Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 476
Nixon White House Tape 476 (April 6, 1971 – April 9, 1971)
29 conversations · Oval Office · about 5 hr 52 min of released audio
Featuring Nixon, Bull, Haldeman, Ziegler, Kissinger
This recording consists of a brief nine-second segment involving unidentified participants in the Oval Office. Due to the extremely short duration of the audio and the lack of transcript content, the specific context, subject matter, and any associated policy decisions remain entirely undetermined. The fragment provides no substantive historical record regarding White House operations or deliberations.
President Nixon met with a television production crew in the Oval Office to prepare for a televised address regarding the situation in Southeast Asia. The discussion focused on technical logistics, including microphone placement, the President’s physical positioning, and the use of visual aids. The crew provided final instructions to ensure optimal framing and audio clarity just minutes before the live broadcast began.
President Nixon held a brief, unscheduled meeting in the Oval Office with an unidentified individual. The discussion focused on administrative matters regarding the President’s daily agenda and upcoming schedule. The recording ends abruptly after only a few minutes, resulting in no documented outcomes or significant policy decisions.
President Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met briefly to discuss the aesthetic specifications for a picture frame and review the President’s upcoming schedule. Nixon requested a gold-style frame for a piece of property, emphasizing a specific color and appearance. Bull also updated the President regarding an imminent meeting involving David Eisenhower.
President Nixon met with his personal aide Stephen B. Bull in the Oval Office to coordinate logistics and scheduling. The primary focus of the brief session was to finalize arrangements for a meeting with National Security Advisor Henry A. Kissinger. No other substantive policy matters were recorded during this interaction.
President Nixon met with his aide Stephen B. Bull to receive a status update regarding Henry Kissinger's current whereabouts and availability. The discussion focused on coordinating a callback to the President while Kissinger was attending a breakfast meeting with a scientist. No further significant actions were recorded before Bull departed the Oval Office.
President Nixon, H.R. Haldeman, and Ronald Ziegler met to discuss the public and political fallout following the President's April 7, 1971, speech on Southeast Asia. A primary concern was the misleading interpretation by Senator Hugh Scott and others regarding the President's position on a fixed date for troop withdrawal, which Nixon insisted must remain flexible to avoid jeopardizing negotiations and the return of POWs. Additionally, the participants reviewed the administration's economic message, criticized the current "packaging" of their legislative programs, and discussed strategies for future media appearances and press briefings to ensure staff discipline and message consistency.
President Nixon met with George Shultz and Alexander Haig to discuss the administration's economic and defense strategies. Nixon expressed strong support for retaining Paul McCracken as a steady hand on the economy, despite internal rumors of his potential departure. The President also outlined a highly confidential, multi-pronged approach to international relations, emphasizing the need for absolute secrecy regarding potential ABM agreements with the Soviet Union and the use of hard-line tactics to pressure North Vietnam into negotiations before the upcoming political window closed.
President Nixon held a brief, unscheduled meeting with an unidentified individual, followed by a short communication with the White House operator. During the exchange, the President characterized the unnamed male participant as "out of bounds" and provided instructions to "post him." The interaction concluded immediately following these directives, with no further substantive policy discussions recorded.
President Nixon and Charles Colson discuss the importance of fostering patriotism among a specific group of supporters who have demonstrated financial loyalty to the administration. Nixon reflects on the necessity of ensuring these individuals feel a broader sense of commitment to America's global role, emphasizing that this psychological alignment outweighs other political concerns. The brief exchange concludes with an affirmation of their shared belief in the effectiveness of this approach to maintaining supporter morale.
President Nixon met with Paul W. McCracken to urge him to remain as Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, dismissing press speculation about his resignation as a potential negative signal for the administration's economic policy. The two discussed future leadership, including potential candidates like James R. Schlesinger and Ezra Solomon to replace outgoing members, and emphasized the need for a unified approach to economic management. Nixon also established a task force—consisting of Peter M. Flanigan, John B. Connally, and Maurice H. Stans—to address business community frustrations regarding federal regulations and labor costs.
President Nixon held a brief, informal check-in regarding a scheduled meeting between an unidentified associate and Treasury Secretary John B. Connally. The discussion centered on the morale and favorable disposition of the parties involved in the upcoming engagement. No formal policy decisions were reached, as the conversation served primarily to confirm the status and general outlook of the planned session.
President Nixon met with David M. Kennedy and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. to discuss Kennedy’s recent diplomatic trip to Asia, focusing on economic and political conditions in Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand. They evaluated the effectiveness of U.S. aid programs and the conduct of embassy staff, with Nixon expressing a strong desire to replace existing economic advisors with private-sector CEOs to better promote stability and self-reliance. Additionally, Nixon directed Haig to aggressively reduce the number of Peace Corps personnel in the Pacific territories, citing concerns over their behavior and political leanings.
President Nixon met with H.R. Haldeman, Leonard Garment, Robert Finch, and Nancy Hanks to discuss arts policy, including appointments to the Hirshhorn Museum Board of Trustees and the President's upcoming speech at an Associated Councils of the Arts conference. The participants also explored strategies to support the struggling American film industry through tax incentives and antitrust relief while emphasizing the need for higher-quality, story-driven domestic productions. Additionally, the President reviewed positive public opinion polling data following his recent speech on Southeast Asia and decided against a televised question-and-answer session with the American Society of Newspaper Editors to avoid overexposure and continued debate on the Vietnam War.
