{"conversationCode":"527-003","tapeNumber":527,"conversationNumber":3,"identifier":"37-wht-conversation-527-003","startDateTime":"1971-06-22T17:48:00.000Z","endDateTime":"1971-06-22T17:50:00.000Z","startDate":"22-Jun-1971","startTime":"1:48 PM","endDate":"22-Jun-1971","endTime":"1:50 PM","dateCertainty":"certain","timeCertainty":"certain","participants":"Nixon, Richard M. (President); [Unknown person(s)];","description":"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.","locationCode":"OVAL","recordingDevice":"Oval Office","latitudeEstimated":38.8974,"longitudeEstimated":-77.0374,"chronCode":1,"chronRelease":"First Chronological Release","chronReleaseDate":"5-Oct-1999","aogpRelease":null,"aogpSegment":null,"lastModified":"2015-07-27T17:04:10.235Z","findingAid":"Conversation No. 527-3\n\nDate: June 22, 1971\nTime: 1:48 pm - 1:50 pm\nLocation: Oval Office\n\nThe President met with an unknown woman.\n\n     Request for John D. Ehrlichman\n\nAn unknown woman left at an unknown time before 1:50 pm.\n\n                                                                    Conv\n                                                                    Conversation\n                                                                         No. 527-11\n                                                                                 No.(cont.)\n                                                                                     527-4\n\nDate: June 22, 1971\nTime: 1:50 pm - 3:07 pm\nLocation: Oval Office\n\nThe President met with Alexander P. Butterfield and H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.\n\n     Schedule\n          -Henry A. Kissinger\n\n     Kissinger\n          -Conversation with Haldeman\n          -Haldeman conversation with William P. Rogers\n\nButterfield left at 1:54 pm.\n\n     Pentagon Papers\n          -Poll\n\nAn unknown woman entered at an unknown time after 1:54 pm.\n\n     Meeting with John D. Ehrlichman\n          -Kissinger\n\nThe unknown woman left at an unknown time before 1:55 pm.\n\n     Pentagon Papers\n          -Poll\n                -Implications\n                     -New York Times story as an issue\n                     -View of printing stolen documents\n                     -Times’ moral position\n\n**********************************************************************\n\n[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 01/17/2020.\nSegment cleared for release.]\n[Personal Returnable]\n[527-004-w001]\n[Duration: 5s]\n                                                                  Conv No. 527-11 (cont.)\n      President’s schedule\n            -Policies [?]\n\n**********************************************************************\n\nHaldeman spoke with an unknown person at an unknown time after 1:54 pm.\n\n[Conversation No. 527-4B]\n\n     Scheduling\n\n[End of conversation]\n\n     United States Information Agency [USIA]\n          -Chain of command\n                -Frank J. Shakespeare\n                      -Kissinger contact\n                      -Haldeman's contact\n                -Robert B. Anderson\n                -President's conversation with Shakespeare\n          -Shakespeare's self-image\n                -Support for Nixon\n                -Relationship with Department of State\n\nEhrlichman and Kissinger entered at 1:55 pm.\n\n     Kissinger's schedule\n\n     President's schedule\n           -Camp David visit\n           -Return to Washington\n                 -Shipbuilding contract signing ceremony\n                      -Kissinger's schedule\n\n           -Budget session\n     -Kissinger's schedule\n           -Possible short notice trip\nKissinger’s meeting with Anatoliy F. Dobrynin\n     -Berlin negotiations\n     -Linkage of administrations over Vietnam\n     -Summit\n           -Soviet Union decision                               Conv No. 527-11 (cont.)\n                -Scheduling of summit\n                -Dobrynin report\n                -Leonid I. Brezhnev's schedule\n                      -Visit to Germany\n                -Timing of summit\n                      -US and People’s Republic of China [PRC] contacts\n                      -Onus of cancellation\n                -Brezhnev travels\n                      -Implications\n                -Cancellation of Moscow summit\n                -Role of PRC summit\n\nUS and PRC relations\n     -Message from PRC to US\n          -Arrangements for upcoming trip\n\nUS and Soviet Union relations\n\nAnti-war amendments\n     -Marlow W. Cook-Ted Stevens amendment\n     -Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield amendment\n           -Clark MacGregor and leadership group\n           -Voting on Mansfield proposal\n     -Status of Mansfield amendment\n     -Kissinger's conversations\n           -Robert W. Packwood\n           -Jack R. Miller\n           -Winston L. Prouty\n           -William E. Brock, III\n           -Howard H. Baker\n           -Stevens-Cook reference\n           -Discussion of administration needs\n           -Effect of amendments on negotiations\n                 -Future events\n\n     Vietnam negotiations\n          -Le Duc Tho arrival in Paris\n               -Timing\n                    -Rationale\n\n     US strategic plans\n          -US and PRC relations                                         Conv No. 527-11 (cont.)