Conversation 482-011

TapeTape 482StartMonday, April 19, 1971 at 1:30 PMEndMonday, April 19, 1971 at 2:40 PMTape start time01:30:53Tape end time02:03:42ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Recording deviceOval Office

On April 19, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:30 pm to 2:40 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 482-011 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 482-11

Date: April 19, 1971
Time: 1:30 pm - 2:40 pm
Location: Oval Office

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

     President's visit to Republican Governors' Conference, Williamsburg, April 19, 1971
           -Robert J. Dole
                 -Schedule
           -Gerald R. Ford

     President's schedule
           -Meeting with Ford, Leslie C. Arends and “bomb throwers” [Congressmen]

     Invitations to Tricia Nixon's wedding
           -Ronald L. Ziegler
           -Number
           -Maj. Gen. James D. (“Don”) Hughes
           -John S. Davies

     -[Unintelligible name]
     -Dean Burch
     -Herbert G. Klein
     -Raymond K. Price, Jr.
           -William L. Safire
     -Patrick J. Buchanan
     -Price
     -Hughes
     -Davies
     -Peter G. Peterson
           -Clark MacGregor
     -Congressmen and Senators
     -Leonard Garment
     -Bill [Unintelligible surname]

Demonstrations
    -Ziegler

Donald E. McLarnan
    -Reorganization of Small Business Administration [SBA]
    -Thomas S. Kleppe
    -Removal
    -Democrats
    -George P. Shultz
    -Removal
    -Shultz
    -Reasons for removal
          -Publicity

President's visit to Republican Governors' Conference
      -Schedule
      -Golf
      -Government
      -Business
            -American Association of Advertising Agencies
                   -Haldeman's past attendance
                   -Pebble Beach
      -Informal exchanges

Press briefings
      -Ziegler

               -Performance
               -Pattern
               -President's schedule
               -Stories
                     -George S. McGovern
               -Possible technique
               -Appointments
               -Events
               -Press
          -Choice of questions
          -Vietnam
          -Haldeman's possible conversation with Ziegler

     President's visit to Republican Governors' Conference
           -Television coverage
                 -Networks
           -Advantages for President

     Press coverage of President
           -President's meeting with American Society of Newspaper Editors [ASNE]
           -National Broadcasting Company [NBC]/Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
                 -Dan Rather
                       -Earth Day crowd

     Earth Day
          -Haldeman’s conversation with Rather
          -Crowd size
                -David S. Broder
          -Picture in newspaper
          -Networks

     President's meeting with ASNE
           -Television coverage
           -Applause

     President's visit to Republican Governors' Conference
           -Williamsburg
           -Reception

[Transcript #1: A transcript of the following portion of this conversation was prepared under
court order from December 1978 through March 1979 for Special Access 8, Ronald V. Dellums,

et al. v. James M. Powell, et al., No. 71-2271. The National Archives and Records
Administration produced this transcript. The National Archives does not guarantee its accuracy.]

[End of transcript]

           -Anti-war protestors
     President's meeting with Rio Grande High School students
           -Story
           -Hard work
           -Welfare recipients

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

[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 12/06/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[482-011-w001]
[Duration: 58s]

       The President’s family
              -Frank Nixon
              -Harold Nixon
                     -Health
                             -Tuberculosis
                                    -Length of illness
              -Hannah Milhous Nixon
                     -Prescott, Arizona
                     -Work
                             -With tuberculosis patients
                             -Duration
                     -Harold Nixon
                     -Menial labor

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

     Welfare recipients
          -Children
          -Men
          -Work

     -Do-gooders

Pictures of Edward C. Nixon's family
      -Ziegler
      -Children
            -Dresses
                  -Tricia Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower
      -Thelma C. (Ryan) (“Pat”) Nixon
      -Press
      -Magazines
            -Seventeen
            -Youth
      -Tricia Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower
            -Gowns
      -Ziegler
      -Constance M. (“Connie”) Stuart
      -Family Circle
      -Magazines
            -Readers Digest
            -Family Circle
            -Parade

President’s visit to Republican Governors Conference
     -Speech
     -John D. Ehrlichman
     -Welfare system

Earth Day
     -Environment
     -Picture in New York Times
     -Participants
           -Appearance
     -George Washington University
     -[Dwight] David, II and Julie Eisenhower
           -Comments on styles

President's visit to Republican Governors' Conference
      -Governors’ intentions
      -Forum
      -President's role
      -Vice President Spiro T. Agnew

          -Thomas W. Evans

     President's speeches
          -Possible speech before Congress
          -Preparation
          -Daughters of the American Revolution [DAR]

           -Significance
           -Dwight D. Eisenhower
           -John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson
           -Significance

