← 307-019307-021 →

Conversation 307-020

TapeTape 307StartWednesday, December 8, 1971 at 3:40 PMEndWednesday, December 8, 1971 at 3:42 PMTape start time00:40:11Tape end time00:43:09ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Flemming, Arthur S.Recording deviceOld Executive Office Building
AI Summary

President Nixon praises Arthur S. Flemming for his skillful handling of a sensitive safety-related situation, expressing gratitude for his discretion. Nixon encourages Flemming to represent his administration's views publicly and cultivate the impression of having regular access to the President. Additionally, they briefly touch upon administrative budget matters and the potential for Flemming to advocate for specific priorities in upcoming budget messages.

Public relationsExecutive discretionBudgetary policyGovernment administrationPolitical strategy
AudioNARA Description

On December 8, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Arthur S. Flemming met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:40 pm to 3:42 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 307-020 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 307-020

Date: December 8, 1971
Time: 3:40 pm - 3:42 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with Arthur S. Flemming.

[See Conversation No. 16-55]
Transcript (AI-Generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

All right.
Hello, Arthur.
Well, I'll tell you, I want you to know that during the night, I think you handled that safety thing with great mastery.
We were most grateful for keeping the lid on and having it come out as long as it did.
You're a skillful operator.
You were that.
All right.
All right.
60% that aren't at any point, or 40, whatever it is, an opportunity to encourage them through the internet to go and buy their own things, which ought to be done.
Did you?
You're out there, yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Well
Well, you and you me, I want you to be, you know, whatever, however often we get to talk, it remains to be seen, because, you know, I'm a Russian officer, I've been in these countries, in China, in Russia, and all that, but you, you just take a few liberties and say that you talk to me quite regularly, and you know you're reflecting my views, and so on and so forth, and you do that, and it's not that any time you have to say that, any time the president is all set, and you have to,
As I said this in the speech, they want to get in the lead.
They tell you that it's okay.
And that, of course, is true, too.
As you know, we've got security through the whole Council set up and so forth.
Having said these things, we're not included in the budget and so forth.
And you can, for example, when a budget message comes up, you can put it back and all the things you want.
All right.
All right.
Good to talk to you.
Thank you a lot.
And thanks for all your help.
I would like to meet this old fire person here.
You're not hardly over the old man.
Okay.
All right.
← 307-019307-021 →