President Nixon met with H.R. Haldeman, Charles Colson, and Ronald Ziegler to coordinate the administration's political strategy regarding the 1972 presidential campaign. The discussion focused on distancing the President from campaign chair Clark MacGregor’s unauthorized public comments concerning Senator Thomas Eagleton's medical history. Additionally, the group strategized on leveraging Senator George McGovern’s controversial stances on foreign aid to Greece and national defense as political wedges to secure support from key voting blocs.
On July 26, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, Ronald L. Ziegler, and Charles W. Colson met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:10 pm to 4:49 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 350-046 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 350-46
Date: July 26, 1972
Time: 3:10 pm - 4:49 pm
Location: Old Executive Office Building
The President met with H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
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[Duration: 21s ]
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George C. Wallace
-Possible meeting with Alexander M. Haig, Jr. for briefing
-Defense budget
-Senate “Doves”
-George S. McGovern
-Clark MacGregor's possible statement
-National defense and Vietnam War
-Prisoners of war [POWs]
-“Doves”
(rev. Oct-06)
-Busing
-Republican platform
-News summary
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[Duration: 6m 4s ]
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The President's instructions to staff and party
-Republican reaction
-Press report
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[Duration: 2m 54s ]
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The President talked with the White House operator at 3:26 pm.
[Conversation No. 350-46A]
[See Conversation No. 27-83]
[End of telephone conversation]
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(rev. Oct-06)
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[Duration: 5m 22s ]
COLSON ENTERED AT 3:28 PM.
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1972 campaign
-McGovern
-Views about aid to Greece
-Jews
Golda Meir
-Conversation with the President July 26
-Press coverage
-Tourism
-Morocco
McGovern
-Greek contract to purchase F-4s
-Cancellation
-Reason
-Mirages
-McDonnell-Douglas
-Greek reaction
-Effect
-Economic program
-Thomad F. Eagleton
-Greek reaction to statement
-Credit
-Effect
-McDonnell-Douglas
-St. Louis
-Missouri
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(rev. Oct-06)
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 12m 49s ]
RONALD L. ZIEGLER ENTERED AT 3:42 PM.
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Campaign practices
-MacGregor's statement in press conference
-The President's knowledge of Eagleton's problem
-Robert Pierpoint
-The President's knowledge
-Letter from Sam Krupnick
-Colson's conversation with MacGregor
-The President's knowledge of Eagleton’s problem
-Ziegler’s forthcoming talk with MacGregor
-The President's response
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-Haldeman
-Conversations with MacGregor
-MacGregor's statement
-White House response
-Use in campaign
-MacGregor’s statement
-Pierpoint
Ziegler left at 3:53 pm.
-MacGregor's statement
-Pierpoint
-Ziegler
-MacGregor
-Nelson A. Rockefeller's views
-Statements
-Herbert G. Klein, Robert H. Finch
Greece
(rev. Oct-06)
-McGovern’s statements
-Greek reaction
-Effect
-Sale of Phantoms
-Humanitarian aid
-Press reports
-St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Globe Democrat
-Unknown person
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Motives
-Views about aid to Greece, Mohammed Reza Pahlavi [Shah of Iran],
Chiang Kai-Shek
-Possible letter to grocers
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 15m 34s ]
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Ziegler entered at 4:15 pm.
Eagleton
-MacGregor's statement about the President
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS] television coverage
Ziegler and Colson left at 4:16 pm.
The President’s schedule
-Young farmers
-Federal Crop Insurance Act extension
-Robert J. Dole
-Kansas
-Possible signing ceremony
-Presidential pens
-Sequoia
-Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
(rev. Oct-06)
-Number
-State Dining Room
-Schedule
-Sequoia
Haldeman left at an unknown time before 4:49 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.