6:45 PM · 34 sec — 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 6:45 pm and 7:05 pm.
  • 281-066 6:45 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:45 pm and 7:05 pm.

All 107 conversations from October 21, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 281-064, October 21, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/281-064 (accessed September 28, 2026).