Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 504 › Conversation 504-011

Nixon, Haldeman & Butterfield on Congressional relations

Thursday, May 27, 1971 · 2:42 PM ET · Oval Office ·2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Butterfield, Alexander P.Conversation504-011 onTape 504 (tape position 03:08:32–03:10:22)StartThursday, May 27, 1971 at 2:42 PMEndThursday, May 27, 1971 at 2:42 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 504-011 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon, H. R. Haldeman, and Alexander Butterfield met to coordinate the President's upcoming schedule, specifically balancing congressional social engagements with official duties. They discussed the logistics of a congressional mixer and the necessity of rescheduling certain events to accommodate a visit from Nicaraguan President Anastasio Somoza Debayle. The group decided to shift the congressional event to the following week to ensure proper planning and to account for the President’s travel to California.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Well, having a command.

Hello.

Yeah.

Would you check on that view, the CNM thing?

I think it's the way they know it's coming that I, that we pick a time for that, you know?

And what do they need?

They need a Wednesdays?

What day?

I think it is.

We'll find out a day and pick out one.

I wouldn't mind doing it, say, next Wednesday, for example, I guess, unless we do that congressional thing.

You said the next one, see, we can't do the congressional thing.

What are we planning next Wednesday?

Are we planning to do the congressional thing next Wednesday?

That's what I meant.

What about that one?

Yeah, I think it is, because this is not the kind of reading where you bring them down, you know, it's the kind of thing where there should be more leisure, where they can have a little talk.

Well, just set up the following week if you can.

That would be a good time.

And then also could you check out the CNN that Blair's doing and then push that one for the following week.

But if you get people dates, you know, you don't have to do nothing that way.

I know, I know, but hey.

Yeah.

We've got a perfect excuse.

I've got to have the samosas in there and I've got to see samosas too.

Except we'll be gone.

We're going to be gone in a minute.

We'll be fine.

NARA Description

On May 27, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at 2:42 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 504-011 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 504-11

Date: May 27, 1971
Time: 2:42 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President talked with H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman; Alexander P. Butterfield can be heard in the
background.

     Wiliam P. Rogers

     President's schedule
          -C and M [Congressional mixer?]
                 -Meets on Wednesday
                 -President's attendance
          -Congressional event
          -President's schedule for next Wednesday

                 -Congressional event
           -Briefing
           -Melvin R. Laird
           -Anastasio Somoza Debayle visit
           -President’s forthcoming trip to California

Also recorded on May 27, 1971

504-007 12:05 PM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:05 pm and 12:10 pm.
504-008 12:10 PM · 45 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Henry A. Kissinger, Stephen B. Bull, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:10 pm to 1:00 pm.
504-009 2:32 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:32 pm to 2:35 pm.
504-010 2:39 PM · 32 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:39 pm to 2:42 pm.
504-012 2:42 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at 2:42 pm.
504-013 2:42 PM · 1 hr 21 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, William P. Rogers, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:42 pm to 4:26 pm.
504-014 4:26 PM · 21 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:26 pm and 4:28 pm.
504-015 4:28 PM · 2 hr 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, Egil ("Bud") Krogh, Jr., John D. Ehrlichman, Frederic V. Malek, Elliot L. Richardson, unknown person(s), H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:28 pm to 6:38 pm.

All 20 conversations from May 27, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 504-011, May 27, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/504-011 (accessed September 18, 2026).