Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 452 › Conversation 452-017
Nixon, Haldeman & King on Public relations and Economic messaging
Friday, February 19, 1971 · 1:39 PM–2:25 PM ET · Oval Office · 20 min
AI Summary
President Nixon and H.R. Haldeman discuss various public relations strategies, including media outreach, managing White House social events, and communicating economic policy successes. They examine the effectiveness of using celebrity appearances, such as Henry Mancini, to boost the President's image while critiquing the current reliance on government staff for logistical and messaging tasks. The conversation emphasizes the need to control the President's public narrative and improve outreach to broader, non-intellectual audiences.
- Public relations
- Economic messaging
- White House social events
- Media strategy
- Staff management
Audio
NARA Description
On February 19, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, and Gerturde King met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:39 pm and 2:25 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 452-017 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 452-017
Conversation No. 452-017
Date: February 19, 1971
Time: 1:39 pm - unknown before 2:25 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
Economy
-Ronald L. Ziegler’s press briefing
-Fortune magazine
-Cost of living statistics
-News reports
-Statistics
-George P. Shultz
Media
-McCalls’ article on Thelma C. (Ryan) (“Pat”) Nixon
-Sarah McClendon
-Appointment with the President
-Purpose
-Format
Henry A. Kissinger’s staff
-Ideology
-Patrick J. Buchanan
-Morton H. Halperin
[The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 1:39 pm and
1:42 pm]
[Conversation No. 452-17A]
Dr. Thomas E. (“Doc”) Morgan’s secretary
[End of telephone conversation]
Kissinger’s staff
-Scrutiny
-Liberals
-Security against leaks
-General Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Staff loyalty
-LiberalsShow the rest of the log (128 more lines)
-Richard M. Moose
-William A. K. (“Tony”) Lake
-Moose
-Brookings Institute
-J. William Fulbright
[The President talked with Gertrude King between 1:42 pm and 1:43 pm]
[Conversation No. 452-17B]
Morgan’s health
-Importance of role on foreign affairs committee
[End of telephone conversation]
Personnel
-Kissinger’s staff
-Requirements
-Qualifications
-Fred J. Russell
-Ziegler’s statement
-President’s orders
-Department of Interior
-Rogers C. B. Morton
The President’s schedule
-Open Door Hour
-Record of meetings
-Taping system
-Staff members’ color notes
-Audio recordings in Oval Office
-The President’s notes
-The President’s instructions on transcription
-Staff members’ notes
-Staff role in meetings
-Problems
-Physical Fitness Conference
-Role of White House advance staff
-Attendance
-White House staff
-Reliance on government staff
-Dwight L. Chapin
-Role
-The President’s Health message
-Encouragement of participation in physical fitness programs
Economy
-Shultz
-Presentation of economic news
-Administration policies
******************************************************************************
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 10/22/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[452-017-w001]
[Duration: 23s]
Rose Mary Woods’s trip
-Return
-Sobriety
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman’s conversation with Walter H. Annenberg [?]
******************************************************************************
The President’s schedule
-Bohemian Grove
-Today show
-Joe Garagiola
-Audience
-Haldeman’s example
-Entertainment at the White House
-Henry Mancini
-Acoustics in East Room
-Les Brown
-Richard Rogers and Mancini
-Young Republicans group meeting with the President
-Press coverage
-Photo
******************************************************************************
[Previous PRMPA Privacy (D) reviewed under deed of gift 10/22/2019. Segment cleared for
release.]
[Privacy]
[452-017-w002]
[Duration: 1m 15s]
[Unintelligible name]
-The President’s opinion
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman’s opinion
-Relationship with Henry A. Kissinger
-Unknown event February 18
-Deceased parents
******************************************************************************
News summary
-Buchanan
-Southeast Asia story
President’s possible appearance on “Today” show
-Garagiola
-Sports knowledge
-White House strategy
-Raymond K. Price, Jr.
-Richard A. Moore
Public relations
-President’s remarks
-Prayer breakfast
-Mailing
-[Thomas] Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
-Dean Francis B. Sayre
-Distribution of the President’s remarks
-William L. Safire
-Anecdote
President’s schedule
-Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion conventions
-The President’s attendance
Recording was cut off at an unknown time before 2:25 pmTranscript (AI-generated)
This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 10 minutes of this recording (about 47% 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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Also recorded on February 19, 1971
- 452-007 12:44 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Leah McReynolds, William E. Casselman, II, David N. Parker, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:44 pm and 1:02 pm.
- 452-011 1:02 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:02 pm and 1:04 pm.
- 452-012 1:04 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Lionel Hampton, Harry Yeates, William Tipone, Henry C. Cashen, II, John Richardson, Jr., and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:04 pm to 1:08 pm.
- 452-013 1:08 PM · 36 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:08 pm and 1:09 pm.
- 452-014 1:09 PM · 29 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Cooper Holt, Chief Herbert R. Rainwater, Donald E. Johnson, Charles W. Colson, and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:09 pm and 1:39 pm.
- 452-015 1:38 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:38 pm and 1:39 pm.
- 452-016 1:38 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:38 pm and 1:39 pm.
- 452-019 1:38 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:38 pm and 1:39 pm.
Related conversations
- Nixon & Safire on Economic messaging and Public relations November 11, 1971 · 5 min
- Nixon phone call with Cox on POW dinner and Ron Ziegler March 22, 1973 · 1 min
- Nixon & Haldeman on Public Relations and White House Social Events November 4, 1971 · 37 min
- Nixon phone call with Haldeman on White House management and Public relations June 3, 1971 · 17 min
- Nixon, Haldeman & Ziegler on Campaign Strategy and Tax Policy September 7, 1972 · 38 min
Cite this conversation
Conversation 452-017, February 19, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417175919). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/452-017 (accessed November 2, 2026).