Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 359 › Conversation 359-009
Nixon, Haldeman & Ziegler on 1972 election and Foreign policy
Tuesday, September 12, 1972 · 2:35 PM–4:28 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building ·48 min
AI Summary
President Nixon met with H.R. Haldeman, Ronald Ziegler, and Zosimo Monzon to coordinate administration strategy, including preparations for a major foreign policy speech and the handling of the upcoming 1972 election campaign. The participants discussed media relations, the management of White House personnel and correspondence, and the security features of the presidential limousine. Additionally, the President reviewed his schedule regarding various events, including a potential meeting with Olympic swimmer Mark Spitz and observances for National Heritage Day.
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
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NARA Description
On September 12, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Ronald L. Ziegler, and Zosimo T. Monzon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:35 pm to 4:28 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 359-009 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 359-9
Date: September 12, 1972
Time: 2:35 pm - 4:28 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 2m 34s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
*****************************************************************
Personnel
(rev. Oct-06)
-Eugene P. Wigner [?]
-Unknown person
-Thomas H. Kuchel
-George A. Murphy
-Clark MacGregor
-Ambassadorial post
-Mexico
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 4m 5s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
*****************************************************************
Ronald L. Ziegler entered at 2:45 pm.
William L. Taub
-Fred Graham's story
-Identity
-James R. (“Jimmy”) Hoffa
-Film about the People's Republic of China [PRC], Mao’s China
-Story about the President
-Authenticity
-Allen J. Ellender's film
-Trip to the PRC and the Soviet Union
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Unknown person
-Secret Service
Tennis
-Women's tennis
-Press story
-Philadelphia
-Georgetown
(rev. Oct-06)
-Tennis balls
-John V. Lindsay
Press issues
-Watergate as agenda item for meeting
-Ziegler’s recent response
-Richard G. Kleindienst
-Lawsuits
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 5m 43s ]
Ziegler left at 2:53 pm.
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
*****************************************************************
Press story
-Frank L. Rizzo’s statement
-The President’s view
-International Telephone and Telegraph [ITT] case
-The President’s concern
-R. Sargent Shriver
-[Earl L. Butz]
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 2m 54s ]
(rev. Oct-06)
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
*****************************************************************
White House staff
-Handling of correspondence
-Roland L. Elliott
-The President’s view
-Raymond K. Price, Jr. role
-Use
-Elliott
-Unknown woman
Visitors to the White House
-Presents from the President to foreign visitors
-Ashtrays
-Coin collection
-Dwight D. Eisenhower dollar
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 10m 37s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
*****************************************************************
Issues
-Administration response
-Butz
-Revenue sharing
-Government reorganization
-Domestic Council
-Presidential image
(rev. Oct-06)
-US Postal Service
-Revenue sharing
-John D. Ehrlichman
US foreign policies
-Position of the President as leader
-PRC
-William P. Rogers
-George S. McGovern
-Negotiations with Chou En-lai
-Leonid I. Brezhnev
-Kremlin
-Chou
-Japan
-Europe
-Common Market
-Defense of US interests
-Speech on foreign policy and defense
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.'s office
-Quotes
-Patrick J. Buchanan
-Type of lines
-William L. Safire
-Type of speech
-Foreign policy and national defense
-US interests
-Television coverage of service branches
-Army
-Navy
-Ships
-Missiles
-Type of speech
-Idea of strength
-Representing strength
-Preparation time
-Agnew
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
(rev. Oct-06)
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 3m 23s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
*****************************************************************
White House events
-Agnew and Elinor I. (Judefind) Agnew
-Blue Room reception
-State Dining Room
-East Room
-Agnew
-Meeting
-Haig
-Briefing
-Ehrlichman
-MacGregor
-Strategy session
-Campaign
Briefings
-John F. Osborne
-Ehrlichman
-Businessmen
1972 election
-New Majority
-Congress
Personnel
-Government
-Confirmation
-State Department
-Department of Defense
-National Park Service
-The President’s view
-Number
-Names
(rev. Oct-06)
White House Personnel
-Dress code
-Black compared with White
-Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
-Ron Jackson
-Rex W. Scouten
-Social events
-Unknown woman
-Julie Nixon Eisenhower
-Press and East Room social events
-Constance M. Stuart
-Liz Carpenter
-Anne L. Armstrong
-Idanell (Brill) (“Nellie”) Connally
-Patricia R. Hitt
-Haldeman’s role
Watergate
-Democratic lawsuit
-Republican countersuit
-Depositions
-Haldeman’s view
The media
-William S. Paley
-[Arthur R. Taylor]
-Charles W. Colson
-Attitude towards McGovern
Administration personnel
-Military aides
-Army
-Navy
-Coast Guard
-Army
-William R. Codus
-John V. Brennan
Congressional relations
-Gerald R. Ford and Hugh Scott
(rev. Oct-06)
-Scheduling
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 5m 48s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8
*****************************************************************
News conference
-Timing
-Watergate
-Robert J. Dole
-Possible reactions
-Timing
-The President's analysis
-Tone
-Kissinger's schedule
Watergate
-Type of issue
News conference
-Timing
-The President's return trip from California
-Frequency
-Washington, DC
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 9
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 15m 5s ]
(rev. Oct-06)
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 9
*****************************************************************
The President left at an unknown time after 2:53 pm.