\n          -US domestic turmoil\n                -Effect on PRC\n                -Effect on Hanoi\n                -Effect on Moscow\n                      -Published articles on Pentagon Papers\n                -Peking comments\n                      -Kissinger’s monitoring of the press\n\n     Congressional activities\n         -Kissinger's contact with Senators\n         -Mansfield status\n         -Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty\n               -Legal status\n               -Allen J. Ellender\n               -Call by President to Ellender\n                     -Ramifications\n                     -Timing\n                     -Talking points\n\n******************************************************************************\n\n[Previous National Security (B) withdrawal reviewed under MDR guidelines case number\nLPRN-T-MDR-2014-028. Segment declassified on 05/06/2019. Archivist: MAS]\n[National Security]\n[527-004-w005]\n[Duration: 6s]\n\n     Congressional activities\n          -Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty\n                -Call by President to Allen J. Ellender\n                      -Request for continuing resolution\n                              -Central Intelligence Agency [CIA] role\n\n******************************************************************************\n\n    Congressional activities\n        -Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty\n              -Call by President to Allen J. Ellender\n                    -Prior contact with Ellender\n                    -Support for call                           Conv No. 527-11 (cont.)\n                           -U. Alexis Johnson\n                           -George P. Shultz\n                           -Richard M. Helms\n              -Other remedies\n                    -USIA\n                    -House of Representatives\n\n    Pentagon Papers\n         -Stewart J.O. Alsop\n               -President's status\n               -Administration obstacles\n               -John F. Kennedy administration\n               -Times action\n               -Administration response\n         -Weekly news publications\n               -Administration standing\n               -Kissinger attendance at Department of State reception\n                     -John N. Hightower retirement\n                     -Paul W. Ward retirement\n                     -Chalmers Roberts\n                     -Demeanor of newsmen\n         -Press\n               -Whitney North Seymour, Jr.\n               -Prosecution of Times\n                     -Seymour\n                     -US Attorney\n                     -Need for public relations points\n                           -John N. Mitchell\n                           -Melvin R. Laird\n                           -William P. Rogers\n         -Declassification action\n               -Scope\n               -White House and Department of Defense [DOD] procedure\n               -Precedent\n\n                     -Ehrlichman’s efforts\n\n[Ehrlichman talked with Laird at an unknown time between 1:55 pm and 2:43 pm]\n\n[Conversation No. 527-4A]\n\n     [Unintelligible]\n[End of telephone conversation]                                      Conv No. 527-11 (cont.)\n\n     Pentagon Papers\n          -Declassification action at DOD\n               -White House and DOD procedure\n                     -Mansfield\n                     -Carl B. Albert\n                           -Associated Press [AP] story\n                     -Public perception\n               -Robert McNamara's papers\n               -Albert\n               -Laird and Rogers meeting with Albert\n               -Mitchell\n                     -Mansfield and President meeting\n                     -Albert\n                     -Laird\n                     -Action\n                     -Laird and Rogers action\n                     -Laird leaks\n                           -Scope of declassification action\n                           -Laird meeting with Senate Foreign Relations Committee\n                           -Effect on legal action\n                     -Laird and Rogers action\n                     -Ehrlichman and Laird conversation\n                           -Albert request for documents\n                           -President's meeting with Albert, [Thomas] Hale Boggs, and\n                                 Mansfield\n                           -Preferred action\n               -Mansfield breakfast\n                     -Clark M. MacGregor\n                     -Mansfield's resolution\n                           -Timing\n                     -Mansfield’s position\n                     -Timing of other events\n                           -Leaders meeting\n\n                  -“Big Five” Committee chairman\n                        -Pentagon Papers discussion\n            -Cook-Stevens amendment vote\n            -Mansfield amendment vote\n      -Benefits of changing Mansfield's breakfast\n      -Rogers’ attendance\n            -Call from MacGregor to Kissinger\n            -Rogers                                        Conv No. 527-11 (cont.)\n      -Mitchell's knowledge\n            -MacGregor conversation with Mitchell\n-Source of administration decision on declassification\n      -President\n      -Laird\n            -Rationale for action\n-Laird's action\n-Laird and Rogers action\n-Options for action by President\n      -”Big Five” Committee chairman\n      -Need for proper public relations\n      -Mansfield\n      -Results of Laird statements\n      -Ronald L. Ziegler's briefing\n            -Instruction from President to the Secretary of Defense\n                  -Congressional access to papers\n                  -Leaders meeting\n                  -Play on evening news\n                  -Rogers and Laird action\n                        -Reflection on discipline\n                  -Laird and Rogers action\n                  -Laird's statement\n                  -Alexander M. Haig, Jr.\n                        -Identification of declassifiable papers\n                  -Patrick J. Buchanan\n                        -Speech\n            -Legal action\n            -Focus on declassifiable papers\n                  -Times view\n                  -Chicago Tribune call for declassification\n            -Declassification of World War II, Korean War, Bay of Pigs, Cuba\n                  documents\n                  -Need for experts\n            -Laird and Rogers action\n\n                           -President's role in administration response\n                           -Laird and Mitchell’s actions\n                                 -Results\n                     -President's role\n                     -Statement by administration\n                     -Mitchell's instruction to the Department of Justice\n                           -Legal action\n                     -Legal action                                       Conv No. 527-11 (cont.)