Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 472
Nixon White House Tape 472 (March 23, 1971)
24 conversations · Oval Office · about 5 hr 19 min of released audio
Featuring Nixon, Bull, Haldeman, Butterfield, Kissinger
President Nixon held a brief, three-minute meeting in the Oval Office with an unidentified individual to coordinate his daily agenda. The discussion focused on administrative planning and the specific arrangements of the President's schedule for the day. No further details regarding the identity of the visitor or the nature of the scheduled events were recorded.
President Nixon, H. R. Haldeman, and Alexander Butterfield met to discuss the investigation into recent U.S. Capitol bombings and broader concerns regarding the President's public approval ratings. Haldeman reported that Attorney General John Mitchell advised against immediate arrests of suspects to allow for continued surveillance and the gathering of better evidence, despite pressure from J. Edgar Hoover to proceed. The group also evaluated the impact of the Vietnam War and recent military operations on the President’s political credibility, as well as the effectiveness of the President's recent media appearances.
President Nixon met with Congressional leaders Hugh Scott and Gerald Ford, along with staff members, to strategize on critical legislative and foreign policy challenges. The participants focused on securing support for the Supersonic Transport (SST) program to prevent Soviet market dominance and discussed messaging strategies regarding the ongoing military operations in Laos and Vietnamization. Nixon emphasized the importance of executive leadership and bipartisan cooperation while addressing concerns over Congressional polling pressures and upcoming milk price support decisions.
President Nixon consulted with the White House operator to facilitate an outgoing call. The interaction served as a brief administrative bridge to connect the President with an external party. No substantive policy discussions or decisions were recorded during this brief operational exchange.
President Nixon and Stephen B. Bull engaged in a brief, informal exchange immediately following Bull's arrival in the Oval Office. The conversation consisted of casual banter rather than substantive policy discussions or administrative business. No formal actions or decisions were recorded during this brief encounter.
President Nixon met with Treasury Secretary John B. Connally to discuss Connally’s recent performance in a public or congressional setting, which Nixon praised as a strong and effective defense of the administration’s position. The two men reflected on the perceived decline of American leadership and global influence, likening it to the historical collapses of past empires. They concluded by briefly coordinating their strategy for an upcoming meeting with the German Chancellor.
President Nixon met with House Minority Whip Leslie C. Arends to discuss legislative strategy, defense spending, and the upcoming congressional briefing regarding the Laos operation. The two men addressed concerns over Federal Communications Commission activities and the potential impact of network regulation, while also touching upon the status of various presidential nominees. The President emphasized the importance of ensuring bipartisan participation—specifically including Democrats—in the scheduled briefing to maintain support for his foreign policy initiatives.
President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman reviewed recent polling data, analyzed public reaction to the President's televised interview with Howard K. Smith, and discussed the optics of presidential television appearances, including attire and seating arrangements. Following this, Secretary of Agriculture Clifford M. Hardin joined the meeting to coordinate strategy regarding upcoming legislative challenges with the dairy industry. The group agreed to schedule a subsequent meeting at Camp David with John B. Connally and George P. Shultz to address parity issues and potential congressional action on pending agricultural bills.
President Nixon met with Peter G. Peterson and other advisors to discuss international trade strategy, specifically regarding textile and footwear import negotiations with Japan, Italy, and Spain. Peterson briefed the President on the necessity of a stronger, more centralized economic leadership structure, including the role of the Council for International Economic Policy, to address balance of payments and currency exchange issues. The conversation also touched upon the implementation of an effective domestic industrial adjustment program and the organizational needs of federal volunteer agencies, with Nixon emphasizing the importance of utilizing strong leadership and personal political involvement to achieve these policy goals.
President Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met to coordinate the scheduling of upcoming meetings with key advisors, including Henry Kissinger, John Ehrlichman, and George Shultz. They specifically addressed the timing of appointments to ensure the President's agenda remained manageable. The discussion concluded with a firm decision to slot a meeting into the 12:30 p.m. time block.
President Nixon met with John Ehrlichman, George Shultz, and Henry Kissinger to coordinate administration strategy on key legislative and economic priorities. The discussion covered a wide range of policy initiatives, including election and welfare reform, government reorganization efforts, and the political sensitivity surrounding abortion policies in military hospitals. Most notably, the group strategized on economic stabilization measures, debating the viability of a construction industry wage-price board and the administration's stance on the Supersonic Transport (SST) project to protect domestic employment.
