President Nixon met with H.R. Haldeman, Henry Kissinger, and John Ehrlichman to coordinate the administration's multifaceted response to the unauthorized publication of the Pentagon Papers. The discussion focused on managing public perception through declassification strategies, navigating legislative challenges like the Mansfield amendment, and addressing legal actions against the New York Times. Additionally, the participants reviewed international diplomatic efforts, including upcoming negotiations with the Soviet Union and China, while also discussing the logistics of a meeting with business leaders and outreach to Senator Allen Ellender regarding Radio Free Europe.
On June 22, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:48 pm to 1:50 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 527-003 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 527-3
Date: June 22, 1971
Time: 1:48 pm - 1:50 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with an unknown woman.
Request for John D. Ehrlichman
An unknown woman left at an unknown time before 1:50 pm.
Conv
Conversation
No. 527-11
No.(cont.)
527-4
Date: June 22, 1971
Time: 1:50 pm - 3:07 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Alexander P. Butterfield and H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
Schedule
-Henry A. Kissinger
Kissinger
-Conversation with Haldeman
-Haldeman conversation with William P. Rogers
Butterfield left at 1:54 pm.
Pentagon Papers
-Poll
An unknown woman entered at an unknown time after 1:54 pm.
Meeting with John D. Ehrlichman
-Kissinger
The unknown woman left at an unknown time before 1:55 pm.
Pentagon Papers
-Poll
-Implications
-New York Times story as an issue
-View of printing stolen documents
-Times’ moral position
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[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 01/17/2020.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[527-004-w001]
[Duration: 5s]
Conv No. 527-11 (cont.)
President’s schedule
-Policies [?]
**********************************************************************
Haldeman spoke with an unknown person at an unknown time after 1:54 pm.
[Conversation No. 527-4B]
Scheduling
[End of conversation]
United States Information Agency [USIA]
-Chain of command
-Frank J. Shakespeare
-Kissinger contact
-Haldeman's contact
-Robert B. Anderson
-President's conversation with Shakespeare
-Shakespeare's self-image
-Support for Nixon
-Relationship with Department of State
Ehrlichman and Kissinger entered at 1:55 pm.
Kissinger's schedule
President's schedule
-Camp David visit
-Return to Washington
-Shipbuilding contract signing ceremony
-Kissinger's schedule
-Budget session
-Kissinger's schedule
-Possible short notice trip
Kissinger’s meeting with Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
-Berlin negotiations
-Linkage of administrations over Vietnam
-Summit
-Soviet Union decision Conv No. 527-11 (cont.)
-Scheduling of summit
-Dobrynin report
-Leonid I. Brezhnev's schedule
-Visit to Germany
-Timing of summit
-US and People’s Republic of China [PRC] contacts
-Onus of cancellation
-Brezhnev travels
-Implications
-Cancellation of Moscow summit
-Role of PRC summit
US and PRC relations
-Message from PRC to US
-Arrangements for upcoming trip
US and Soviet Union relations
Anti-war amendments
-Marlow W. Cook-Ted Stevens amendment
-Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield amendment
-Clark MacGregor and leadership group
-Voting on Mansfield proposal
-Status of Mansfield amendment
-Kissinger's conversations
-Robert W. Packwood
-Jack R. Miller
-Winston L. Prouty
-William E. Brock, III
-Howard H. Baker
-Stevens-Cook reference
-Discussion of administration needs
-Effect of amendments on negotiations
-Future events
Vietnam negotiations
-Le Duc Tho arrival in Paris
-Timing
-Rationale
US strategic plans
-US and PRC relations Conv No. 527-11 (cont.)
-US domestic turmoil
-Effect on PRC
-Effect on Hanoi
-Effect on Moscow
-Published articles on Pentagon Papers
-Peking comments
-Kissinger’s monitoring of the press
Congressional activities
-Kissinger's contact with Senators
-Mansfield status
-Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty
-Legal status
-Allen J. Ellender
-Call by President to Ellender
-Ramifications
-Timing
-Talking points
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[Previous National Security (B) withdrawal reviewed under MDR guidelines case number
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[National Security]
[527-004-w005]
[Duration: 6s]
Congressional activities
-Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty
-Call by President to Allen J. Ellender
-Request for continuing resolution
-Central Intelligence Agency [CIA] role
******************************************************************************
Congressional activities
-Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty
-Call by President to Allen J. Ellender
-Prior contact with Ellender
-Support for call Conv No. 527-11 (cont.)
-U. Alexis Johnson
-George P. Shultz
-Richard M. Helms
-Other remedies
-USIA
-House of Representatives
Pentagon Papers
-Stewart J.O. Alsop
-President's status
-Administration obstacles
-John F. Kennedy administration
-Times action
-Administration response
-Weekly news publications
-Administration standing
-Kissinger attendance at Department of State reception
-John N. Hightower retirement
-Paul W. Ward retirement
-Chalmers Roberts
-Demeanor of newsmen
-Press
-Whitney North Seymour, Jr.
-Prosecution of Times
-Seymour
-US Attorney
-Need for public relations points
-John N. Mitchell
-Melvin R. Laird
-William P. Rogers
-Declassification action
-Scope
-White House and Department of Defense [DOD] procedure
-Precedent
-Ehrlichman’s efforts
[Ehrlichman talked with Laird at an unknown time between 1:55 pm and 2:43 pm]
[Conversation No. 527-4A]
[Unintelligible]
[End of telephone conversation] Conv No. 527-11 (cont.)
