Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 405 › Conversation 405-011
Nixon & Haldeman on 1974 Budget and Vietnam Settlement
Thursday, January 25, 1973 · 12:45 PM–2:16 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 30 min
AI Summary
President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman met to coordinate upcoming administrative priorities, including the development of the 1974 budget speech and preparations for the Vietnam peace settlement. They discussed strategies for managing executive privilege, congressional relations, and the evolving roles of staff members like John Ehrlichman. Additionally, the pair reviewed the President’s crowded schedule, which encompassed appointments for Cabinet swearing-in ceremonies, memorial events, and press engagement strategies.
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
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NARA Description
On January 25, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 12:45 pm to 2:16 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 405-011 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 405-11
Date: January 25, 1973
Time: 12:45 pm - 2:16 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
President's schedule
-Lyndon B. Johnson’s funeral
-8-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 405-11 (cont’d)
-President's 1974 budget speech
-John D. Ehrlichman
-Press coverage
-Television [TV]
-Preparation
-Revisions
-Ehrlichman
-Vietnam settlement
-George P. Shultz
-Compared to December1972 bombing
-Haldeman’s responsibility
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Ehrlichman
-Shultz
-Ehrlichman, Haldeman
-Scheduling techniques
-Fatigue
-Press conference
-Ehrlichman
-Meeting of a council
Executive privilege
-Recommendation
-William P. Rogers
-Conversation with President
-Ehrlichman
-Bryce N. Harlow
-Director of the Budget
-Congressional relations
-Ehrlichman's view
-Law
-Samuel J. Ervin, Jr.
-Budget
-Directors of National Security Council [NSC], Central Intelligence Agency
[CIA], Domestic Council
-Cost of Living Council
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Unknown man
-Work out of White House
-9-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 405-11 (cont’d)
President's schedule
-Ehrlichman's and Haldeman's roles
-Press conferences
-Kissinger, Rogers
-Staff meeting
-Haldeman and Ziegler
-Shultz
-Roy L. Ash
-Ehrlichman
-Executive privilege issue
-Meeting
-Ehrlichman
-Ziegler
-Event for end of week
-Ehrlichman
-Agenda
Cabinet
-Appointments
-Ehrlichman
President's schedule
-Bipartisan Congressional leaders meeting
-Kissinger
-Roosevelt Room
-Board of directors
-National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in
Southeast Asia
-Swearing-in of Cabinet
-Kissinger
-Bipartisan Congressional leaders meeting
-Press conference
-Vietnam settlement
-National Day of Prayer
-Cease-fire
-Press coverage
-Possible speech by President
-Proclamation
-Crowd
-Ceremony at air base
-10-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 405-11 (cont’d)
-Band
-Congressional resolution
-Silent prayer
-President's guests
-Leslie T. (“Bob”) Hope
-William T. Cahill
-Donald McI.. Kendall [?]
-Ehrlichman's and Haldeman's roles
-Allocation of time
-Cabinet
-Congress
-President's speech on 1974 budget
-Ehrlichman
Haldeman left at 2:16 pm.Also recorded on January 25, 1973
- 842-007 11:18 AM · 21 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Manolo Sanchez, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:18 am to 11:39 am.
- 842-008 11:39 AM · 1 hr 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Yitzhak Rabin, Oliver F. ("Ollie") Atkins, Henry A. Kissinger, unknown person(s), and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:39 am to 12:42 pm.
- 842-009 12:43 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:43 pm to 12:44 pm.
- 405-010 12:45 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 12:45 pm.
- 405-012 2:16 PM · 12 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 2:16 pm and 3:31 pm.
- 405-013 2:16 PM · 14 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 2:16 pm and 3:31 pm.
- 405-014 2:16 PM · 29 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 2:16 pm and 3:31 pm.
- 405-015 2:16 PM · 14 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 2:16 pm and 3:31 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 405-011, January 25, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/405-011 (accessed October 6, 2026).