Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 309
Nixon White House Tape 309 (December 24, 1971)
15 conversations · Old Executive Office Building · about 1 hr 53 min of released audio
Featuring Nixon, Hughes, Ehrlichman, Kissinger, Shultz
President Nixon met with John Ehrlichman and Henry Kissinger to address the fallout from the 'Radford incident,' which involved unauthorized access to sensitive documents by military liaisons. The group discussed the potential resignation of Admiral Thomas Moorer and the need to manage the professional rivalries and perceived disloyalty within the administration, particularly regarding Secretary of State William Rogers and Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird. The President also reviewed legislative priorities, including environmental water quality bills and real estate taxation, while discussing personnel management strategies to maintain stability among his cabinet and senior staff during ongoing foreign policy crises.
President Nixon initiates a brief administrative request for the White House operator to place a telephone call to George P. Shultz. The interaction serves as a functional communication bridge to facilitate a direct discussion between the President and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. No further policy or substantive matters are addressed during this exchange.
President Nixon and OMB Director George Shultz confer on internal administrative coordination, specifically ensuring that Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird aligns with budget agreements to prevent political friction with conservatives. The President also discusses his skepticism regarding a pending water bill, signaling a desire to avoid a veto conflict while directing staff to manage the implementation cautiously. The conversation concludes with brief remarks on national political sentiment and holiday sentiments.
President Nixon met with Stephen B. Bull to coordinate logistical details regarding official First Family Christmas photographs taken in the Blue Room. The discussion addressed the distribution of these images through wire services and personal photographers. Additionally, Nixon briefly reviewed communication requests from General James D. Hughes concerning Liberia and issued specific instructions for General Walter R. Tkach.
President Nixon contacted the White House operator to facilitate an outgoing call to General James D. “Don” Hughes. The exchange served exclusively as a logistical request to establish this communication link. No further substantive policy matters were discussed during this brief administrative interaction.
President Nixon and General James D. "Don" Hughes held a brief, informal meeting in the Old Executive Office Building on Christmas Eve. The exchange functioned as a short holiday greeting and a check-in between the President and his military aide. No substantive policy matters or administrative directives were recorded during this brief interaction.
President Nixon summoned a White House operator to his office in the Old Executive Office Building on Christmas Eve. The brief interaction focused on the President directing the operator to report to his location immediately. No further policy or administrative matters were discussed during this short exchange.
President Nixon met with his military aide, General James D. Hughes, to provide specific instructions regarding a personal favor or exception for an acquaintance. The President directed Hughes to contact a pastor to communicate that an exception had been granted on his behalf. This brief exchange served to facilitate a message of authorization for the individual in question.
President Nixon instructed the White House operator to place a telephone call to John Chancellor. This brief interaction served as a logistical arrangement to facilitate direct communication between the President and the journalist. No further substantive policy matters were addressed during this specific exchange.
President Nixon met with NBC news anchor John Chancellor to exchange holiday greetings and commend the network for their production of the documentary "A Day in the Life of the President." The conversation pivoted from feedback on the film to a wide-ranging discussion on global geopolitics, specifically the instability in Pakistan and the Middle East. Nixon also shared personal observations on leadership, positing that women in positions of power often demonstrate greater toughness and a higher willingness to take risks than their male counterparts.
President Nixon directs the White House operator to place a telephone call to New York Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller. This brief administrative interaction serves as the initiation of a communication between the President and the Governor. No further substantive policy matters are addressed in this exchange.
President Nixon and Nelson Rockefeller exchanged Christmas greetings while discussing pressing political and foreign policy concerns. Nixon sought Rockefeller's support in bolstering the morale of Henry Kissinger, who was reportedly depressed over criticism regarding the administration's handling of the Indo-Pakistani War. The two also touched on political strategy for the upcoming election, specifically regarding John Ashbrook, and reaffirmed their commitment to passing revenue sharing legislation in the new year.
President Nixon initiates a request through the White House operator to be connected with California Governor Ronald Reagan. The interaction serves as a routine administrative step to facilitate a direct communication between the President and the Governor. No further substantive discussion occurs during this specific recording segment.
President Nixon met with his personal valet, Manolo Sanchez, to provide specific administrative instructions regarding the handling of outgoing correspondence. The President directed Sanchez to ensure that letters placed in the out-box are processed correctly and mentioned the possibility of recording voice memos. This brief interaction focused on streamlining the President's personal mail workflow.
President Richard Nixon contacted Governor Ronald Reagan to extend holiday greetings and formally invite him to join a diplomatic outing with Japanese Prime Minister Eisaku Satō. The proposed event, scheduled for January 7, 1972, involved a golf outing at the estate of Ambassador Walter Annenberg following official meetings. Reagan accepted the invitation, and the two men concluded the brief discussion with personal remarks regarding the upcoming Washington Redskins versus San Francisco 49ers playoff game.