Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 387
Nixon White House Tape 387 (December 5, 1972)
12 conversations · Old Executive Office Building · about 4 hr 14 min of released audio
Featuring Nixon, Sanchez, Bull, Colson, Haldeman
President Nixon held a brief exchange with the White House operator to facilitate an outgoing call. This interaction served a purely administrative purpose as part of the President's routine daily communications. No substantive policy discussions or significant decisions were recorded during this brief technical connection.
President Nixon met with aide Patrick J. Buchanan to discuss the President's health and coordinate political strategy regarding recent press coverage of the 1972 campaign. They reviewed a critical New York Times article and analyzed the internal divisions within the Democratic Party. Nixon specifically instructed Buchanan to continue emphasizing the association between George McGovern and Edward M. Kennedy to prevent the latter from distancing himself from the failed campaign.
President Nixon met with his staff and advisors, primarily Colonel Richard T. Kennedy and H.R. Haldeman, to assess the status of Vietnam peace negotiations following an impasse in Paris. The discussion focused on the breakdown in talks regarding North Vietnamese troop withdrawals and the potential for a resumed bombing campaign against North Vietnam. Nixon emphasized the need for a firm military and psychological response to North Vietnamese intransigence while also coordinating PR strategies to manage domestic credibility and Congressional relations. Additionally, the President issued directives for reorganizing staff and maintaining political loyalty heading into his second term.
President Nixon held a brief, abrupt interaction with a White House operator in the Executive Office Building. The President dismissed the operator immediately, requesting that they leave the office. No further official business or substantive policy matters were conducted during this exchange.
President Nixon met with his aide, Stephen B. Bull, to review and finalize his upcoming daily schedule. The two men discussed the logistics and photo opportunities for several meetings, including sessions with Horacio Rivero regarding his credentials as ambassador to Spain and Henry O. Dormann of the National Enquirer. They also coordinated the timing for various other appointments, including a reception at Blair House and a meeting with George P. Shultz and John D. Ehrlichman.
President Nixon met with George Shultz and John Ehrlichman to discuss the administration's economic strategy and preparations for the second-term transition. The conversation focused heavily on the management of wage and price controls, inflation mitigation, and labor relations, including potential appointments to the Productivity Commission and the Commission on Industrial Peace. Additionally, the group addressed the reorganization of the Treasury Department, international trade policy, and the potential role of Peter G. Peterson as a special representative for economic affairs.
President Nixon initiated a brief communication through the White House operator to facilitate a connection to another party. This interaction served a purely administrative function to coordinate official telephonic access. No substantive policy discussions or significant decisions occurred during this brief exchange.
President Nixon met with his aide, Stephen B. Bull, to conduct a brief check-in regarding ongoing administrative arrangements and logistical oversight. Nixon inquired about any potential issues arising within the staff's operations to ensure organizational stability. The conversation concluded with the President confirming his readiness to proceed with upcoming tasks and delegating specific follow-up actions to Bull.
President Nixon met with his valet, Manolo Sanchez, in the Old Executive Office Building to coordinate his professional schedule. The discussion focused primarily on timing the President's upcoming meeting with Charles W. Colson. The exchange also briefly involved logistical tasks related to office equipment and telephone usage.
President Nixon met with his valet, Manolo Sanchez, in the Old Executive Office Building to review the President's upcoming schedule. The discussion also touched upon an interview and a related news story. Following the consultation with Sanchez, the President placed a call to Chief of Staff H. R. Haldeman.
President Nixon met with his personal valet, Manolo Sanchez, to discuss the logistics of his upcoming daily schedule. The conversation focused on coordinating an impending meeting with Charles W. Colson and H. R. Haldeman. This brief interaction served to manage the President's internal administrative appointments for the afternoon.
President Nixon, H.R. Haldeman, and Charles Colson met to discuss strategies for managing press relations and addressing the current breakdown in Vietnam peace negotiations. Nixon expressed skepticism toward Henry Kissinger’s recommendation that the President make a televised address to explain the impasse, fearing it would project weakness and imply that the administration's policies were failing. Instead, the President favored maintaining a firm stance, signaling a commitment to ongoing military action, including continued bombing, to ensure an honorable peace rather than appearing to negotiate from a position of desperation.