\n                           -Supreme Court\n                                 -District Court\n                                 -Problems of decision\n                                       -Mitchell’s view\n                           -Delay of further publication\n                           -Public relations\n\n     Congressional relations\n         -Phone call to Ellender\n               -Purpose\n\n     Pentagon Papers\n          -Administration response\n                -Declassification\n          -Laird's action\n                -Call to Ehrlichman\n                -Rogers\n                -Call to Ehrlichman\n                -Call to Kissinger\n          -Declassification of World War II, Korean War, Bay of Pigs documents\n                -Ehrlichman\n                -Ehrlichman's conversation with Charles W. Colson\n                      -Tom Charles Huston\n                -Haig\n                -Preliminary draft report\n                -Shakespeare\n                -Call to Laird and Rogers\n\nKissinger and Ehrlichman left at 2:43 pm.\n\n          -President's handling of staff\n          -Administration counter\n                -Focus on other wars\n                      -Public perception\n\nSchedule\n     -Unknown person [Spiro T. Agnew ?]\n     -Visit to President\n           -Content\n     -Press conference\n     -President's meeting with business leaders\n           -Peter G. Peterson                              Conv No. 527-11 (cont.)\n           -Utility\n                 -Donald McI. Kendall\n                 -Size\n           -Purpose\n           -Format\n                 -Dialogue\n                       -Upcoming events\n                       -President's legislative agenda\n                             -Examples of welfare\n\nLegislation\n     -President's legislative program\n           -President’s conversation with Ehrlichman\n            -House action on Social Security\n\nSchedule\n     -President's dinner with business leaders\n           -Other events\n           -Format\n                 -Peterson\n                       -Comments by others\n                 -President's contact with members\n                       -Table configuration\n                             -Problems\n\nPentagon Papers\n     -Laird action\n           -White House responsibility\n           -Kissinger’s view\n     -Rogers’ action\n           -Rationale\n     -Administration response\n           -Supreme Court action\n                 -Ehrlichman\n\n                  -Need for firm action\n                  -Public relations\n        -Mansfield Amendment\n        -MacGregor's effort\n            -Supersonic Transport [SST] problem\n        -Administration response\n            -President's role\n                  -Possible meeting with Congressional leaders   Conv No. 527-11 (cont.)\n                  -Ziegler\n                  -Laird\n                  -Announcement of declassification\n                        -Play by media\n\nPolls\n        -Use\n        -Focus on issues\n\nShakespeare meeting\n     -Haldeman's role\n\nPresident's schedule meeting with Agnew\n      -Purpose\n      -Dwight D. Eisenhower\n      -Use of staff\n            -President’s conversation with John Foster Dulles\n            -Pattern of meetings\n            -Reports from Cabinet officers\n                  -Anderson report\n                        -Canal Treaty\n                  -John N. (“Jack”) Irwin, II\n                  -Rogers\n            -MacGregor\n                  -Request for opinion on Ellender call\n      -Previous meetings with Ellender\n\nPentagon Papers\n     -Ehrlichman\n           -[D. Kenneth Rush ?]\n           -Cabinet officers' responsibilities\n           -Laird\n     -Declassification\n     -Albert\n\n           -Laird and Rogers’ meeting with Congressman\n           -Declassification\n                 -Procedure\n\n     President's schedule\n           -Dinner, June 22\n                 -Entertainment\n                      -Possible performance by US Army Chorus       Conv No. 527-11 (cont.)\n                 -Timing\n          -Eisenhower's method\n\nAlexander P. Butterfield entered at 3:05 pm.\n\n           -Meeting with Peterson [?]\n\nButterfield left at 3:06 pm.\n\nHaldeman left at 3:07 pm.","filename":["527-003.mp3"],"tapeStart":"00:04:03","tapeEnd":"00:04:15","participantsList":["Nixon, Richard M. (President)","[Unknown person(s)]"],"prevCode":"527-002","nextCode":"527-004","transcript":[{"start":0.03,"end":2.94,"text":"Yes, sir."}],"aiSummary":{"text":"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.","topics":["Pentagon Papers","Declassification","Vietnam War","Mansfield Amendment","US-Soviet Relations","Congressional Relations","Public Relations"],"generatedAt":"2026-04-06T23:01:03.046Z"},"topicSlugs":["pentagon-papers","declassification","vietnam-war","mansfield-amendment","us-soviet-relations","congressional-relations","public-relations"],"audioDurationSec":3,"audioFiles":[{"file":"527-003.mp3","bytes":125179,"durationSec":2.98,"bitrate":335711,"missing":false}],"audioIsShared":false,"audioProbedAt":"2026-09-18T02:19:49.685Z","audio":["https://nixon.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/audio/527-003.mp3"],"url":"https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/527-003","nixonLibraryUrl":"https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/white-house-tapes/527/conversation-527-003","license":"Public domain (U.S. Government work). AI-generated fields (transcript, aiSummary) are provided as-is without warranty."}