Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 519
Nixon White House Tape 519 (June 14, 1971)
19 conversations · Oval Office · about 5 hr 20 min of released audio
Featuring Nixon, Bull, Woods, Butterfield, Sanchez
President Nixon met with H.R. Haldeman and other staff members to address the political fallout from the publication of the Pentagon Papers and to plan the administration's defensive response. The discussion centered on delegitimizing the leaks by implicating the Brookings Institution and framing the disclosure as a moral failure of the intellectual community and the previous administration. Additionally, the President and his staff managed logistical details regarding his upcoming summer schedule, including travel to California, Florida, and Camp David, while coordinating his public relations strategy for a television documentary on his drug initiatives.
President Nixon met with Stephen B. Bull in the Oval Office to briefly coordinate the President's daily schedule. The primary focus of the discussion was confirming an upcoming appointment with John D. Ehrlichman. The brief exchange served as an administrative check-in to manage the President's immediate agenda.
President Nixon and John Ehrlichman held a brief, cryptic discussion regarding potential personnel changes involving CIA Director Richard M. Helms. The conversation centers on the administration's skepticism regarding Helms's ability to fulfill specific requirements or maintain a desired focus. No formal decision was finalized during this one-minute exchange.
President Nixon met with Peter G. Peterson, Harry S. Dent, and Peter M. Flanigan to formulate a strategy for ongoing international textile trade negotiations. The participants discussed securing favorable import terms with Taiwan and Japan while navigating the political interference of Representative Wilbur D. Mills, who was reportedly pushing for a quota bill to bolster his own political ambitions. The group decided to pursue a conditional agreement that secures the best possible terms for the industry, followed by a coordinated effort to pressure domestic industry leaders into public and legislative support to avoid a politically damaging confrontation with Congress.
President Nixon held an Oval Office meeting with Jayne B. Spain, Robert E. Hampton, and several guests to preside over the swearing-in ceremony for Spain as a Civil Service Commissioner. Following the ceremony, the President emphasized the importance of eliminating sex discrimination in federal hiring. He directed the commission to ensure fairness and actively identify talented women for advancement into senior government positions.
President Nixon met with his aide Stephen B. Bull to review and organize his daily schedule. The brief discussion focused on coordinating upcoming meetings with General Alexander M. Haig, Jr. and Secretary of State William P. Rogers. The encounter concluded quickly after these logistical arrangements were confirmed.
President Nixon met with William P. Rogers, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and Ronald L. Ziegler to coordinate an administration response to the publication of the Pentagon Papers. The participants discussed strategies to minimize the perceived impact of the leaks by emphasizing that the papers represented an internal Department of Defense study rather than a consensus view of the administration, while concurrently highlighting the President's commitment to a new, independent Vietnam policy. They also addressed broader diplomatic issues, including NATO relations, arms limitation negotiations with the Soviet Union, and personnel transitions involving key foreign service positions.
President Nixon and H.R. Haldeman reviewed the President's upcoming schedule, focusing on legislative management regarding Vietnam-related amendments and securing unanimous Republican support. They also coordinated meetings with congressional leadership, various cabinet members, and administrative staff to address political strategy and media narratives. Additionally, the pair discussed private logistical concerns regarding the President’s travel to California and expressed personal frustrations regarding family acquaintances, specifically Helene and Jack Drown, whose presence the President wished to minimize during his time at the San Clemente residence.
President Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, and Alexander P. Butterfield met to coordinate the President's upcoming travel and social schedule while managing personal frustrations regarding certain acquaintances, specifically Jack and Helene Drown. The discussion focused on changing travel plans to avoid the Drowns, balancing the President’s need for privacy with First Lady Pat Nixon's social obligations, and addressing media criticism regarding the President’s workload. Nixon and Woods also briefly touched upon White House gift policies and past administrative practices.
President Nixon met with Stephen B. Bull and an unidentified individual to briefly discuss matters regarding the President's daily schedule. The interaction was limited to administrative logistics and scheduling coordination. No substantive policy discussions or significant political decisions were recorded during this brief exchange.
President Nixon met with his key economic advisors—John Connally, George Shultz, Paul McCracken, and Arthur Burns—to assess the sluggish state of the economy and deliberate on potential government interventions. The discussion centered on rising inflation, the psychological impact of economic news, high interest rates, and the growing public frustration regarding wage costs. The group debated the timing and feasibility of implementing wage and price controls, ultimately reaching a consensus to maintain a defensive posture while preparing to apply pressure on the steel industry and other key sectors to curb inflationary expectations.
President Nixon held a meeting in the Oval Office with an unidentified individual, though the specific nature of their discussion remains obscured due to the lack of a transcript and the unintelligible audio recording. Given the total absence of documentation regarding the substance of the exchange, no specific policy developments, directives, or action items can be verified from this interaction. Consequently, the meeting stands as a lacuna in the historical record of the Nixon administration.
President Nixon met with staff members Stephen Bull, Alexander Butterfield, and Secretary of Labor James Hodgson to discuss the television coverage of a recent wedding. The participants reviewed the broadcast, with the President expressing particular satisfaction regarding the production quality and timing of the footage. Nixon concluded the brief meeting by requesting that the segment be replayed for an additional thirty minutes.
President Nixon met with Republican congressional leaders, including Gerald Ford and Leslie Arends, to discuss strategies for defeating proposed legislative amendments that would mandate a withdrawal date for U.S. troops in Vietnam. The President emphasized that setting a legislative deadline would undermine sensitive, ongoing, and potentially critical negotiations, while also damaging the U.S. position regarding the return of prisoners of war. Nixon and the leadership agreed to maintain a firm stance against these anti-war resolutions to protect executive authority and preserve bargaining power, while assuring the lawmakers that the administration remained committed to ending the war and ensuring political success for the party.
President Nixon met with Henry Kissinger and U.S. negotiator Kenneth Rush to review high-stakes foreign policy developments, including progress on secret channels regarding the People's Republic of China and sensitive negotiations over Berlin. The discussion emphasized the need to link various diplomatic issues, such as the Berlin Agreement and Mutual and Balanced Force Reduction (MBFR) talks, to prevent the Soviets from isolating or dividing Western allies. Nixon directed the team to maintain strategic pressure and prepare for an upcoming meeting with West German Chancellor Willy Brandt, while acknowledging the importance of Rush's role in the ongoing negotiations.
President Nixon initiates a brief request for the White House operator to place a call to George Shultz. This interaction serves as a functional step to facilitate communication with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. No policy discussions or substantive developments occur during this brief administrative exchange.
In this meeting, President Nixon and Rose Mary Woods discuss personal and administrative matters, including the recent wedding of Tricia Nixon Cox and Edward R. F. Cox. The President and Woods exchange views on positive media coverage, specifically a recent Life magazine cover, while criticizing negative press commentary from reporters. Additionally, the President discusses upcoming scheduling logistics and expresses a desire to minimize future social contact with individuals he views as difficult, such as the Drown family.
President Nixon met with his aide, Stephen B. Bull, to conduct a review and discussion regarding the President’s upcoming daily schedule. The conversation focused on logistical planning and the arrangement of official appointments within the White House calendar. No major policy decisions or significant developments were recorded during this brief administrative briefing.
President Nixon met with United States Secret Service agents in the Oval Office to discuss security logistics while he was operating out of the Executive Office Building. The conversation focused on the coordination and protection protocols required during this period of transition. The meeting concluded with the agents departing the office prior to 2:59 pm.