President Nixon met with his personal valet, Manolo Sanchez, in the Oval Office for a brief, three-minute interaction. The conversation consisted entirely of a withdrawn segment classified as personal and returnable material. No substantive policy discussions or administrative actions were recorded during this brief encounter.
President Nixon met with H. R. Haldeman and Henry Kissinger to evaluate the political and public impact of his recent televised interview with Howard K. Smith. The discussion focused on analyzing ratings, gathering congressional and public feedback, and determining strategies for future media appearances to improve the President's credibility and public image. They also conducted a post-mortem on the military operation in Laos, evaluating the performance of South Vietnamese forces and the potential political implications of upcoming U.S. troop withdrawal announcements.
President Nixon and his aide Stephen B. Bull coordinated the logistical arrangements for an upcoming 3:00 p.m. meeting. Nixon emphasized the importance of starting the session promptly and instructed Bull to ensure the participants were prepared for his arrival. Bull committed to entering the room shortly before the scheduled time to facilitate the transition.
President Nixon instructed the White House operator to place an outgoing call to special counsel Charles W. Colson. The brief exchange served as a procedural request to initiate communication with a key staff member. No substantive policy discussions occurred during this transition, as the recording captures only the operator's receipt of the directive.
President Nixon and Charles Colson evaluated the public and congressional reception of the President's recent televised interview with Howard K. Smith. The discussion focused on the effectiveness of the interview format compared to traditional press conferences and the impact of the President's upcoming troop withdrawal announcement on political support. They also assessed the timing and potential political implications of a forthcoming Louis Harris poll.
President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman met to evaluate the public and internal staff reception of the President's recent television interview with Howard K. Smith. They discussed the mixed feedback regarding the interview's length and tone, while Nixon expressed frustration with White House control over technical production elements like camera angles and his own visual presentation. The conversation concluded with a brief administrative shift to scheduling, including a potential trip to Oklahoma for a prison rehabilitation facility dedication.
President Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield held a brief, one-minute meeting in the Oval Office to address a single, unidentified item. The discussion was unintelligible and concluded abruptly before any recorded action items could be established. Due to the limited duration and lack of audible content, the specific purpose of the consultation remains documented only as a brief administrative interaction.
President Nixon met with Senator James L. Buckley and White House staffer William E. Timmons to secure support for the upcoming Senate vote on the Supersonic Transport (SST) program. The President emphasized that the SST was critical for national prestige, technological leadership, and economic stability, while assuring the Senator that strict environmental safeguards and review procedures would be implemented. Following the discussion of strategy and whip counts, Nixon also briefly reminisced about attending the funeral of Thomas E. Dewey with Buckley.
President Nixon met with his economic and agricultural advisors to discuss political strategies regarding the dairy industry and legislative support. The group, including George Shultz, John Connally, and Clifford Hardin, addressed the necessity of securing political backing from powerful dairy organizations while balancing the economic implications of milk price supports. Nixon emphasized the importance of securing credit for any concessions made to these groups and coordinating closely with Congressional leaders, such as Speaker Carl Albert and Wilbur Mills, to manage these interests effectively.
President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman met to coordinate White House strategy on several pressing political issues, including securing campaign contributions from the dairy industry and lobbying senators for the upcoming vote on the Supersonic Transport (SST). They also discussed arrangements for an upcoming meeting with black leadership regarding social policy and reviewed the fallout from the President's recent interview with Howard K. Smith. Throughout the discussion, the pair balanced legislative priorities with public relations concerns while maintaining their daily executive schedule.
President Nixon, H. R. Haldeman, and Henry Kissinger met to evaluate the military outcomes and public relations strategy surrounding Operation Lam Son 719 in Laos. The discussion focused on framing the operation as a net tactical success while addressing concerns regarding military leadership, specifically General Creighton Abrams’ performance and command decisions. Nixon and Kissinger also coordinated plans for an upcoming April 7th presidential speech, which was intended to bolster public support and leverage the momentum from Nixon's recent television appearance.
President Nixon met with his Deputy Assistant Alexander P. Butterfield in the Oval Office to address administrative matters. The brief session focused on the review and signing of official documents submitted by John D. Ehrlichman. The meeting concluded shortly thereafter with the completion of these routine executive tasks.
President Nixon held a brief, informal interaction with Secret Service agents within the Oval Office. The participants exchanged pleasantries and brief remarks before the President instructed them to depart. The recording captures little substantive policy discussion, serving primarily as a logistical record of security personnel movements within the executive workspace.