Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 461 › Conversation 461-009

Nixon & Haldeman on Public Relations and Press Coverage

Tuesday, March 2, 1971 · 12:01 PM–12:06 PM ET · Oval Office · 5 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation461-009 on Tape 461 (tape position 01:15:23–01:20:45)StartTuesday, March 2, 1971 at 12:01 PMEndTuesday, March 2, 1971 at 12:06 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 461-009 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman reviewed the administration's public relations strategy, focusing on countering negative media coverage regarding the President's recent trip to Iowa and managing optics for upcoming travel. The discussion emphasized the need for more effective messaging, including the coordination of special letters to governors like Ronald Reagan and Nelson Rockefeller to support revenue sharing initiatives. Additionally, the pair evaluated the logistical success of recent social events, such as the astronaut dinner, comparing them to state functions to better plan future appearances.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 2 minutes of this recording (about 37% 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.

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And I hear you are.
I think the fact that it tends to keep the press a little off balance and keep fighting, you know, we, it seems that it's almost a hopeless task sometimes, but we have to remember that privacy is not almost anything.
We do so well, you know, that's a good thing, which I didn't know, but I hope you think about the number of issues.
God almighty, there's huge crowds and big receptions for Barry Boyd Johnson and all around the world.
So if we have one hell of a time getting the press to report it on people.
Well, we get them when we have them.
Well, they sure do a better job of reporting it when they can.
Any negative, it is because it's young.
They want to do things.
All there is is a negative guy to do it.
And you have on our press conference, they do the best they can.
Thank you.
Well, I ask you at the end.
So, no indication at this point of the problem that it will happen.
I mean, you gave me a few minutes on the map, and I'm sure it's not going to happen.
I don't think it's going to happen.
I don't think it's going to happen.
The key thing is to get some of our people out of this country.
Now they've got a committee there, we've got Paul Miller and so forth.
And now I need to speak, I'm just plugging right into the chair.
Special letters should go to folks like Reagan, and uh, and uh, and uh, and uh, and uh, and uh, and uh, and uh, and uh, and uh,
Well, I think your idea on the action out there is a good one, last one, to change the case.
Unfortunately, it didn't last for a long time.
Yeah, well, it was overhauled.
Yeah, it wasn't awesome.
And basically serving on each group exactly all along.
But, of course, you had more people, too.
But, on the other hand, it was over.
We were out there.
We were out there.
We've got the rest of them staying.
Which is great.
Yeah.
it's just a lot of different well if you get an evening like that there's just there's a hell of a difference and we ought to keep working for this kind of stuff where those people have a common bond they get along a lot better the state dinners you're never going to make swinging parties out of those things because they're they're the people that don't know each other unless you go to just having the internal
That was a good part of the talented thing was that all those people knew each other.
Yeah.
And it was overwhelming for a lot of them.
It was a big deal for them.
But they had a good time, and it was a nice country to be in.
With those guys, and so many people that haven't seen them since they got back, we just let them be that way.
They went around, and I went over, and they were the kids that shook hands with all of them.

NARA Description

On March 2, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:01 pm to 12:06 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 461-009 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 461-9

Date: March 2, 1971
Time: 12:01 pm - 12:06 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman

     President’s trip to Iowa
          -Press coverage
                -Washington Post and networks
                -Need for response
                       -Clark MacGregor
                       -Charles W. Colson

     Press
             -Administration policy
             -Reports of President’s reception by crowds
                  -Compared with Lyndon B. Johnson
                  -Reasons
                  -White House staff efforts

     President’s schedule

          -Rochester
                -Possible demonstrations
          -Alabama
          -Paul Miller

     Revenue sharing
         -President’s statement
         -Public relations efforts
               -Letters to Ronald W. Reagan, Nelson A. Rockefeller

     President’s schedule
          -Astronaut dinner, March 1, 1971
                -Length
                      -Receiving line
                      -Dinner
                      -Departure times
                -Compared with state dinners
                -Compared with Edward K. (“Duke”) Ellington dinner

Haldeman left at 12:06 pm

Also recorded on March 2, 1971

  • 461-004 11:06 AM · 29 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Rudolph A. Peterson, Peter G. Peterson, Emil ("Bus") Mosbacher, Jr., Clark MacGregor, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., Henry A. Kissinger, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:06 am to 11:33 am.
  • 461-006 11:56 AM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:56 am and 11:59 am.
  • 461-007 11:59 AM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at 11:59 am.
  • 461-008 11:59 AM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:59 am and 12:01 pm.
  • 461-010 12:07 PM · 38 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Targut Menemencioglu, Emil ("Bus") Mosbacher, Jr., Christopher Van Hollen, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., Warren E. Burger, John W. Dean, III, John N. Mitchell, Edward L. Wright, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:07 pm to 12:44 pm.
  • 049-002 12:44 PM — unknown person(s) met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 12:44 pm and 1:07 pm.
  • 461-011 12:44 PM · 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Ralph E. Ulmer, Mrs. Ralph E. Ulmer, Gary Ulmer, Tana Ulmer, Roger E. Johnson, 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 12:55 pm.
  • 461-012 12:53 PM · 14 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, Peter Heltemes, Jack Heltemes, Mrs. Jack Heltemes, Jack Heltemes, Jr., Holly Heltemes, Robert J. Dole, Robert Young, Mrs. Robert Young, David N. Parker, and George Bill met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:53 pm and 1:07 pm.

All 21 conversations from March 2, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 461-009, March 2, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/461-009 (accessed October 12, 2026).