Pentagon Papers
-Declassification action at DOD
-White House and DOD procedure
-Mansfield
-Carl B. Albert
-Associated Press [AP] story
-Public perception
-Robert McNamara's papers
-Albert
-Laird and Rogers meeting with Albert
-Mitchell
-Mansfield and President meeting
-Albert
-Laird
-Action
-Laird and Rogers action
-Laird leaks
-Scope of declassification action
-Laird meeting with Senate Foreign Relations Committee
-Effect on legal action
-Laird and Rogers action
-Ehrlichman and Laird conversation
-Albert request for documents
-President's meeting with Albert, [Thomas] Hale Boggs, and
Mansfield
-Preferred action
-Mansfield breakfast
-Clark M. MacGregor
-Mansfield's resolution
-Timing
-Mansfield’s position
-Timing of other events
-Leaders meeting
-“Big Five” Committee chairman
-Pentagon Papers discussion
-Cook-Stevens amendment vote
-Mansfield amendment vote
-Benefits of changing Mansfield's breakfast
-Rogers’ attendance
-Call from MacGregor to Kissinger
-Rogers Conv No. 527-11 (cont.)
-Mitchell's knowledge
-MacGregor conversation with Mitchell
-Source of administration decision on declassification
-President
-Laird
-Rationale for action
-Laird's action
-Laird and Rogers action
-Options for action by President
-”Big Five” Committee chairman
-Need for proper public relations
-Mansfield
-Results of Laird statements
-Ronald L. Ziegler's briefing
-Instruction from President to the Secretary of Defense
-Congressional access to papers
-Leaders meeting
-Play on evening news
-Rogers and Laird action
-Reflection on discipline
-Laird and Rogers action
-Laird's statement
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Identification of declassifiable papers
-Patrick J. Buchanan
-Speech
-Legal action
-Focus on declassifiable papers
-Times view
-Chicago Tribune call for declassification
-Declassification of World War II, Korean War, Bay of Pigs, Cuba
documents
-Need for experts
-Laird and Rogers action
-President's role in administration response
-Laird and Mitchell’s actions
-Results
-President's role
-Statement by administration
-Mitchell's instruction to the Department of Justice
-Legal action
-Legal action Conv No. 527-11 (cont.)
-Supreme Court
-District Court
-Problems of decision
-Mitchell’s view
-Delay of further publication
-Public relations
Congressional relations
-Phone call to Ellender
-Purpose
Pentagon Papers
-Administration response
-Declassification
-Laird's action
-Call to Ehrlichman
-Rogers
-Call to Ehrlichman
-Call to Kissinger
-Declassification of World War II, Korean War, Bay of Pigs documents
-Ehrlichman
-Ehrlichman's conversation with Charles W. Colson
-Tom Charles Huston
-Haig
-Preliminary draft report
-Shakespeare
-Call to Laird and Rogers
Kissinger and Ehrlichman left at 2:43 pm.
-President's handling of staff
-Administration counter
-Focus on other wars
-Public perception
Schedule
-Unknown person [Spiro T. Agnew ?]
-Visit to President
-Content
-Press conference
-President's meeting with business leaders
-Peter G. Peterson Conv No. 527-11 (cont.)
-Utility
-Donald McI. Kendall
-Size
-Purpose
-Format
-Dialogue
-Upcoming events
-President's legislative agenda
-Examples of welfare
Legislation
-President's legislative program
-President’s conversation with Ehrlichman
-House action on Social Security
Schedule
-President's dinner with business leaders
-Other events
-Format
-Peterson
-Comments by others
-President's contact with members
-Table configuration
-Problems
Pentagon Papers
-Laird action
-White House responsibility
-Kissinger’s view
-Rogers’ action
-Rationale
-Administration response
-Supreme Court action
-Ehrlichman
-Need for firm action
-Public relations
-Mansfield Amendment
-MacGregor's effort
-Supersonic Transport [SST] problem
-Administration response
-President's role
-Possible meeting with Congressional leaders Conv No. 527-11 (cont.)
-Ziegler
-Laird
-Announcement of declassification
-Play by media
Polls
-Use
-Focus on issues
Shakespeare meeting
-Haldeman's role
President's schedule meeting with Agnew
-Purpose
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
-Use of staff
-President’s conversation with John Foster Dulles
-Pattern of meetings
-Reports from Cabinet officers
-Anderson report
-Canal Treaty
-John N. (“Jack”) Irwin, II
-Rogers
-MacGregor
-Request for opinion on Ellender call
-Previous meetings with Ellender
Pentagon Papers
-Ehrlichman
-[D. Kenneth Rush ?]
-Cabinet officers' responsibilities
-Laird
-Declassification
-Albert
-Laird and Rogers’ meeting with Congressman
-Declassification
-Procedure
President's schedule
-Dinner, June 22
-Entertainment
-Possible performance by US Army Chorus Conv No. 527-11 (cont.)
-Timing
-Eisenhower's method
Alexander P. Butterfield entered at 3:05 pm.
-Meeting with Peterson [?]
Butterfield left at 3:06 pm.
Haldeman left at 3:07 pm.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.