Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 406 › Conversation 406-004

Nixon & Bull on Cabinet Appointments and Ceremonial Protocol

Tuesday, January 30, 1973 · 12:25 PM–12:35 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 5 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Bull, Stephen B.Conversation406-004 on Tape 406StartTuesday, January 30, 1973 at 12:25 PMEndTuesday, January 30, 1973 at 12:35 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 406-004 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and aide Stephen B. Bull reviewed the presidential schedule, focusing on the logistical arrangements for upcoming Cabinet swearing-in ceremonies and pending confirmations. The discussion addressed the scale and protocol for these events, with Nixon deciding to limit group ceremonies to undersecretaries and agency heads while excluding assistant secretaries to streamline the process. They also coordinated details regarding a scheduled meeting with Eisaku Sato and a private session with Herbert Stein.

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 21% 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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Do you have some changes?

No, I'd rather not look at it.

I don't know what it is.

So we have

Or if you're in a sterile room, so you have to use the brush or the piece that is next to the other side of the room.

Individuals swearing very trying to signal that's consistent with what I'm trying to say.

So we have to have the pressure there.

I don't think it's important.

So we have two individuals.

Swear them all in, and I'll just say that I'm going to swear them in, and they will all be, because of the great numbers, we will not have statements to teach us to swear them in.

There will be no statements by anyone to get them up there, swear them in, and off they go, pretending in the end.

Everybody, then I can swear all of them in individually.

Do you want to cut this off at the undersecretaries and not go to the assistant secretaries and the agency heads?

No, I should have secretaries.

You can't go to assistant secretaries.

Undersecretaries don't mind.

Agency heads, I don't mind having agency heads.

Agency heads, I would not mind.

For example, CIA people, I've got it.

They're important agency heads, but no assistant secretaries.

No assistant secretaries, whatever.

No, they won't.

They won't use it tomorrow.

I'll do the private thing with them.

This auto is what time?

4 o'clock, 3 plus.

I thought it was 3, it's now 3 and a half hours.

NARA Description

On January 30, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:25 pm and 12:35 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 406-004 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 406-4

Date: January 30, 1973
Time: Unknown between 12:25 pm and 12:35 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Stephen B. Bull.

       President's schedule
             -Paper
             -Lunch
             -Paper
                    -Possible changes
             -Cabinet swearing-in
                    -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman

       Cabinet
            -Confirmations pending
                 -Earl L. Butz
                 -Peter J. Brennan
                 -Claude S. Brinegar
                 -Caspar W. Weinberger
                 -John A. Scali
                 -Frederick B. Dent
                                                -3-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                               Conversation No. 406-56 (cont’d)

       President's schedule
             -Cabinet swearing-in
                    -Haldeman's suggestion for Under Secretaries
                          -Ceremony
                          -Precedent
                    -Press coverage
                    -President's possible remarks
                    -Individual swearings-in
                    -Photographs
                    -President's possible remarks
                    -Under Secretaries, Assistant Secretaries, agency heads
                          -Central Intelligence Agency [CIA]
             -Signing ceremony
                    -Congress
             -Budget statement
             -Private meeting before signing ceremony
                    -Herbert Stein
                    -Photograph, press coverage
                    -Timing
             -Eisaku Sato
                    -Location
                    -Length of meeting
                          -Translation
             -John B. Connally

Bull left at an unknown time before 12:35 pm.

Also recorded on January 30, 1973

036-115 12:06 PM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:06 pm and 1:18 pm.
406-001 12:06 PM · 18 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 12:06 pm and 12:10 pm.
406-002 12:10 PM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 12:10 pm.
406-003 12:10 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:10 pm and 12:25 pm.
406-005 12:25 PM · 36 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:25 pm and 12:35 pm.
406-006 12:35 PM · 18 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 12:35 pm to 12:50 pm.
406-007 12:50 PM · 13 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 12:50 pm and 1:18 pm.
036-116 1:18 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 1:18 pm to 1:20 pm.

All 51 conversations from January 30, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 406-004, January 30, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/406-004 (accessed October 6, 2026).