Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 465 › Conversation 465-002
Nixon, Safire & Butterfield on Law enforcement speech and Judicial reform
Wednesday, March 10, 1971 · 9:33 AM–9:45 AM ET · Oval Office
AI Summary
President Nixon met with William Safire to refine a draft of an upcoming speech on law enforcement, focusing on themes of judicial reform, respect for the law, and the appropriate tone for addressing national concerns. The discussion included adjustments to language regarding radicalism and the legal system, as well as the President’s stance on legal services for the poor. Following this, Alexander Butterfield joined to finalize the logistics and procedure for a scheduled signing ceremony regarding revenue sharing for rural community development.
- Law enforcement speech
- Judicial reform
- Speechwriting
- Revenue sharing
- Presidential communications
- White House ceremonies
Audio
Download MP3 (part 1) · 165.7 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 158.7 MB
This conversation has not yet been cut into its own clip, so the player above contains the full tape segment shared with neighbouring conversations. It begins about 00:03:32 into the tape and ends around 00:18:02.
Transcript (AI-generated)
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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.
Download transcript (.txt) ·JSON data · Timestamps are positions within the full tape recording.
NARA Description
On March 10, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, William L. Safire, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:33 am to 9:45 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 465-002 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 465-2
Date: March 10, 1971
Time: 9:33 am - 9:45 am
Location: Oval Office
The President met with William L. Safire
Draft of President’s forthcoming speech on law enforcement
-Length of draft
-President’s revisions
-Wording
-Warren E. Burger
-John N. Mitchell
-Wording
-Reform of judicial system
-Priority
-Patrick J. Buchanan
-Wording
-Respect for law
-Radicals
-Lawyers
-Police
-Leonard Garment and Egil (“Bud”) Krogh, Jr.
-Legal services reference
-Office of Economic Opportunity
-Delivery of final draft
-Burger’s remarks
-Burger’s review
-Williamsburg
-President’s previous speech
Interviews with President
-Stewart J. O. Alsop
-New York Times and Sulzberger
-James B. (“Scotty”) Reston
Alexander P. Butterfield entered at 9:45 am
President’s schedule
-Ceremony for Revenue Sharing for Rural Community Development
-Signing ceremony
-Television appearance
-Mark I. Goode
-Handshakes and photographs
-Oliver F. (“Ollie”) Atkins
-Signing ceremony
-Message to Congress
-Talking paper
Butterfield left at 9:45 am
President’s previous interview with Sulzberger
-Possible review by President
Safire left at 9:45 amAlso recorded on March 10, 1971
- 465-001 9:25 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:25 am and 9:33 am.
- 465-003 9:50 AM · 53 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Mark I. Goode met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:50 am to 9:51 am.
- 465-004 9:51 AM · 12 min — President Richard M. Nixon, John W. Scott, Robert N. Hampton, Lowell J. Endahl, C. W. McMillan, John E. Butterbrodt, Don F. Magdanz, John Palmer, Eugene Moos, Robert Lederer, Patrick Healy, Harry Graham, Claude Gifford, Devoe H. Willard, John I. Sutherland, Parke Brinkley, Frank Frazier, Walter W. Goeppinger, Charles Toan, Albert Russell, Robert J. Andrews, Elbert Harp, Ralph T. Jackson, Lorraine Kirker, Roy B. Keppey, unknown person(s), and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:51 am to 10:01 am.
- 682-001 9:57 AM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:57 am and 10:06 am.
- 465-005 10:06 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:06 am and 10:13 am.
- 465-006 10:13 AM · 18 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Peter M. Flanigan met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:13 am to 10:23 am.
- 465-007 10:23 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:23 am and 10:42 am.
- 465-008 10:42 AM · 2 hr 33 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Raymond K. Price, Jr., Noel C. Koch, Alexander P. Butterfield, Henry A. Kissinger, Stephen B. Bull, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:42 am to 1:15 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 465-002, March 10, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/465-002 (accessed September 18, 2026).