Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 303
Nixon White House Tape 303 (October 26, 1971)
12 conversations · Old Executive Office Building · about 3 hr 6 min of released audio
Featuring Nixon, Sanchez, Rogers, Haldeman, Connally
President Nixon consulted with the White House operator to facilitate an outgoing call to Secretary of State William P. Rogers. This brief interaction served as a logistical step to establish communication with the Secretary for pending administration business. No further substantive details are documented regarding the specific nature of the conversation between the President and the operator.
President Nixon and Secretary of State William P. Rogers discuss the public and political fallout from a recent United Nations vote, specifically focusing on the negative emotional impact of televised footage depicting delegates celebrating the outcome. The conversation centers on how to manage public perception and formulate an official administration response that expresses dissatisfaction without unnecessarily escalating tensions or embarrassing the country. Nixon instructs Rogers to frame the narrative by emphasizing that the U.S. is strategically boxed in regarding its UN involvement, directing the criticism toward the institution rather than the presidency.
President Nixon held a brief administrative meeting with an unidentified aide to coordinate his upcoming schedule and communication flow. The President directed that specific materials remain accessible for a planned call from Bill Roberts and managed the scheduling of upcoming consultations with Secretary of State William P. Rogers and National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger. This brief exchange served to organize the President’s immediate agenda and ensure timely follow-up on key foreign policy discussions.
President Nixon consulted with the White House operator to initiate an outgoing call to Secretary of State William P. Rogers. The brief exchange served as a logistical step to facilitate direct communication between the President and the Secretary. No further policy discussions were recorded during this brief administrative interaction.
President Nixon met with his valet, Manolo Sanchez, in the Old Executive Office Building to briefly discuss the President's upcoming travel schedule. The interaction appears to have been a brief logistical check, during which Sanchez mistakenly initiated a suggestion regarding a flight attendant before correcting himself. No major policy decisions were made during this short exchange.
President Nixon instructed Secretary of State William P. Rogers to emphasize in an upcoming statement that a specific individual should remain regarded as a member of the international community. The brief discussion served to align the State Department’s official rhetoric with the President's preferred diplomatic stance. Rogers acknowledged the directive, confirming he would incorporate the requested language into his departmental communications.
President Nixon met with an unidentified individual in the Old Executive Office Building to discuss his daily schedule. Given the extremely short duration of the recorded segment, the conversation was limited to brief administrative or logistical planning regarding the President's itinerary. No substantive policy discussions or significant decision-making were captured in this recording.
President Nixon held a brief, informal meeting in the Old Executive Office Building with an unidentified individual. The discussion was limited to a casual inquiry regarding a dog. No significant policy decisions or official White House business were recorded during this segment.
President Nixon, John Connally, and George Shultz met to discuss a multi-faceted strategy for handling international economic and foreign policy challenges, specifically in response to the United Nations vote on Taiwan's expulsion. They agreed that the United States must move toward a more assertive, bilateral approach to foreign relations, prioritizing national interests over traditional multilateral institutions and the demands of European allies. Nixon decided to move forward with a new international economic offensive, tasking Connally with navigating trade negotiations during his upcoming trip to Japan while keeping the strategy tightly controlled to prevent bureaucratic leaks. The President also emphasized the need to bypass the State Department's traditional channels to ensure that U.S. interests, particularly regarding trade and monetary policy, were handled with greater efficiency and independence.
President Richard Nixon met with his personal valet, Manolo Sanchez, in the Old Executive Office Building to handle a brief, personal request. The meeting was exceptionally short, lasting only two seconds of recorded audio before concluding. No substantive policy discussions or administrative decisions were documented during this brief interaction.
President Nixon and H.R. Haldeman discuss the political fallout following the United Nations vote to expel Taiwan and readmit the People's Republic of China. The conversation focuses on managing domestic criticism from conservatives like Ronald Reagan and John Ashbrook, as well as coordinating the administration's messaging through Secretary of State William Rogers and UN Ambassador George H.W. Bush. Nixon decides to meet with Henry Kissinger at the residence to further deliberate on the administration's response to the diplomatic outcome.
This brief recording captures a cryptic exchange between unidentified participants regarding the movement of furniture and a firearm within the Executive Office Building. The dialogue focuses on the logistical challenge of maneuvering a chair and the question of whether to transport a gun. No significant political decisions or administrative actions were documented during this short interaction.