Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 299
Nixon White House Tape 299 (November 10, 1971)
19 conversations · Old Executive Office Building · about 1 hr 37 min of released audio
Featuring Nixon, Bull, Kissinger, Colson, Haldeman
President Nixon met with his personal valet, Manolo Sanchez, in the Old Executive Office Building. While the bulk of the recording is withheld for personal privacy, the brief transcript captures the President inquiring about the needs of Dr. Arthur Burns. No further substantive policy discussions were documented during this short interaction.
President Nixon initiates a brief administrative interaction with the White House operator to facilitate an outgoing call. The discussion focuses strictly on telephonic logistics, serving as a functional bridge to connect the President with another party. No policy decisions or substantive political deliberations occur during this short exchange.
President Nixon and Federal Reserve Chairman Arthur F. Burns held a brief check-in following the President’s return from a trip to Chicago. The two men exchanged brief pleasantries and confirmed the receipt of previously discussed information. The conversation concluded with Nixon expressing his intention to address the pending matter in the near future.
President Nixon held a brief meeting with an unidentified individual in his Old Executive Office Building suite. The conversation was largely characterized by a withdrawn segment, leaving the specific agenda and substantive discussions undocumented. Consequently, no policy decisions or action items can be discerned from the available record.
President Nixon consulted with the White House operator to facilitate an outgoing call. This routine interaction served as a administrative step to connect the President with a third party. No substantive policy discussions or policy decisions occurred during this brief exchange.
President Nixon and Charles Colson briefly discuss economic strategy, specifically focusing on the administration’s 5.5 percent wage-price control guideline. Nixon expresses confidence in the effectiveness of this figure, suggesting it will be well-received by the business community despite temporary market adjustments. The pair also touches upon political logistics regarding a potential convention before Nixon interrupts the call to attend to administrative duties.
President Nixon met with his aide Stephen B. Bull to coordinate his daily schedule and manage pending telephone communications. The discussion focused on arranging calls with Henry Kissinger, Charles Colson, and other administration officials, while also finalizing plans for upcoming meetings with figures such as Melvin Laird, William Rogers, and Senator Carl Curtis. The President provided specific instructions regarding the sequence of these engagements and the logistical coordination required for his personal office affairs.
President Nixon held a brief administrative interaction with the White House operator to facilitate an outgoing communication. This exchange served a routine operational purpose, allowing the President to initiate a connection through the executive switchboard system. No substantive policy discussions or significant political decisions took place during this short administrative engagement.
President Nixon and Charles Colson discuss strategies for managing frustration with the business community, particularly academic elites and corporate leaders who remain dissatisfied with the administration despite efforts to engage them. Nixon expresses exasperation regarding these groups and emphasizes the necessity of maintaining a non-partisan approach to political maneuvering. The conversation briefly touches upon economic indicators, such as retail sales, and the prospects for pending tax legislation.
President Nixon met with his aide, Stephen B. Bull, to coordinate his immediate schedule and manage logistical delays. The conversation focused on upcoming meetings with Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird and National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger regarding a pending troop withdrawal announcement. Nixon emphasized the need for a strategic game plan and requested further private discussion with Bull to organize these priority administrative actions.
President Nixon held a brief communication with the White House operator to facilitate an outgoing call. The interaction functioned primarily as a logistical exchange to connect the President with a third party. No substantive policy matters or administrative decisions were documented during this short engagement.
President Nixon and Henry Kissinger met briefly in the Old Executive Office Building to coordinate the President's upcoming daily schedule. The discussion focused on managing the logistics and priorities of the presidential calendar during a busy period in the administration. This brief consultation ensured alignment on time management and the prioritization of pending executive tasks.
President Nixon instructed the White House operator to place an outgoing call to a contact in Chicago. This brief administrative interaction served as a logistical step to facilitate direct communication with an unnamed individual. No further substantive policy or strategic discussions occurred during this exchange.
Senator Barry Goldwater met with President Nixon to share positive feedback regarding the President's recent public appearances and to discuss their shared concerns about national defense. Goldwater recounted his recent speeches in which he defended the necessity of a strong military posture and dismissed environmentalist objections to defense testing. Nixon emphasized the urgent need to maintain U.S. military strength against Soviet advances, expressing frustration with Congressional efforts that he equated to disarmament.
President Nixon and Henry Kissinger met to discuss strategy for an upcoming troop withdrawal announcement in Vietnam, specifically debating whether to set a withdrawal figure of 40,000 or 45,000 troops. The President aimed to seize the political initiative and neutralize administration critics while maintaining a residual force as a key leverage point for future negotiations with North Vietnam. Additionally, the President spoke briefly with Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley to thank him for his hospitality during a recent visit. The conversation also touched upon the President's diplomatic outreach to China and the Soviet Union in the pursuit of a "generation of peace."
President Nixon met with Alexander P. Butterfield in the Old Executive Office Building to discuss the schedule of Secretary of Defense Melvin R. Laird. The brief exchange focused on administrative logistics regarding Laird's availability. No major policy decisions were recorded during the short interaction.
President Nixon interacts briefly with the White House operator to facilitate outgoing communications. The exchange serves as a routine administrative task to connect the President with other parties. No substantive policy discussions or significant decisions occur during this brief operational contact.
President Nixon met with H. R. Haldeman and Stephen B. Bull to coordinate his upcoming daily schedule and ensure appropriate preparations for several high-level meetings. The discussion focused on logistics for appointments with Secretary of Defense Melvin R. Laird, including a press photograph, as well as sessions involving Secretary of State William P. Rogers and national security advisors Henry Kissinger and Alexander Haig. This briefing served to organize the administrative flow and personnel attendance for these key executive engagements.
President Nixon, Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird, and National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger met to discuss the status of the Vietnam War following Laird's recent trip to South Vietnam, specifically focusing on the military situation, Vietnamization progress, and future troop withdrawal strategies. Laird expressed confidence in the combat effectiveness of the South Vietnamese forces and their improved logistical capabilities, while the group evaluated the political ramifications of the recent South Vietnamese election and the need for continued U.S. financial support. The participants also debated the timing and logistics of future troop withdrawal announcements to balance domestic political pressures with ongoing negotiations with North Vietnam.