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Conversation 319-014

TapeTape 319StartMonday, February 7, 1972 at 4:44 PMEndMonday, February 7, 1972 at 4:49 PMTape start time01:14:08Tape end time01:17:58ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Ziegler, Ronald L.Recording deviceOld Executive Office Building
AI Summary

President Nixon met with Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler to establish a media strategy regarding the 1972 presidential campaign. Nixon instructed Ziegler to adopt a policy of refusing to comment on statements made by other political candidates to avoid entanglement in campaign rhetoric. Additionally, the pair briefly discussed personnel and personal associations to ensure the administration maintained a clear public record regarding outside influences.

Press Strategy1972 Presidential CampaignMedia RelationsPublic StatementsPolitical Communication
AudioNARA Description

On February 7, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:44 pm to 4:49 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 319-014 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 319-14

Date: February 7, 1972
Time: 4:44 pm - 4:49 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with Ronald L. Ziegler.

[See also Conversation No. 20-50]
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 Do not cite this transcript as authoritative.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.

Hello.
Uh, hi, Rob.
Not a very afternoon briefing, you know.
Oh, he's waiting.
Oh, Henry's, uh... Oh, Henry's... Oh, he was... Oh, I see.
Oh, I see.
Oh, yeah.
Well, that's good.
That's good.
All right.
All right.
How does your morning stuff look?
Pretty much puts it down.
But it's all right.
I think it's all right.
Don't you think so?
You just expressed this point of view.
Some of your stuff about the facts and so forth.
Right.
Right.
Okay.
I just don't know.
No, no, I would say that I just don't get it.
I put it this way, I'm just not going to comment on it.
on the various statements of the presidential candidates.
I want you to say that.
I'm just not going to comment on the various statements of the presidential candidates.
And that'll sort of get you off the must-be witness.
So unless there is a statement back, this is the point of view.
And you're not going to comment on the point of view of the president.
And the statement back, you'll keep the record clear, and that's all.
Fine, fine, fine.
Sure thing.
Where she got her rights all my life?
Absolutely, absolutely nobody ever called me.
No, no, no, no.
I was the first person going.
No.
I don't know who the hell it is.
As a matter of fact, as I told you, what concerns me is that I've got a few friends.
A few of my friends are cold.
It's true.
I didn't pick Joe Crash, Carno, and all those people.
No.
No.
They're at the Christchurch.
Yeah.
That's right.
Yeah.
Yeah, I'd say it publicly.
Oh, yeah, absolutely.
And I, well, I didn't tell him.
Good God, I didn't tell anybody.
We weren't doing that.
As a matter of fact, I knew you couldn't tell anybody anyway.
Okay.
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