Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 481 › Conversation 481-003

Nixon, Haldeman & Butterfield on Vietnam War and People's Republic of China

Saturday, April 17, 1971 · 8:56 AM–9:13 AM ET · Oval Office · 13 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Butterfield, Alexander P.; Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation481-003 on Tape 481 (tape position 00:03:08–00:16:59)StartSaturday, April 17, 1971 at 8:56 AMEndSaturday, April 17, 1971 at 9:13 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 481-003 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman debriefed the President's appearance before the American Society of Newspaper Editors, focusing on the effectiveness of his responses regarding Vietnam, J. Edgar Hoover, and foreign relations with the People's Republic of China. The discussion also addressed the technical presentation of the event, including the use of a rostrum and the impact of the President's speaking style. Additionally, the participants coordinated preparations for an upcoming meeting involving Henry Kissinger and John A. Scali to further discuss diplomatic outreach to China.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

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I'm going to score another regular last night, I think.

Take your positions.

And the key to the question is this, is to put the China question, to give you a chance to put the China question in perspective.

You sure as hell got Uber cleared up and surveillance and all that?

Well, people didn't have to.

I was able to put in a contract.

I thought that was stupid of this channel to do this question.

Well, they all have.

But you think that's independent?

But then you got to be able to say, if you look here, I want,

Well, you said another people picked that up.

I hope.

I haven't done any work on it or anything else.

I'm glad to use the roster.

Let's just start with a bit more about what they had to do.

The type of reason is that

I don't think anybody's gonna say that.

Sunshine, please, die.

And then,

by the end of November.

NARA Description

On April 17, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander P. Butterfield, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 8:56 am to 9:13 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 481-003 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 481-003

Date: April 17, 1971
Time: 8:56 am - 9:13 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Alexander P. Butterfield

**********************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 06/24/2019.
Segment will remain closed.]
[Personal Returnable]
[481-003-w001]
[Duration: 39s]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

**********************************************************************

H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman entered at 8:58 am

     The President's meeting with the American Society of Newspaper Editors [ASNE], April
          16, 1971
          -Television
          -Questions to the President
               -Vietnam
               -Lieutenant William L. Calley, Jr.

       Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542

                 -People's Republic of China [PRC]
                 -Vietnam and Calley
                 -Compared with the President's press conference

Butterfield left at an unknown time before 9:10 am

                -Opening question
                       -Suggested response
           -President's responses
           -Radio reception
                -John N. Mitchell's call to the President
                       -Charles G. ("Bebe") Rebozo
                       -J. Edgar Hoover
                -President's responses to questions
                       -Hoover
                       -Calley
                       -Prisoner of War [POW] issue
                       -Vietnam
                             -Emmett Dedmon
                             -Withdrawal
                             -Residual forces
                                   -Melvin R. Laird
                             -Withdrawal
                                   -Timing
                                        -Election date
                             -Communist takeover issue
           -Radio audience
                -Numbers
                -Television broadcast
           -Questions
                -Calley
                -Vietnam
                -PRC
                -Cuba
                -Hoover
                       -Surveillance
                -Youth
                       -Otis Chandler
                       -Al Capp

       Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542

                -Surveillance
                       -Police state
                       -John F. Kennedy administration
                             -Robert F. (“Bobby”) Kennedy
                -Hoover
                -Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
                -Frank Cormier
                -"Making news"
                -Unknown quip
                -Economic indicators
                       -Retail sales
                -Television
           -Rostrum
                -Use
                -Naked microphone
                -J. F. Kennedy
                -President's style
                -J. F. Kennedy's style
                       -Use of notes
           -Naked microphone
                -Use
           -Questions
                -Number
                -Length
                -President's answers
                -[Dwight] David, II and Julie Nixon Eisenhower
                       -Easter discussion
                       -Possible visit to the PRC
                       -Personalizing answers
                -PRC
                       -Ping-pong
                       -Henry A. Kissinger

     Haldeman's forthcoming meeting with Kissinger and John A. Scali
          -President's possible presence
          -Kissinger and Scali
                -Relationship
                      -Frequency of meetings
                -PRC

       Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542

           -Scali
                 -Access to President
                 -Ronald L. Ziegler
                 -Briefing
                 -Role

Bull entered at 9:10 am

     The President's schedule
          -Meeting with George P. Shultz

     Peter G. Peterson's memorandum to the President
           -Approval

Bull left at 9:12 am

     Vietnam
          -Withdrawal
               -Kissinger's views
               -Scali

     The President's schedule
          -Forthcoming welcome to First Marine Division at Camp Pendleton, California, April
                30, 1971

     Vietnam
          -Possible statement by President
               -Withdrawal
               -Ping-pong team

     Haldeman's forthcoming conversation with Kissinger and Scali
     President's schedule
           -Meetings
           -President, Haldeman, Kissinger and Scali

Haldeman left at 9:13 am

       Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542

Also recorded on April 17, 1971

001-121 8:54 AM · 2 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:54 am and 8:56 am.
481-001 8:54 AM · 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 8:54 am and 8:56 am.
001-122 8:56 AM · 42 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and William M. Lukash talked on the telephone from 8:56 am to 8:57 am.
481-002 8:56 AM · 41 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and William M. Lukash met in the Oval Office of the White House from 8:56 am to 8:57 am.
481-004 9:15 AM · 18 min — President Richard M. Nixon, George P. Shultz, and Peter G. Peterson met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:15 am to 9:34 am.
053-002 9:34 AM · 1 hr 11 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Peter G. Peterson, George P. Shultz, John B. Connally, Maurice H. Stans, David M. Kennedy, Henry A. Kissinger, Peter M. Flanigan, and U. Alexis Johnson met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 9:34 am and 10:45 am.
481-009 9:34 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:34 am to 3:30 pm.
001-123 10:45 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, White House operator, J. Edgar Hoover, and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 10:45 am to 10:52 am.

All 49 conversations from April 17, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 481-003, April 17, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/481-003 (accessed October 12, 2026).