[Pause]
The President entered at an unknown time before 4:28 pm.
Transportation
-The President's conversation with Robert H. Taylor
-The Presidential limousine
-The President’s conversation with Robert Taylor
-Delivery to White House
-Haldeman’s view
-Construction
-Moon roof design
-Security
-Bullet proof shield
-Protection
-Haldeman’s view
-Possible changes
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 10
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 13m 28s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 10
*****************************************************************
Zosimo T. Monson entered at an unknown time after 3:55 pm.
(rev. Oct-06)
Documents
-Residence
-Helicopter
-Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
-Oval Office
-Folder
Monson left at an unknown time before 4:28 pm.
The President's schedule
-New York
-John R. (“Tex”) McCrary
-Mrs. Nixon
-Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
-Washington, DC
-Celebration of Israel
-Zubin Mehta
-Gustav Mahler and Felix Mendelssohn
-Kissinger
-Celebration of Jewish heritage
-American heritage
-The President's possible appearance
-Reception
-Event at Israeli embassy
-Other events
-Tone
-Edmund S. Muskie's attendance
-Yitzhak Rabin
-Presidential box
-Moshe Dayan
-Opening session of the International Monetary Fund [IMF]
-Date
-Presidential reception in White House
Press relations
-United Press International [UPI] reception at White House
-Herbert G. Klein
The President's schedule
-Mark Spitz
-Presidential telegram and certificate
(rev. Oct-06)
-Swim coach for Spitz
-Steve Clark
-Conversation with Spitz
-Visit between Spitz and the President
-Spitz's political background and current position
-The President's attempted telephone call to Spitz
-Experience and age
-Gold medals
-Number
-Swearing-in of unnamed female judge
-National Heritage day
-Date
-Proclamation
-Signing ceremony by the President
-Press coverage
-Competing groups
-The President's previous experiences
-Congressional act
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 12
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 45s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 12
*****************************************************************
Sports
-Spitz
-The President’s view
-Jews
-Bobby Fisher
-Spitz
-Arthur R. Ashe, Jr.
-Tennis match
-Score
(rev. Oct-06)
Agnew’s schedule
-Dinners
-The President’s experience as vice president
Haldeman left at 4:28 pm.Also recorded on September 12, 1972
- 775-010 12:28 PM · 29 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at 12:28 pm.
- 775-011 12:28 PM · 25 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Walter J. Hickel, White House photographer, Clark MacGregor, and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:28 pm to 1:15 pm.
- 775-012 1:15 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:15 pm and 1:17 pm.
- 775-013 1:15 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:15 pm and 1:17 pm.
- 359-005 1:17 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:17 pm and 2:35 pm.
- 359-006 1:17 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:17 pm and 2:35 pm.
- 359-007 1:17 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:17 pm and 2:35 pm.
- 359-008 1:17 PM · 17 sec — 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 1:17 pm and 2:35 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 359-009, September 12, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/359-009 (accessed September 18, 2026).