Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 287 › Conversation 287-003

Nixon & Mitchell on Supreme Court nominations and Judicial appointments

Monday, October 11, 1971 · 8:57 AM–9:05 AM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 6 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Mitchell, John N.Conversation287-003 on Tape 287 (tape position 00:03:07–00:12:42)StartMonday, October 11, 1971 at 8:57 AMEndMonday, October 11, 1971 at 9:05 AMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 287-003 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Attorney General John Mitchell discuss the political landscape surrounding upcoming judicial nominations and the influence of Senate lobbying. They evaluate the ideological positioning of potential candidates, noting the importance of choosing individuals who align with the administration's conservative agenda. The two agree to maintain strategic ambiguity regarding the timing of the nominations to keep Senate pressure in their favor.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Hello.
Well, it looks like a senator knows how to lobby for the court, doesn't it?
I was, uh, you know, you're right down there with me, and I said, uh, I know, I don't know whether he was talking about the court, and I said, you know, Bob, you're in Maine, and he said, he said I was probably Eastland, even probably Eastland, apparently.
You know that?
Uh-huh.
So I said, well, and then I said, well, Bob, it's a funny thing.
Because I didn't want them to hear it.
And then I said, you know, Wayne, I said, this is it.
completely without your, any knowledge of what you had done to me, Attorney General, I talked about you this morning.
So we were at least ahead of him.
I told him what the problems were, and I said, and he said, well, there's a plan on that, but he said, I said, the bar, the problem, I said, and he said, well, I checked, and he said, of course, he said, I don't think he expected me to do it.
I'll tell you one thing, John.
It certainly shakes them up a little, doesn't it, though, doesn't it?
They knock down our friend's pot, and a bird comes out who has no, just with being a lawyer, to breathe.
And, you know, that's awesome.
But on the other hand, I'll tell you, if it comes to that, you know one thing, he sure is gonna be tough.
And he's to the right of me, I'm afraid.
God almighty.
Yeah.
Yeah.
More often, too.
I get to work with them all.
I go to get more calls and see what they're listening to.
Yeah.
That's my guest.
Yeah, because we didn't, of course, we don't always say a thing, and actually, I took off, and I took the next one, and we could resurface off, and hopefully, I don't know, who else could have done it?
Okay, now.
Yeah.
And then, you know, set our names up after that.
The ABA.
The ABA.
And do you think we could have a question?
Do you think we could shoot for something?
What do you think we could shoot for something to the Senate?
I've asked about it, if I may, to a
I will not indicate, but I will not indicate that my son is doing good.
Right.
or you want to.
I'll just say we're going to send the nominations up, okay?
I'm glad to keep the game a little open on this, aren't you?
I mean, it's hard to urge them to just let it ramble around a little bit up there.
Yeah, because if you're a guy, it's not like you're there regurgitating all over the place, you know, compared to the bird, he's a flaming liberal.
He's a lawyer.
I know, I know.
I hope Chief Justice will be reading over it.
Yeah.
Well, I'll tell you, I think I'll be glad if Johnny would do it again.
I think he's still a historian and he's very good at it.
But I think what it always ought to be with you and my kids a little bit, and that's what I want to talk about.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Okay, right on, right.

NARA Description

On October 11, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and John N. Mitchell met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 8:57 am to 9:05 am. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 287-003 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 287-3

Date: October 11, 1971
Time: 8:57 am - 9:05 am
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with John N. Mitchell.

[See Conversation No. 11-26]

Also recorded on October 11, 1971

  • 011-025 8:52 AM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:52 am and 8:57 am.
  • 287-001 8:52 AM · 3 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 8:52 am and 8:57 am.
  • 287-002 8:52 AM · 3 sec — 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 8:52 am and 8:57 am.
  • 011-026 8:57 AM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John N. Mitchell talked on the telephone from 8:57 am to 9:05 am.
  • 011-027 9:05 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:05 am and 10:28 am.
  • 287-004 9:05 AM · 9 min — 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 9:05 am and 10:28 am.
  • 287-005 9:05 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 9:05 am and 10:28 am.
  • 287-006 9:05 AM · 12 sec — 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 9:05 am and 10:28 am.

All 53 conversations from October 11, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 287-003, October 11, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/287-003 (accessed October 6, 2026).