President Nixon met with John Ehrlichman and Egil Krogh to strategize on a public relations campaign aimed at addressing national concerns over crime, drug abuse, and judicial leniency. Nixon proposed a radio address to explicitly criticize "soft-headed" judges, prosecutors, and probation officers who he felt were undermining law enforcement efforts despite legislative and financial support from the administration. The participants discussed drafting this statement to mobilize public opinion, and also engaged in a brief, wide-ranging conversation about the 1972 Munich Olympic Games and athletic performance.
On September 8, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, John D. Ehrlichman, Egil ("Bud") Krogh, Jr., and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:01 pm to 3:40 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 360-006 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 360-6
Date: September 8, 1972
Time: 3:00 pm - 3:40 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with John D. Ehrlichman and Egil G.(“Bud”)Krogh, Jr.
Greetings
The President left at an unknown time after 3:00 pm.
California
The President entered at an unknown time before 3:40 pm.
Drug abuse and law enforcement
-The President’s previous meeting with Ehrlichman
-Richard G. Kleindienst
-Need for public statements
-Forum
-Judges
-News summary
-Kleindienst’s activities
(rev. Oct-06)
An unknown man entered at an unknown time after 3:00 pm.
Refreshments
The unknown man left at an unknown time before 3:40 pm.
Drug abuse and law enforcement
-Kleindienst
-Ehrlichman’s view
-Justice Department
-Issues
-Civil rights
-The President’s view
-Law and order
-Marijuana
-Meeting with Cabinet and Republican Congressional
leaders, October 12, 1972
-Presentation of administration policies
-The president’s view
-George S. McGovern
-Harvard University
-Issue
-Public perception
-Crime
-Drug pushers
-Sentences
-Handling
-Courts
-Federal
-State and local jurisdictions
-Judges
-Warren E. Burger
-Possible talk with judges
-The President's meetings
-Judges
-Law enforcement officials
-Judges
-The president’s policy
-Crime
-Sentences
(rev. Oct-06)
-Myles J. Ambrose
-US attorneys
Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 3:01 pm.
Sanchez’s schedule
Sanchez left at an unknown time before 3:40 pm.
Drug abuse and law enforcement
-Krogh’s view
-Burger
-The President’s view
-Judicial views
-Mandatory sentencing requirement
-Burger’s View
-Presentation of administration position to the judiciary
-Public forum for the President
-Mandatory sentencing
-The president’s view
-Potter Stewart
-Public perception
-Law enforcement officials
-John B. Connally’s view
-Judges
-Busing
-Probation
-Judges
-Criminals
-Welfare
-Statement by the President
-Format
-Radio
-The President’s policy
-Leniency
-Judges
-Prosecutors
-Probation officers
-Wording of statement
-Patrick J. Buchanan
-September 11, 1972 meeting
(rev. Oct-06)
-International participants
-State Department
-David N. Parker
-Possible statement
-Responsibility of enforcement
-Law enforcement officials
-The President’s view
-Judges and probation officers
-Leniency
-Police
-White House statement
-Judges
-McGovern
-Executive and legislative branch action
-Funding
-Enforcement and judicial responsibility
-Judges and prosecutors
-California
-Judges
-The President’s view
-Association of District Attorneys
-Resolutions
-Judges
-The president’s view
-Possible statement
-Enforcement of laws
-Narcotics
-Street crime
-Judiciary responsibility
1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Germany
-National attitudes
-Playing of US national anthem, Star Spangled Banner
-Black athletes
-Reaction
-Audience reaction
-Howard Cosell
-Olympic Committee
-H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
-Telegram
-Cosell
(rev. Oct-06)
-Attitude towards blacks
-Background
-Black athletes
-Explanation of position
-Revocation of medals
-Audience reaction
-Compared with 1968 Mexico City Olympics
-Competitors
-Track and field events
-Winning time
-Comparison of track and field to horse races
-Silky Sullivan
-Citation
-Track and field events
-Soviet Union athletes
-Kenyan athletes
-Jim Ryun
-Kenyan runner
-5,000 and 10,000 meter races
-Lasse Viren
-The president’s recent meeting with Finland
ambassador
-[Mohammad Gammoudi]
-The President’s resolution
-1932 Olympics
-Los Angeles Coliseum
-Lauri Lehtinen of Finland
-Ralph Hill of Oregon
-Lauri Lehtinen
-Thomas J. Pendergast [?]
-Distance races
Issues for 1972 Presidential campaign
-The President’s view
-Social issues
-Crime
-Permisiveness
-Criminals
-Prosecution and sentencing
-Drug abuse and other law enforcement
-Methadone treatment
(rev. Oct-06)
-Radio message
-Buchanan
-Background
-Ehrlichman’s recent conversation with Herbert Stein
-Previous meeting on drug abuse and law enforcement
-Participants
-The President’s view
-Attitude towards work
-Office of Drug Abuse and Law Enforcement
-Ambrose
-Crime
-Judges
Ehrlichman and Krogh left at 3:40 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.