Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 505 › Conversation 505-005

Nixon & Butterfield on King Faisal and State Luncheon

Wednesday, May 26, 1971 · 12:13 PM–12:20 PM ET · Oval Office ·4 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Butterfield, Alexander P.Conversation505-005 onTape 505 (tape position 01:54:08–01:59:43)StartWednesday, May 26, 1971 at 12:13 PMEndWednesday, May 26, 1971 at 12:20 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 505-005 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with Alexander P. Butterfield to finalize the logistical and protocol arrangements for an upcoming working lunch with King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. Nixon directed Butterfield to increase the guest list to approximately 40 congressional members and industry figures, including those from the oil sector, to maximize political engagement. The President also established specific rules for the event, including a strict three-course menu, a champagne-only beverage policy, and a directive that the interpreter should not translate his English remarks during the toast.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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I'm going to have to tell you of some temporary decisions I've made on the state of the country.
All right, more than I was established yesterday.
Alex, I'm not going to waste my time working.
I just have a lot of work to do.
Put it around the, if he wants to meet a lot of people, put it around the, just stay down, you know, 40 people around the square table and stuff like that.
You just have to call and put your money on it at that time.
I thought you'd approve the 18.
I thought that you'd approve it, but we can certainly add to it.
They've only got, you know, they've got comedy and much bad.
This is a chance to get us together.
I want to see it.
I'd add, I'd go up to, I'd get on the phone and add, and get up to 30, 30 to 40 people, you know what I'm saying?
That'd be a lot more, a little like March, yeah.
Okay, so we've got, there's no formal, it's just an announcement, it's just a blue line.
We've got a short period of air, sherry, and fruit juice in the blue room.
All right.
String ensemble on the outside.
All right.
You want to stay down here.
I'm going to sit down.
No friends, only Ollie.
Sharky, get a few crutches as you sit down.
All right.
Only one wine, but more than that would be pretty heavy if I should look at it.
Just have champagne.
Just champagne, okay?
Nothing else.
All right, champagne.
You'll give a short toast with your sugar, and he'll respond.
He'll speak English.
He does speak English, but they think if he's going to say any new substance, he's going to use the interpreter.
How many people seem to think that?
I never used the interpreter.
You understand?
Do we?
Do you remember our rule?
Never interpret what I say.
Yes, sir.
Do you remember that?
Yeah.
So we never do that.
If he speaks in the other language, interpret what he says, but don't interpret my stuff in English.
Just read it.
And then copy it and take it and do it again.
Can I have this thing now?
Good.
Uh, three courses only.
Not any four.
No, three courses only.
Five o'clock.
Yeah.
They're having a sand and fish course in a small club in the desert.
I'm not sure what it is.
You've got to go there and sit here.
One wine or three, never two.
Just one.
We've always said, just champagne.
That's the, that's what you have as a broiler.
Just champagne.
Nothing else.
It is served with champagne.
We'll let it move that way.
We'll let it move that way.
I'd add 10 or 12 if you can find them.
There's a chance you can get ahold of McGregor's instrument.
You can add 20 for that matter.
I mean, make it up to 40.
I mean, we ain't gonna sit around working on this bunch of bullshit.
Nobody talks.
I mean, nobody talks in that kind of event.
Even I don't talk.
Just sit 40 of them.
Let them all sit around and get things.
They've got a chance to get some coverage.
So I'm just gonna have to show you the ones that are semi-semitic and the best.
But some of our guys have done a good job for us, particularly the conservative side, those that have done a good job for us.
Get them a graver and say, here's a chance to get 20 congressmen to watch.
Fair enough.
This is good.
If there's any big shot, nobody can oil.
It shouldn't happen to oil people, but if you have some oil people, it's going to be good.
Rock holders.
No, we just walk around.
No, no, no, no.
If we have 40, we'll stand there and let them come around.
We must not walk around like that.
We'll walk in first.
We'll just walk in, stand around, let them come around, go right in and sit down.
If I can run the thing out, it's an hour and a half a weekend.
All right.

NARA Description

On May 26, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:13 pm to 12:20 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 505-005 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 505-005

Date: May 26, 1971
Time: 12:13 pm - 12:20 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Alexander P. Butterfield.

     Luncheon

            -Working lunch for Malik Faisal ibn Abd al-Aziz al-Saud [Faisal, King of Saudi
                  Arabia], May 27, 1971
            -Number of guests
            -Program
            -Seating in the State Dining Room
            -Number
            -John B. Connally
            -Spiro T. Agnew
            -Number
            -Announcement
                  -Blue Room
            -Refreshments
            -Entertainment
            -State Dining Room
            -Press
                  -Oliver F. (“Ollie”) Atkins
            -President's toast
                  -Response by King Faisal
                        -Interpreter
                  -Interpreter
            -Refreshments
            -Food
            -Refreshments
            -Clark MacGregor
            -Number
            -Working lunch

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

[Previous National Security (B) withdrawal reviewed under MDR guidelines case number
LPRN-T-MDR-2014-026. Segment declassified on 04/26/2019. Archivist: DR]
[National Security]
[505-005-w002]
[Duration: 6s]

     Luncheon
          -Working lunch
              -Congressional attendees

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

     Luncheon
          -Conservatives
          -MacGregor
          -Oil people
                -Nelson A. Rockefeller
          -Receiving line
                -Alternative
          -Duration

Butterfield left at 12:20 pm.

Also recorded on May 26, 1971

  • 003-127 11:07 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon, William P. Rogers, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 11:07 am to 11:11 am.
  • 003-128 11:11 AM · 19 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:11 am and 1:30 pm.
  • 505-006 12:20 PM · 22 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Ronald L. Ziegler, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:20 pm and 12:43 pm.
  • 505-007 12:43 PM · 27 min — President Richard M. Nixon, David K. E. Bruce, Henry A. Kissinger, White House photographer, and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:43 pm to 1:17 pm.
  • 505-010 1:22 PM · 13 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:22 pm and 1:37 pm.
  • 505-008 1:25 PM · 48 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:25 pm to 1:26 pm.
  • 505-009 1:26 PM · 24 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:26 pm and 1:30 pm.
  • 003-129 1:30 PM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 1:30 pm.

All 83 conversations from May 26, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 505-005, May 26, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/505-005 (accessed September 18, 2026).