Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 389 › Conversation 389-002

Nixon & Ziegler on Media relations and Public relations

Saturday, November 4, 1972 · 8:40 AM–8:45 AM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 4 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.Conversation389-002 on Tape 389StartSaturday, November 4, 1972 at 8:40 AMEndSaturday, November 4, 1972 at 8:45 AMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 389-002 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler discuss media coverage and the framing of recent political developments shortly before the 1972 election. The conversation focuses on managing public perception regarding diplomatic negotiations and potential unrest, with Nixon emphasizing the need for precise messaging. They also touch upon the professional status and challenges of specific unidentified individuals within the administration.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 1 minute of this recording (about 28% of it) is represented by only a few words. Listen to the audio rather than relying on the text below; a corrected transcript is queued.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Hello?
What is your feeling this morning?
Are you worried?
Henry?
Who's laughing?
Oh, well, you know, who's laughing?
Oh.
all of the fighting and also you make the point that we had agreed on three fundamental things that we've got to nail it down with the shirt and the socks and all those things that's all we don't want to see twice fired at the police we've got to see that for the whole time
Well, it may be that the only problem is that I was plugging up late this morning.
They don't give much of a play, in other words.
You know, I was thinking, I don't know if it's a simple one, but he said there were modest hiding cars in the crowd.
Did you see that?
Well, what is he?
What's the new job?
Oh boy, so he's uh, he's just got a butter eye problem.
You must be able to keep him from it, but I'd underline that.
And then show him that you can do that.
There's nothing he can do about it.
That might be even harder than setting him to work.

NARA Description

On November 4, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 8:40 am to 8:45 am. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 389-002 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 389-2

Date: November 4, 1972
Time: 8:40 am - 8:45 am
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with Ronald L. Ziegler.

[See Conversation No. 33-4]

Also recorded on November 4, 1972

  • 033-003 8:30 AM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:30 am and 8:40 am.
  • 389-001 8:30 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 8:30 am and 8:40 am.
  • 033-004 8:40 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 8:40 am to 8:45 am.
  • 033-005 8:45 AM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at 8:45 am.
  • 033-006 8:45 AM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:45 am and 8:52 am.
  • 389-003 8:45 AM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 8:45 am.
  • 389-004 8:45 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 8:45 am and 8:52 am.
  • 033-007 8:52 AM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon and William P. Rogers talked on the telephone from 8:52 am to 9:00 am.

All 59 conversations from November 4, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 389-002, November 4, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/389-002 (accessed October 11, 2026).