     President’s forthcoming speech before US Chamber of Commerce, April 26, 1971
          -Media coverage
                -Television

     President's speeches
          -Reading
          -Frequency
          -Chamber of Commerce
          -Length
          -Press
          -Live audience
          -Advance text
          -Republican Governors' Conference
          -DAR
                 -Story about little old lady [Mrs. Paul W. Heatwole]
          -Flag
          -Seal in President's office

     Personnel
          -John S. Davies
               -Plans to resign
                     -Mrs. Nixon
                     -Hawaii

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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Previous PRMPA Privacy (D) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 12/06/2019. 36s segment

cleared for release. 3s remain closed as 482-011-w002.]
[Privacy]
[482-011-w002]
[Duration: 3s]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
**********************************************************************

[Privacy]
[482-011-w002]
[Duration: 36s]

       Personnel
              -John S. Davies
                     -Travel to Hawaii
                            -Robert H. Abplanalp
                            -Charles G. (“Bebe”) Rebozo
                     -Potential plans

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

     Personnel
          -Michael J. Farrell
               -Qualifications
               -Staff
          -Qualifications
          -1968 campaign
          -Davies
               -Job performance
               -Selection of assistants
                      -Kennedy staff
               -Plans

     President's schedule
           -Meeting with Nguyen Van Thieu
           -Midway
           -Davies
           -Trip to Hawaii

     Tricia Nixon's wedding
           -Flowers
           -Media coverage
                -Photos
                -Cameras
           -Mrs. Nixon

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

[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 12/05/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[482-011-w005]
[Duration: 36s]

       Tricia Nixon Cox’s wedding
               -Guest list
                      -Howard E. Cox, Jr. and Anne C. B. (Finch) Cox
                      -Size
                            -The President’s opinion

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

     Tricia Nixon Cox’s wedding
           -Guest list
                -Rules
                -Congressmen and Senators
                       -House assistants
                       -James T. Lynn

     Price
             -Assistants
                  -Speech writing

Haldeman left at 2:04 pm.

