Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 496 › Conversation 496-012
Nixon, Haldeman & Bull on Demonstrations and Public Relations
Monday, May 10, 1971 · 2:40 PM–3:08 PM ET · Oval Office · 30 min
AI Summary
President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman met to discuss administration messaging, the President's upcoming schedule, and strategies for managing domestic protests. The two explored firm tactics for handling future demonstrations, including the potential for martial law and mandatory bonds for protest permits, while also criticizing current press briefing practices. Additionally, the President reviewed his legislative goals and the need to craft a more compelling narrative for his "New American Revolution" agenda to better compete with the legacy of Lyndon Johnson's "Great Society."
- Demonstrations
- Public Relations
- Presidential Schedule
- Vietnam War
- Great Society
- Martial Law
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 19 minutes of this recording (about 65% of it) is represented by only a few words. Listen to the audio rather than relying on the text below; a corrected transcript is queued.
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NARA Description
On May 10, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:40 pm to 3:08 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 496-012 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 496-012
Date: May 10, 1971
Time: 2:40 pm - 3:08 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
**********************************************************************
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 05/17/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[496-012-w001]
[Duration: 48s]
Rogers C. B. Morton
-History of the Republican Party project
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman’s opinion
-Action
-Robert J. Dole
-Authorization of research
**********************************************************************
[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,
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542
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]
President's schedule
-Plans for radio speeches
-President's review
-Possible forthcoming press conference
-Patrick J. Buchanan's schedule
-Possible radio speech
-Senior Citizens Week
-A Florida event
-Possible radio speech
-Demonstrations
Cancer program
-Congress
-Announcement
-Responsibility
-National Institutes of Health [NIH], President
-Announcement
-President
-Elliot L. Richardson
Agency briefings
-President's role
-Role of Richardson and others
-President's role
-Press
Henry A. Kissinger's briefing
-Press
Press briefings
-John A. Scali, Ronald L. Ziegler
-Length
Demonstrations
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542
-William L. Safire
[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]
President's conversation with Kissinger
Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
-President’s trip
-Plans
-Kissinger
-Soviet interests
-William P. Rogers
-A Reply
Vietnam
-Negotiations
-Le Duan
-Moscow
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Kissinger
-Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
-Prospects
Berlin negotiations
People's Republic of China [PRC]
-Initiative
-Kissinger
Vietnam
-US combat role
-Negotiations
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542
-Nguyen van Thieu
-Kissinger
-Timing
-US position
-Le Duan
PRC initiative
Rogers
President's schedule
-Republican congressmen
-Meeting with Rogers
-Press photo coverage
-Republican congressmen
-Possible breakfast
-William M. Colmer's luncheon, May 11, 1971
-Leslie C. Arends
-Gerald R. Ford
-Number
-Timing of President's meeting
-Colmer luncheon
-Carl B. Albert
-Possible breakfast
-Cabinet meeting
-Rogers’ trip report
-Maurice H. Stans's trip report
-Rogers' trip report
-An East Room event
-Meetings with Congressmen
-Supersonic Transport [SST]
-John A. Volpe
-Cabinet meeting
-Staff meetings
-An event
-Scali, Safire
-Possible speech by President[?]
-Theme
-Lyndon B. Johnson Library dedication
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542
-William F. (“Billy”) Graham
-Florida or Washington departure
-Graham's schedule
-North Carolina
-Possible flight plans
Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 2:40 pm
President’s schedule
-President's signature
-Photographs
-Rose Mary Woods
-Secretaries
-Woods
Bull left at an unknown time before 3:08 pm
President's schedule
-Johnson Library dedication
-Graham's schedule
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-President's departure from Florida
-Presidential plane
-Graham's[?] schedule
-Florida
-Florida
George P. Shultz's schedule
-May 10, 1971 staff dinner
-Return from a trip
-Lunch with Fortune magazine staff
President’s schedule
-Upcoming meeting with Ehrlichman
**********************************************************************
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 05/17/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[496-012-w003]
[Duration: 1m 12s]
1972 campaign
-Ronald W. Reagan [?]
-Political orientation of public opinion
-Moving right
-California youth
-Work with President's organization
-Mobilize his people
**********************************************************************
Public opinion
-President's policies
-California
-Kissinger's report
-Washington
-Compared with Johnson's "Great Society"
-Johnson Library opening publicity
-"Great Society"
-Revenue sharing, welfare reform, government reorganization, environmental
reform
-"New American Revolution"
-Raymond K. Price, Jr., Safire
-Public relations
-Accomplishments
-Population issue, Urban Affairs Council, food programs
-A slogan
-Law and order theme
-Washington, D.C. demonstrations
-Ziegler
-Wilson
-Effectiveness
-Ziegler
Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542
-Wilson's statement
Haldeman left at 3:08 pmAlso recorded on May 10, 1971
- 496-005 12:46 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:46 pm to 12:48 pm.
- 496-006 12:48 PM · 32 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:48 pm and 12:57 pm.
- 496-007 12:48 PM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:48 pm and 12:57 pm.
- 496-008 12:48 PM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:48 pm and 12:57 pm.
- 496-009 12:57 PM · 30 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:57 pm to 1:30 pm.
- 496-010 1:30 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:30 pm and 2:35 pm.
- 496-011 2:35 PM · 14 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:35 pm to 2:39 pm.
- 496-013 3:08 PM · 1 hr 45 min — President Richard M. Nixon, John D. Ehrlichman, Kathleen O'Melia, Ann Broomell, Tara O'Donahue, White House photographer, George P. Shultz, unknown person(s), Clark MacGregor, Stephen B. Bull, Ronald L. Ziegler, William P. Rogers, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:08 pm to 4:53 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 496-012, May 10, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/496-012 (accessed October 12, 2026).