President Nixon met with Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler and Chief of Staff H. R. Haldeman to review Ziegler's recent press briefing regarding the International Telephone and Telegraph (ITT) scandal and controversy surrounding Peter M. Flanigan. Nixon and Haldeman critiqued the media's performance and instructed the press team to adopt a more aggressive, combative stance against partisan critics rather than remaining on the defensive. They also briefly discussed the administration's upcoming television address on busing and potential strategies for the President’s participation in the Gridiron dinner.
On March 14, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:42 pm and 5:52 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 322-059 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 322-59
Date: March 14, 1972
Time: 4:42 pm - unknown before 5:52 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with Ronald L. Ziegler.
International Telephone and Telegraph [ITT] case
-Press conference
-Questions
-Sherman Adams
-Peter M. Flanigan
-Executive privilege
-Ziegler’s response
-The President
-Partisan charges
-White House staff
-Denials
-Flanigan factor
-Political factor
-Charges made
-Compared to Adams
-Flanigan
-Peter Lisagor
-Skip Isaacs
-St. Louis Post-Dispatch
-Baltimore Sun
-Courtney Sheldon
-The President
-Contribution
-Ziegler’s response
-San Diego
-Convention
-President’s knowledge
-John N. Mitchell
-Thomas F. Eagleton
H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman entered at 4:45 pm.
-Patrick J. Buchanan
-Possible action
-Charles W. Colson
-Talk with the President
-Congress
-Press
-Washington journalists
-Questions
-Herb [Surname unknown]
-Wire service story
Television
-Busing speech, March 16, 1972
-Educators
-Message
-George C. Wallace
-John B. Connally
-John D. Ehrlichman
******************************************************************************
[Previous archivists categorized this section as unintelligible. It has been rereviewed and
released 10/10/2019.]
[Unintelligible]
[322-059-w001]
[Duration: 1m 11s]
Television
-Busing speech, March 16, 1972
-Unknown person
******************************************************************************
International Telephone and Telegraph [ITT] case
-Typewriters
-Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
-Xerox copies
-Typewriter
-John D. Ehrlichman
-Analysis
Ziegler left at 4:55 pm.
******************************************************************************
[Previous archivists categorized this section as unintelligible. It has been rereviewed and
released 10/10/2019.]
[Unintelligible]
[322-059-w002]
[Duration: 32s]
Staff orders
-Harry Cohen [?]
******************************************************************************
Press coverage
-Drug policy event
Gridiron dinner
-Presidential participation
-Franklin D. Roosevelt
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-Harry S. Truman
-John F. Kennedy
-Johnson
-Truman
-Roosevelt
-Kennedy
-Truman
-Eisenhower
-Democrat speaker
-Hubert H. Humphrey
-The President’s schedule
-Edgar Allan Poe
Recording was cut off at an unknown time before 5:52 pm.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.