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Conversation 494-008

TapeTape 494StartSaturday, May 8, 1971 at 1:55 PMEndSaturday, May 8, 1971 at 2:40 PMTape start time03:00:56Tape end time03:09:38ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Recording deviceOval Office
AI Summary

President Nixon dictates a memorandum to H. R. Haldeman regarding the administration's public image and the necessity of projecting stronger, more decisive leadership. Nixon expresses frustration with how the press portrays his administration, specifically regarding demonstrations and his handling of domestic policy, and instructs Haldeman to coordinate with staff like John Scali to counter narratives of indecisiveness. The President emphasizes the need for public figures like Spiro Agnew and John Mitchell to take a more aggressive stance to solidify support for the administration's position against disruptive demonstrators.

Public RelationsPress RelationsLeadershipDomestic PolicyDemonstrationsSpiro Agnew
AudioNARA Description

On May 8, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:55 pm and 2:40 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 494-008 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 494-8

Date: May 8, 1971
Time: Unknown between 1:55 pm and 2:40 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President dictated a memorandum to H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.

[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]

     Washington, D.C. demonstrations
         -President's position

     Leadership
          -Agnew
          -President's press conferences
                -Welfare issue
          -President's Williamsburg speech
          -President's Chamber of Commerce speech

     Press
          -Charles W. Colson, Ronald L. Ziegler, John A. Scali and Haldeman meeting
                -Scali's position
          -White House handling
                -Image of President
          -President's opponents
                -Image of President
     Leadership
          -President's foreign and domestic accomplishments
                -Press

     Public opinion polls
          -President's position vis-a-vis Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy on law and order
          -Public opinion
Transcript (AI-Generated)

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.

What's that?
Nobody.
to include a number four, which would have answered my, uh, error.
That was true.
To, uh, error just about right.
And it's, uh,
In other words, get the same question on with regard to the president that we have with regard to the police forces.
Paragraph.
I want to reiterate my questions to you this morning.
Search for a way, and not just through, and not just through background receipt, or identification with the, that is, the identification of our end, our end, against, uh, disrupting demonstrators.
through statements by Mitchell, Agnew, and congressmen, as well as congressmen and senators.
Two, we have tended to be pristine, hard, so close to the question of press corps.
We tend to get the worst of both worlds.
Ten statements which take the
Those who support the demonstrators do not come on strong enough to attack our own forces.
It's one of those issues where people see it pretty much in black and white terms.
Good guy, bad guy issues.
Particularly TV.
of support for, as they are quite aware, the worst position we could be in.
From here, for context, this is a problem we have on a number of issues.
It knows very well my standard, but they realize that my position may be unpopular on the
The story is in a way that might appear to be strong one way or another.
What it really gets down to is the craving of people for strong leadership in places like this.
I think it has.
And some months ago, much of which he has retained up until this time, that he appeared firm and outspoken and agreed with all of his positions.
I tend to pick them off.
And this is when I get to hit the head on the press conference, which cannot be more than once a month.
I can correct this on a well-informed issue.
It was interesting to note that the press, uh, played it up the first time I made the point at Williamsburg, thinking it would probably hurt us, but then realizing that it was having the opposite effect, totally ignored the point when I repeated it again in the Chamber of Commerce, once in the medium of whatever possible.
that he will not take a strong position one way or another.
He's dodging the public, et cetera.
This is not true, but they also know.
That's why it hurts.
I want you to have a closer look on this paper in Scali.
Use your judgment as to the extent you want to discuss this matter with Scali.
If you have a need to close off on the press, close parentheses the problem.
is that we have not really recognized, underline word, recognized the problem.
So, let's begin here and see what we can do to strong and true oppression of our own leadership and purpose on the sea.
To add to that,
The problem in general is related to other issues.
We've been clear and decisive, very decisive in this conversation about the possible and in these discussions that we'll be clever people in the press who may be our opponents necessarily, and that we're not, to fight us straight out
They will discuss it in such a way, an image of indecisiveness and weak leadership.
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