President Nixon met with Republican congressional leadership, including Hugh Scott and Gerald Ford, to coordinate the administration’s messaging on key domestic and economic issues. The discussion focused on framing the recent mass arrests of anti-war protesters as a necessary measure to maintain public order against vandalism. Additionally, the President urged the leaders to publicly support the Lockheed loan guarantee as a critical initiative for protecting peacetime jobs, aiming to preempt political opposition from Democratic rivals.
On May 4, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Hugh Scott, Gerald R. Ford, Leslie C. Arends, Clark MacGregor, Herbert G. Klein, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:04 am to 10:12 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 490-011 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 490-11
Date: May 4, 1971
Time: 10:04 am - 10:12 am
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Hugh Scott, Gerald R. Ford, Leslie C. Arends, Clark MacGregor, and
Herbert G. Klein; this recording begins at an unknown time while the meeting is in progress.
[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]
Ronald L. Ziegler entered at an unknown time during the transcribed portion.
President's previous meeting with Republican leadership
-Administration's domestic program
-Revenue sharing
-Public relations
-Leaders statement
-Lockheed
-Leaders comments
-John B. Connally and President's remarks
-Employment
-President’s view
-“Peacetime jobs”
-Ziegler's possible statement
-Statement by leadership
-Connally’s forthcoming statement
-Birch Bayh, John V. Tunney, Hubert H. Humphrey, and
Conv.
Edmund
No. 490-24
S. Muskie
(cont.)
-Supersonic Transport [SST]
[Transcript #2: 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]
[General conversation]
Klein's appearance on "Morning Show"
Scott, Ford, Arends, MacGregor, Ziegler and Klein left at 10:12 am.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.