Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 298 › Conversation 298-003

Nixon & Ehrlichman on Department of Agriculture and Government reorganization

Thursday, November 11, 1971 · 11:24 AM–11:29 AM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ehrlichman, John D.Conversation298-003 on Tape 298 (tape position 00:01:50–00:05:16)StartThursday, November 11, 1971 at 11:24 AMEndThursday, November 11, 1971 at 11:29 AMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 298-003 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman discussed the strategic framing of personnel changes within the Department of Agriculture, specifically regarding the transition from Secretary Clifford M. Hardin to Earl L. Butz. They reviewed potential government reorganization plans, focusing on the placement of the Coast Guard and concerns regarding Secretary John A. Volpe’s management. Additionally, the President briefly evaluated his public relations strategy, weighing the benefits of potential interviews with various media outlets, including Reader’s Digest and Playboy.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 1 minute of this recording (about 19% of it) is represented by only a few words. Listen to the audio rather than relying on the text below; a corrected transcript is queued.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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John, what I want on that agriculture thing is not to... We, of course, are building it.
The story is what...
It could be 30 pages, but I just need about a sentence.
Or something that just, so that I don't, so that I don't, I just don't want to take away from the fact that Harden is leading in my praise for him and Butz is.
Otherwise, these bastards will make play that, which is a double-sided, to the average person, except for a few hard-perceived.
Yeah.
You see what I've got here?
Now, on the other hand, on the other hand, for the purpose of this, if you're almost or something without something, you see what I mean?
Great.
Yeah.
Pointing out that this is a matter that we have in consideration.
We just didn't find it fitting for the organization.
Maybe that's the way to do it.
And dealing not only with agriculture, but also that there's some problems here that simply didn't fit into the other departments.
That's another way of putting it.
I think you can say that, perhaps.
They said, hey, they see these problems, so let's don't have Volpe come in and say that.
And they grabbed and cramped it up.
The whole thing unraveled.
Labor.
Taking the Forest Service and all that sort of thing.
Do damn right.
And also, they'll get some of these others on the same thing.
I mean, it's an enemy.
It's the Coast Guard under Volpe.
Now, why in the name of God is another vocal kind of answer?
It isn't.
It isn't.
I know, I know.
But why isn't that a treasure then?
It's a treasure.
To make something bad.
But, you know, isn't it ridiculous to have the Coast Guard under full heat?
I mean, I think, frankly, the Coast Guard should not even be in there.
I think it should be in defense.
All right.
Well, on our reorganization, are we doing that?
Great, great, great.
Oh, hell, we don't want to be in defense.
We've got the flags in there and so forth.
Good, good, good, good.
Well, I think Russell would be all right.
He said, hey, he said, how do you see the fire?
I remember it.
It's just like I remember it.
It looks a little older.
But naturally, that's one of the problems.
Most farmers are older, I guess.
Yeah.
Well, I'll tell you, it's perfectly all right.
If they play up for the Congress, I don't like it.
The Congress is very nice and sorry to me.
But we'll do it for their, gentlemen, I'll do it for the Reader's Digestment, the Hellwood Prime Ministry.
Okay?
And playboy.

NARA Description

On November 11, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 11:24 am and 11:29 am. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 298-003 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 298-3

Date: November 11, 1971
Time: Unknown between 11:24 am and 11:29 am
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with John D. Ehrlichman.

     Secretary of Agriculture
            -The President's forthcoming statement
                 -Possible length
                 -Clifford M. Hardin
                 -Earl L. Butz
            -Government reorganization
                 -John A. Volpe
                 -US Forest Service

     Government reorganization
         -Coast Guard
              -Volpe
              -Placement
                    -Treasury Department
                    -Defense Department

     Butz

     The President's schedule
          -Congress
          -Possible interview
               -Reader’s Digest
               -Time
               -Newsweek
               -Playboy

Also recorded on November 11, 1971

  • 618-002 10:26 AM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:26 am and 10:35 am.
  • 298-001 11:24 AM · 8 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 11:24 am and 11:29 am.
  • 298-002 11:24 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 11:24 am and 11:29 am.
  • 298-004 11:24 AM · 14 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 11:24 am and 11:29 am.
  • 298-005 11:29 AM · 1 hr 42 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Henry A. Kissinger, unknown person(s), White House operator, and Helmut ("Hal") Sonnenfeldt met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 11:29 am to 1:16 pm.
  • 014-035 11:31 AM · 8 sec — Henry A. Kissinger and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:31 am and 12:50 pm.
  • 014-036 11:31 AM · 1 min — Henry A. Kissinger and Helmut ("Hal") Sonnenfeldt talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:31 am and 12:50 pm.
  • 014-037 11:31 AM · 30 sec — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:31 am and 12:50 pm.

All 91 conversations from November 11, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 298-003, November 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/298-003 (accessed October 1, 2026).