Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 536 › Conversation 536-017

Nixon & Haldeman on Public relations and Staging

Saturday, July 3, 1971 · 10:41 AM–11:53 AM ET · Oval Office · 6 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation536-017 on Tape 536 (tape position 03:52:15–04:00:18)StartSaturday, July 3, 1971 at 10:41 AMEndSaturday, July 3, 1971 at 11:53 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 536-017 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 417178427 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman coordinate the staging and visual presentation of an upcoming public event, specifically focusing on the President’s demeanor during the playing of the national anthem. They determine that the President and others should stand at attention and salute without singing to maintain appropriate decorum. Additionally, Nixon briefly tasks Haldeman with drafting a letter to address a personal administrative matter.

Audio

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NARA Description

On July 3, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:41 am and 11:53 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 536-017 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 536-17

Date: July 3, 1971
Time: Unknown after 10:41 am until 11:53 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman

     Weather
         -Day off for staff

     Schedule
          -Ronald L. Ziegler

[Pause]

     The President’s July 3, 1971 National Archives speech
          -Physical arrangements

                -Podium
                     -Playing of the national anthem
                          -President’s actions
                          -Position of Warren E. Burger and Carl B. Albert

     Death of Soviet cosmonauts
          -Release of statement

     Speech arrangements at the National Archives
          -Playing of the national anthem
                -President’s actions

     The President’s schedule
          -Letter
                -Rose Mary Woods, General Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

Haldeman left at 11:53 am

Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 2 minutes of this recording (about 34% of it) is represented by only a few words. Listen to the audio rather than relying on the text below; a corrected transcript is queued.

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.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).

I want to tell you, I think this is a good day to give a call to a lot of people off.
It's a pretty day.
What I've cut out, I don't get it, but it's a little fractious.
My stuff is too starting too much in the beginning.
You see, I marked it.
There's no problem.
It's not really...
It won't go south in a minute.
He's scared out of it.
Let me ask you one thing
Or are you a little awkward of just saying, I'll finish?
And would I walk off and Star Spangled Banner starts to play?
What I'm concerned about is that I just don't see how it could be.
It's not bad.
If you have a good look on your face during the Star Spangled Banner, I can just stand there and I will not sing.
Or do you think I should tell him I shouldn't sing?
You know, just stand there, Jim.
That's right.
But how can we get them up there?
Or do they just stand there while I speak?
No, they can be sitting down.
Well, it's off camera.
Let me talk to them.
It doesn't bother me to have them standing at their podiums while I speak because the camera's going to be on me, you see.
Yeah, that's right.
They don't need to be standing.
They're going to be sitting down here.
So they don't go outside off camera.
Just remember how that went.
They're here.
After I finish, when they have to walk up the Star Spangled Banner, they can be doing it without the camera showing it.
I don't know.
When are they going to start walking?
Just as the Star Spangled Banner starts.
I think the three of us should stand here to attention and salute, but not sing.
We did put this one out.
I guess I got it.
I got it.
I got it earlier for this guy here.
I was quoted that was released.
Is there anything to do with that?
Well, I've got to write a letter to this elephant child.
Good.
You see my problem over there?
Yeah, I do.
I was...
It's...
But you've got to do this better for yourself.
I feel better now.
So that's all that matters, that's... You should not then try to look at the flag, which is the normal thing to do, or in the same way, you should straight out, straight forward, straight out.
that.
I've got to get a letter.

Also recorded on July 3, 1971

  • 536-011 9:55 AM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:55 am and 9:56 am.
  • 006-122 9:56 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Susan Mara talked on the telephone at 9:56 am.
  • 536-012 9:56 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Susan Mara met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:56 am to 9:57 am.
  • 536-013 10:01 AM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at 10:01 am.
  • 536-014 10:01 AM · 37 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., Stephen B. Bull, and John K. Andrews, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:01 am to 10:40 am.
  • 536-015 10:40 AM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House at 10:40 am.
  • 536-016 10:41 AM · 58 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman and Manolo Sanchez and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:41 am and 11:53 am.
  • 536-018 11:54 AM · 1 hr 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., Rose Mary Woods, Stephen B. Bull, John K. Andrews, Jr. and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:54 am to 1:12 pm.

All 43 conversations from July 3, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 536-017, July 3, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417178427). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/536-017 (accessed November 2, 2026).