Henry A. Kissinger and White House valet Manolo Sanchez engaged in a brief, informal interaction within the Oval Office. The discussion centered on personal social plans, specifically regarding an unidentified man taking a woman to the movies and Sanchez's opinion on the matter. No policy decisions or historical actions were recorded during this brief exchange.
President Nixon and Henry Kissinger met briefly to coordinate their respective daily schedules and upcoming appointments. They discussed timing adjustments for meetings involving General Alexander Haig, David M. Kennedy, and policy deliberations concerning Pakistan. Ultimately, the two agreed to reconvene later in the afternoon to accommodate Kissinger's attendance at Good Friday services.
President Nixon and his valet, Manolo Sanchez, discuss personal arrangements and scheduling, specifically regarding an upcoming trip involving the President and the First Lady. The conversation touches upon the logistics of a boat, reflecting the informal and personal nature of their professional relationship. No major policy decisions or executive actions were established during this exchange.
President Nixon initiates a request for the White House operator to place a telephone call to Dr. Arthur Burns. This brief exchange serves strictly as a procedural instruction to facilitate communication between the President and the Chairman of the Federal Reserve. No substantive policy discussions or further actions occurred during this brief interaction.
President Nixon and Stephen B. Bull discussed adjustments to the President’s daily schedule, specifically concerning upcoming appointments with Peter M. Flanigan and Henry A. Kissinger. The exchange focused on managing the timing and flow of these meetings to accommodate the President’s preferences. Bull was tasked with facilitating these updates while ensuring the President’s agenda remained undisturbed.
President Nixon and Stephen B. Bull briefly met in the Oval Office to review the President’s upcoming schedule, specifically focusing on appointments with Peter M. Flanigan and Peter G. Peterson. The discussion centered on coordinating these meetings and addressing logistical concerns regarding personnel movements in and around the White House. No major policy decisions were reached during this short administrative check-in.
President Nixon consults with the White House operator to verify the status of a scheduled communication with Dr. Arthur Burns. The brief exchange confirms whether the President had already personally placed the call to the Federal Reserve Chairman. The interaction highlights the administrative coordination required for Nixon to manage his high-level professional correspondence.
President Nixon consulted with the White House operator to facilitate communication with Deputy Judge Murphy, who was based in New York. The brief exchange served as a logistical step to reconnect with the judge following a prior conversation held the previous day. No further substantive policy matters were recorded during this brief administrative interaction.
President Nixon held an Oval Office meeting with an unidentified individual to discuss matters pertaining to the President's official schedule. While the specific content of the discussion remains undocumented due to the lack of a transcript, the encounter functioned as a brief administrative engagement within the executive office. The meeting concluded when the participant departed shortly before 1:47 pm.
President Nixon met with his aide Stephen B. Bull in the Oval Office to conduct a brief administrative review of the presidential schedule. The primary focus of the discussion concerned the upcoming engagement with Peter G. Peterson. No further policy developments or substantive outcomes were documented during this short meeting.
President Nixon met with Arthur Burns, Henry Kissinger, and Peter Peterson to strategize on economic policy, focusing on the Council on International Economic Policy (CIEP) and the need for long-range economic planning to combat foreign competition. Nixon instructed his advisors to present Peterson's economic briefings to a broad audience—including Cabinet members, congressional leaders, and business executives—while emphasizing the necessity of a bipartisan approach to trade and anti-trust reform. Additionally, the President and Kissinger reviewed the current status of the Vietnam War, reaffirming their commitment to Vietnamization and total withdrawal while deliberately avoiding a fixed terminal date to maintain leverage in ongoing negotiations.
President Nixon, H.R. Haldeman, and Ronald Ziegler met to strategize regarding the President's Easter Sunday church attendance, specifically aiming to avoid potential anti-war demonstrations. They discussed managing press reports that inaccurately predicted the President would attend services at a Gettysburg church alongside Mrs. Eisenhower. To mitigate security risks and prevent protests, Nixon decided to keep his schedule vague and pivot to a different, less predictable church near Camp David at the last minute.
President Nixon met with his personal aide, Stephen B. Bull, to coordinate the logistics for an upcoming "Open Door Hour" event. The brief discussion focused on facilitating a press photograph session during the event. Bull was instructed on managing the flow of the press and securing the necessary access for the photo opportunity.
President Nixon hosted opera singer Marguerite Piazza and representatives from the American Cancer Society, including Dr. Herman Marvin Pollard and Irving I. Rimer, for an Oval Office meeting. The visit centered on the presentation of the Society's Annual Courageous Person Award to Piazza and a brief discussion regarding cancer research initiatives. The President provided official mementos, including presidential cufflinks, to the guests before the brief session concluded.
President Nixon met with Baseball Commissioner Bowie Kuhn and legendary player Ted Williams to discuss professional baseball, including specific game tactics and the performance of star player Hank Aaron. The meeting served as a social engagement where the President was presented with a 1971 American League baseball pass. Nixon expressed his interest in attending a game in the near future and engaged in lighthearted conversation about the sport's current state.