Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 339 › Conversation 339-029

Nixon & Ziegler on Media relations and Press policy

Friday, May 19, 1972 · 3:20 PM–3:25 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.Conversation339-029 on Tape 339 (tape position 03:20:42–03:25:00)StartFriday, May 19, 1972 at 3:20 PMEndFriday, May 19, 1972 at 3:25 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 339-029 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler discuss the logistics and media protocols for an upcoming debate. Nixon decides that the event must be on the record for the press and directs Ziegler to offer the attendees a transcript instead of allowing live media coverage. The President also reviews the guest list, ultimately opting to include Secretary of State William Rogers and Congressman Pete McCloskey to ensure a broader presence.

Audio

Download MP3 (part 1) · 111.9 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 108.1 MB

This conversation has not yet been cut into its own clip, so the player above contains the full tape segment shared with neighbouring conversations. It begins about 03:20:42 into the tape and ends around 03:25:00.

Transcript (AI-generated)

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

· Timestamps are positions within the full tape recording.
3:22:58Checker.
3:23:19Yeah.
3:23:20Yeah.
3:23:20I notice it says my remarks will be recorded for the archives only.
3:23:24This debate tonight has got to be on the record.
3:23:27Can't have 150 people there to press.
3:23:30So you should tell the people that they will get a transcript.
3:23:34As a matter of fact, let me tell them when I come in.
3:23:37And I'll just say that we're going to give you a transcript.
3:23:42Yeah.
3:23:57Let him have a drink or two, sir.
3:23:58Right, right.
3:24:16Yeah.
3:24:17That's fine.
3:24:19Fine.
3:24:19Fine.
3:24:20All right.
3:24:21Fine.
3:24:21Let them have a drink.
3:24:23Have them have a drink first.
3:24:26Now, incidentally, I think on the reflection, we probably ought to have Rogers there.
3:24:31Don't you think so?
3:24:32Rogers and Kissinger.
3:24:34What's your opinion?
3:24:38Well, I think mainly in terms of the therapy, the Rogers are just different as you're around.
3:24:43Good.
3:24:44Well, that's probably just as good.
3:24:45Tell him he's welcome to come if he wants.
3:24:48Emma Hildebrand.
3:24:51Yeah, well who's, is he gonna take a press man too?
3:24:52Have McCloskey come too, fine.
3:24:53Invite them all over.
3:24:53I mean, what the hell, it's cheap.
3:24:54Yeah, fine.
3:24:54Yeah, right, right, tell, tell, tell, it's up to him.

NARA Description

On May 19, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:20 pm to 3:25 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 339-029 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 339-29

Date: May 19, 1972
Time: 3:20-3:25 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with Ronald L. Ziegler.

[See Conversation No. 24-160]

Also recorded on May 19, 1972

  • 024-159 1:58 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:58 pm and 3:20 pm.
  • 339-021 1:58 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:58 pm and 3:20 pm.
  • 024-160 3:20 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 3:20 pm to 3:25 pm.
  • 024-161 3:25 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:25 pm and 3:49 pm.
  • 339-030 3:25 PM · 33 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, and John B. Connally met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:25 pm to 4:03 pm.
  • 024-162 3:49 PM · 10 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John B. Connally talked on the telephone from 3:49 pm to 3:59 pm.
  • 726-013 4:05 PM · 11 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Robert C. Byrd, John D. Ehrlichman, Clark MacGregor, White House photographer, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:05 pm to 4:13 pm.
  • 101-010 4:13 PM · 1 hr 12 min — Richard M. Nixon and bipartisan Congressional leaders, including Clinton P. Anderson, Robert P. Griffin, Robert C. Byrd, Norris Cotton, J. William Fulbright, Warren G. ("Maggie") Magnuson, Michael J. ("Mike") Mansfield, John C. Stennis, John G. Tower, Milton R. Young, Page Belcher, Gerald R. Ford, Craig Hosmer, George H. Mahon, Clark MacGregor, William E. Timmons, Peter M. Flanigan, Richard K. Cook, Thomas C. Korologos, John A. Scali, William P. Rogers, Helmut ("Hal") Sonnenfeldt, the White House photographer, and members of the press, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 4:13 pm and 11:59 pm.

All 47 conversations from May 19, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 339-029, May 19, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/339-029 (accessed October 9, 2026).