Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 320 › Conversation 320-027

Nixon & Ziegler on Public Relations and H. R. Haldeman

Tuesday, February 8, 1972 · 3:05 PM–3:14 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 7 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.Conversation320-027 on Tape 320 (tape position 00:51:58–00:58:35)StartTuesday, February 8, 1972 at 3:05 PMEndTuesday, February 8, 1972 at 3:14 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 320-027 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler met to coordinate the administration's public relations strategy following an interview given by H. R. Haldeman. They discussed whether to issue a formal statement regarding the controversy or simply allow the issue to fade, ultimately deciding against volunteering further information to the press. The conversation also touched on preparations for the President's upcoming trip to the People's Republic of China and the timing of a planned foreign policy address.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 3 minutes of this recording (about 51% of it) is represented by only a few words. Listen to the audio rather than relying on the text below; a corrected transcript is queued.

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Sure.
Sir, apparently John Scali suggested a statement .
Yes, you can go on with the question.
My view is that we should not do it right now.
I don't think we should re-raise the question, because all of these individuals were involved in this suggestion, and I don't know if I should raise it with you.
Bob said it.
Bob said I can't judge.
Don't get him in it.
No, I wouldn't.
That's frankly a judgment that you have to make on behalf of us.
I don't think we should do it right now.
Well, his view is that if you don't do this, then certainly there's going to be old people who are going to do all of this, and they're going to seize upon this initiative.
And that's what we can't afford to iconize on this TV.
Basically, that's it.
We've discussed it, basically, I think, along the lines of what you talked about, and I kind of agree with it.
It feels that you can turn it all aside very easily, very quickly, and there are days when you're not in court for that.
I think if we do something like that.
No, you're volunteering, and we're just opening it up.
Or even if I'm asked a question about it, would I have to say that I'm wrong?
Well, you're saying that we've covered that, and I just want to say that we've covered that clearly.
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I don't think I can give them another story.
I don't know.
I don't know.
There it is.
That's the question, whether they really want to empty it.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
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Why do you not agree?
I don't know what the point of it is.
You should just say it was not bad.
Yeah, that's right.
The point of the deal was not bad.
But what's been said, this is another personal thing.
And tomorrow, they're going to actually get it.
Tomorrow, we'll cover it.
See, I don't want to be asking this.
We're ready to address the foreign policy message, so we'll get through that.
By that time, I think we'll...
You won't read?
I'm not.
See, I said today that I wasn't going to read, because I don't want to be asked questions about China and all the rest before you get there.
I'm perfect, so I'll just sit on it.
I've been working on arrangements for China, so I'm going to read the next day.
I don't want to read.
I don't want to read.
I don't want to read.
I don't want to read.
I don't want to read.
What if I say I talked about it?
Oh, sure.
You'll say that.
I don't think you're just going to build a story.
That is, you've covered it, and the leaders have covered it.
Do you think there's any problem on whether you've covered that point?
No, no.
They are critical.
They're going to push for establishing the point of view that we're calling to the W.A.T.A.s and the traitors.
based upon a lot of statements.
Well, the way we're positioned now, and they're going to say you should apologize and all this type of thing, that's their normal run.
That's what they'll make, and that's what they're going to get answered.
Who's making that?
Well, the government.
The government.
Sure.
Well, that's not saying that by you handling it,
You know, as you said, I'm just pushing it.
I'm building it up.
On Thursday, I'm going to fade away with a plus to us because the line is out there.
That's good.
Okay.
Okay.
Okay.
say that don't you say that with your judgment it's mine and i said i agree with you we don't want to we want to go you can also tell henry that i think we'll do that

NARA Description

On February 8, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:05 pm to 3:14 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 320-027 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 320-27

Date: February 8, 1972
Time: 3:05 pm - 3:14 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Ronald Ziegler.

     H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman’s interview on Today show, February 7, 1972
          -Possible statement
               -John A. Scali
                      -Talk with Haldeman, Alexander M. Haig, Jr. and Henry A. Kissinger
               -Ziegler’s view
                      -Previous talk with Patrick J. Buchanan
               -Public relations
               -Buchanan’s view

     Questions for press statement
          -Handling
          -Potential story for the press

     Vietnam issues
          -Ziegler’s possible meeting with Haig
          -Kissinger
                -Peter M. Flanigan [?]
          -Scali
                -Potential story for the press
          -Foreign policy address on the radio
                -Timing
          -People’s Republic of China [PRC] visit
                -Arrangements
                      -Ziegler’s concern
                      -Participation by Scali
                            -Administration’s relationship with the Press
           -George S. McGovern
           -Kissinger
                 -Upcoming conversation with Ziegler

Ziegler left at 3:14 pm.

Also recorded on February 8, 1972

  • 020-064 2:51 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:51 pm and 2:54 pm.
  • 020-065 2:51 PM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:51 pm and 2:54 pm.
  • 020-066 2:54 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Earl B. Ruth talked on the telephone from 2:54 pm to 2:56 pm.
  • 320-024 2:54 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Earl B. Ruth met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:54 pm to 2:56 pm.
  • 020-067 2:57 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Robert H. Finch talked on the telephone from 2:57 pm to 3:01 pm.
  • 320-025 2:57 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Robert H. Finch met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:57 pm to 3:01 pm.
  • 320-026 3:00 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:00 pm to 3:02 pm.
  • 320-028 3:15 PM · 1 hr 46 min — President Richard M. Nixon, John B. Connally, Robert S. McNamara, Henry A. Kissinger, White House photographer, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:15 pm to 5:06 pm.

All 48 conversations from February 8, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 320-027, February 8, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/320-027 (accessed October 2, 2026).