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

I didn't know he was coming back.
That's fine.
What was that?
One, four, two.
The thing to do is to go forward.
I got two of them.
That's a very good idea.
We have a bomb drawer.
Whoever is the head of the bomb drawer crowd, if they make it with
First of all, no excuse has to come.
No, again, there's so many, I mean, obviously, I'm afraid to take these.
I think there's one.
Okay, that's what I thought.
He should come.
He should come.
Again, very short.
There's not going to be any comments from the senators.
The others are, I mean, our assistant, he's an assistant, he's an assistant, he's an assistant, he's an assistant.
I'd like to do them all, but I just know that we're, I just know that we have a problem.
Now that we, by not having a price, you don't have to have a sack of iron.
Right.
Right.
And we're not ready.
We still have weekend.
I don't think we are.
It wouldn't matter if they let my children not do it.
It wouldn't have.
Well, I'm not sure it would have.
It doesn't share a price.
No.
She was here long before Price.
Well, Buchanan was here, actually, with Shelley.
She goes way back, and as much as he knows the kids were... You see, Hughes goes back, too, by the time they were born.
And Davies goes back that long, you see, John Davies.
And the family's friends, right?
Right?
No problem.
I think you've got a Peter Peterson in there.
I will understand.
I just never thought I'd have any Congressmen or Senators.
So, that's it.
Garmin's got to understand we're not having any Departments.
Right?
Yep.
Bill Cannon's got to understand we're not having any Departments.
Great.
And, uh, Kennedy.
Well, at least he's active.
I've got them to stay in their position.
This man fights me.
All of us, he's fine.
I'm not mad at him.
I didn't hit him.
I'm not supposed to hit him.
Three weeks ago, he's retired.
He didn't go to A1.
And he gets to be out of his ass.
Out of that office.
I mean out.
He didn't follow up.
He's probably a Democrat.
See, George actually wouldn't be dead.
I don't care who the hell it is.
He screwed it up.
He screwed it up.
He's to be fired.
We followed up.
I just asked him about these things and nothing ever happens.
That son of a bitch is to be fired.
You remember you just asked me about this.
You said that it wasn't quite true, but now...
This guy is to go.
Now then, I must check the pool, Doctor.
I'm not being unreasonable on that.
Isn't that what he has to do?
No.
Well, you're just a liar to some of them.
Yes, sir.
He did not follow the guidelines.
He did not do what we said.
He should be out on his ass.
I mean, he can't listen to me.
And that word should get her out today.
That's right.
That's what I know.
I don't know the president, by the way.
You know what I mean?
I don't know the son of a whore of those.
I don't know.
He got out because of his failure in that.
And I don't know the story of it.
I don't want to run by it.
Yeah.
That is the reason I don't know the story.
I wanted to get her out to the bureaucracy.
We've got some Republican Congressmen that's stuck in the pit.
The name is, is it a familiar name?
They do that in the morning and I'll bet you they don't have anything stuck in it.
They probably won't boot them.
Business does the same thing.
The American Association of Advertising Agencies, I used to go there three times a year.
It was the same damn thing.
We'd go to Pebble Beach or some place like that.
We were supposed to wrap people up.
We were together.
Not only did you get a little cross, you learn about a man.
That's one thing.
They talk to each other.
Also, you say, here's a good man.
You pick it up.
You support him.
I want him to work it out, but you've got to have a marketer.
He's not so conscientious that he feels on press briefings that they will be noticed if he ever drops one.
He must never worry about that.
I think he's got to establish a pattern where he never steps on our stories.
Now, he's very good at that when my schedule is concerned.
He says, you've got something to do with it.
before a press briefing, will they have everybody stuck on a story?
They'll ask him about McGarrett or some other guy.
That will do this.
Now, let this be the story for me.
Ron just said he can't.
He has to read.
He might point out, not all day.
Don't read all day.
Sorry, I almost said the story.
He said that.
What he does is, I mean, I don't want him to walk out there and say word one.
What he does is, he does that.
I don't know.
I have a few of them whenever we have an event.
I get them all over me.
in order to choose from.
They'll choose the caviar, leave sardines for us.
True.
I know these people.
Ron knows it.
But he knows, too, that the press, they love to have something to choose from.
They don't want to write a welfare story.
They want to write something about their time.
They'll never write a welfare story.
Exactly.
Great job.
I just want you to tell them I'm here.
Work it out as far as you can.
Don't stop on our stories.
Don't give them a choice.
Just going down the skin of Ben, all the insolvent people, you know, if you see the word 1510, don't mess up.
Don't be that huge bastard all the way across the window.
Of course, you can change it.
But that's the law of networks here and there.
I'll show you the law and the advantage.
The president starts to say that you can get a hell of a lot of people, at least a few people, period.
But even on the other side, you say you get one network, you should probably get all three.
That's how you might end up, right?
I mean, it's kind of the same situation.
And the officer said, it doesn't look like it's going to be your week, does it?
He said, what do you mean?
Look out here, it is only Monday morning.
You've already blown two big stories.
He said, well, the president isn't going to release you in college months today.
He says, I haven't had another spat.
And I certainly thought you were.
He said, well, you should ask somebody.
But I definitely wasn't.
I thought, well, what do you mean?
He said, well, the police just put out the crowd.
I said, what?
I think it was bigger than that.
That's what he said.
A lot closer to 5,000 than 25,000.
He said, well, I was just quoting, I just said the estimates range from 10 to 25.
And I said, yeah, about 50 and 25.
And I said, yeah, but nobody does it in less than 25 figures.
And I said, I was looking at the picture of it this morning.
You know, you put the grid on it.
It looks to me like about 5,000 or 5,500.
Yeah, it's not.
I mean, I haven't seen the picture.
I'm just lying.
But he, that's all right.
He had a little idea.
And we have to go on, I think.
I mean, I just thought of it, but we never really had a choice.
That's why, I don't know.
I think we were right the other side.
The other person didn't even realize what the other person said.
I got concerned he didn't do any harm enough to do it.
All it did was hate.
It was an honor.
That's the worst you can say about it, isn't it?
It's an honor.
And I applaud the other person.
But you get plenty of applause on other times.
It was impressive going in there to Williamsburg today.
Because that's a tourist film all over.
It's all the same.
It's just completely in front of the reception, but all the way along there.
Because they're out of class.
A couple of days in William and Mary with the Eastside, but even they weren't great.
Yeah, I don't know if you could ask me.
Can you?
How does it feel to be a worker at home?
Really?
I just smile at anyone around us, and they all just ignore it.
That shows it's an investment.
They just hate not to be paying attention to them.
That's my theory.
My theory is don't pay attention to them.
That's why I disagree with our convention.
I'm sorry.
Christ, man.
Rack with them.
What do you mean, rack with a fellow like that?
What the Christ are they talking about?
I'll rattle the kitchen wheel, Brian.
I wish I'd heard you, rather.
I wish I'd heard you, rather.
I wish I'd heard you, rather.
I wish I'd heard you, rather.
I wish I'd heard you, rather.
and not to be at the public trough.
That's my view.
I can talk you up.
I said, and he'll do all he can.
He can get out of it.
And I agree.
I will, I mean, call it heartless to the relevant humans.
I thought I am heartless.
Not to the kids.
But I thought to a man who won't be off his goddamn ass for a quarter of a woman.
Man who'd rather sit on her ass and draw welfare than to work at the school, than to work, do any kind of work, anything at all.
30% of the people in the country will agree exactly what they're doing.
At least.
At least.
Don't do this to them.
80%.
If you do that, why don't you do it for the reason?
Everybody's always done welfare.
And a lot of people who are in welfare do it.
Some of them, not a hell of a lot, because they've been thrown in the spirit of there's a hell of a lot.
But the new-goods, left-wing bastards, you don't want to just give to these things.
You've got to hold that zipper.
You've got to hold this picture.
I'm telling you, by all these people, of the two, that age two children, they dress them up and they're dressed in Christian Jewelry when they're in their lockers.
Thank you.
There's some classic pictures.
Whether they talk about the recent press that's out in March.
They call me as their caller.
I don't know whether it's press or whether it's a hell of a magazine thing.
Maybe it's the ladies.
Maybe there's a...
I'm not 17.
Maybe it was Luke.
It is an absolute piece of fantastic fiction.
The story of two little girls in a white hospital.
Yeah.
Who doesn't know?
What are
I had that as a tell-all story to someone.
Maybe family circles.
That's what I was just saying.
One of the mass magazines, mass circulation magazines.
And, you know, it's British.
I just sent a color.
It would be a great thing to have.
And it was a pretty small, big picture, you know, family circle.
Some mass, what it really means is some mass thing that creates this craving.
It's a good job.
It's a good job.
Angry, pushing hard on him, but I don't know what's wrong with him.
I've heard of him so much.
He's a pretty hard line.
By God, we need some hard line on there.
Father, I'm sorry.
I don't know what to do.
I know it's been a decade.
I know I've had the worst day of my life.
It's been a week, two.
You know, it's kind of just a little bit of the same.
He cut it off by that picture in the archive, just like I was.
Now I thought, it's a birthday.
I started living in a cottage in my school.
One of the beaches didn't have beer cans.
So I started living.
I'm a horrible bastard.
Well, I kind of swear to God, there was a very
Chaos!
They say hairstyles and so forth and so on.
All of a sudden, it changes.
It's changing.
I hear you, sir.
Yep.
Now, these are all the times.
The younger kids are catching up with them.
They get a slap.
The older kids are kind of giving up.
I'm just going to sit around and tell me how to go around the country.
I mean, why, bitch?
I'm just going down.
Use it.
That was before.
Men just be shithands with a man.
Get the hell out.
I'm sure you're pretty sure.
You know what I mean?
Ben, Tom Evans, all those guys move around in the...
You have a lot of events.
But I'm not going to play it in the evening and play some stuff in the night.
I'm going to read it and get out of there.
Not that we need it.
Good response.
I guess that's all I have to work for.
Just like the channel.
It was at 800 words in 2000.
With a little make because it's easier for me.
So you'll understand personally because I know it for the press.
Actually, the press wants a copy.
Yeah, but he hasn't answered back in a very good way.
Um, he's not at all okay.
He's not okay.
I can tell you that.
So, because it is easier, you don't lose anything.
I'll put it that way.
And, sure, what do you mean otherwise?
That's a major moment, but I think he's got as much of you as I do.
And you made the point, Joe, that you wanted to make.
Last night, what you said is going to make no difference.
I hope you're going to use that story of the little lady in the mid-flight.
I need her to use it.
Was it applied or was it that Steele?
Steele.
I know the text said applied.
So Steele was thinking the opposite.
Yeah.
I think so, yeah.
We have it right.
So all these changes were done.
Yeah.
Yeah.
If that's the one, maybe it was, did someone give you applied also?
I don't remember.
Direction.
Well now, do you have anybody in mind?
He's strongly...
I told him that.
I told him that he's the best man in the job.
But it's nice to know where she got it.
Capable, most young man, very personal.
One thing about Paige is she's good.
She's smart.
She makes pretty girls to show people around.
I mean, pretty girls.
She's not unattractive.
Yeah, I mean, she's good.
I got an idea that it would be a nice touch right now.
You know, we are not in this meeting.
It's midway.
Why can't we go on?
I don't know why.
I don't know why.
I don't know why.
I don't know why.
I don't know why.
They're going to grow white flowers in the garden on purpose.
They're all up here.
It will be the next thing we're talking about.
Oh, it's ideal for covers to be in the roof.
There's another character on your way.
That means you have to do stuff to complete the conference as fast as you can.
There's no way you can do it, except to do it by certain rules.
Oh, there's no way.
There's no way.
where each individual talks to people like Munch and others who would normally be invited to say that libraries can't have apartments if you know what I mean.
He's got another one that he's set.