Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 558 › Conversation 558-001

Nixon, Dent & Ziegler on Political strategy and Busing

Monday, August 9, 1971 · 2:58 PM–3:36 PM ET · Oval Office · 38 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.; Woods, Rose Mary; Evans, Thomas B.; Nofziger, Franklyn C. ("Lyn"); DeBolt, Edward S.; Mountain, Barry F.; Dent, Harry S.; Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); White House photographerConversation558-001 on Tape 558 (tape position 00:01:02–00:39:21)StartMonday, August 9, 1971 at 2:58 PMEndMonday, August 9, 1971 at 3:36 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 558-001 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with his staff and political advisors to discuss his upcoming schedule, including preparations for a press conference and strategies regarding upcoming Republican National Committee meetings. The discussion focused heavily on political optics, specifically planning disruptive tactics to target Democratic rivals Edmund Muskie, Hubert Humphrey, and Edward Kennedy at an AFL-CIO convention in Dallas. Nixon and his team strategized using public protests, such as anti-busing demonstrations, to manipulate press coverage and create political friction for his opponents.

Audio

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Position in tape: 00:01:02 – 00:39:21

part A, 1:12

558a.mp3
558b.mp3

NARA Description

On August 9, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, Rose Mary Woods, Thomas B. Evans, Franklyn C. ("Lyn") Nofziger, Edward S. DeBolt, Barry F. Mountain, Harry S. Dent, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:58 pm to 3:36 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 558-001 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 558-1

Date: August 9, 1971
Time: 2:58 pm - 3:36 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Ronald L. Ziegler.

     President's schedule
          -Cyclemates II
          -Ziegler’s recent press conference
                 -Ellsworth F. Bunker
                       -Forthcoming meeting
                             -Timing
          -Cyclemates II
          -Republican National Committee leaders
          -Press conference
                 -Timing
                       -International monetary developments
                 -Possible announcement
                       -Dwight L. Chapin
                       -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
                 -Patrick J. Buchanan

Rose Mary Woods entered at an unknown time after 2:58 pm.

     Call from an unknown woman

Woods left at an unknown time before 3:02 pm.

     President's schedule
          -Press conference
                 -Possible announcement
                 -Businessmen's group
                      -Buchanan

The President met with Thomas B. Evans, Franklin C. (“Lyn”) Nofziger, Edward S. DeBolt,
Barry F. Mountain, Harry S. Dent, and Haldeman at 3:02 pm; the White House photographer
was present at the beginning of the meeting.

     Introduction
           -DeBolt
           -Mountain

[Unintelligible]
Show the rest of the log (40 more lines)
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 7m 19s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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

     Busing
          -Press coverage
               -Edmund S. Muskie, Hubert H. Humphrey, Edward M. Kennedy
               -Muskie
                     -Southern delegates
                     -Dallas, Texas
                          -American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations
                                [AFL-CIO] convention
                                -Reporters
                                -Demonstrators
                                     -Placards

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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 21m 52s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

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

      Presentation of gifts
           -Golf balls
           -Music box

      President’s schedule
           -John N. Mitchell

Ziegler, et al. left at 3:36 pm.

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 don't think we should publish what we have to do.
If we do, does it tend to put too much pressure on us?
No, I think it's much better to not publish because if we had a psychosis, I believe it would be fine very much.
I'm sorry, not for purposes of reporting, but could I sit in this meeting with the leaders?
I'd just like to get a feel of what they're talking about.
We're watching this press thing.
My present plan, we didn't do it about Thursday at 3 o'clock.
It'll depend on whether or not we have any developments in the international monetary field.
There's one problem there that should develop.
I may not want to slide me at the moment.
But if it's right, then the time in the field reaches 9 o'clock.
I advise, I'll just be a second.
Okay, good.
That's a good way to do it.
Because we're not going to... His wife and all of us, we will not expect anything.
That's why I just stood behind him talking about it.
We're not going to say anything.
He's not going to say anything about it.
No problem.
Just don't be candid on this that I don't want him to ask.
Well, I mean, how the hell can we get his information?
We can.
Yeah.
We can do that without...
I just want to see Rose.
Okay, I'll call her later.
We need to do it without indicating the time of the day.
Or even without indicating that there's something on the media.
I can talk.
Yeah, I can talk.
Why don't you just say he's going to be with a group of businessmen.
That's for him to do.
That's what you can't do.
No, no, no.
He used to use it for upgrading.
He used to come meet with a group of businessmen on Friday, and he would like to have answers to three questions.
Thank you, sir.
All right.

— 7 min 37 s with no transcribed speech —

For Christ's sakes, do we have anybody in the press here to do it for us?
No one.
Two of us.
Oh.
There you are.
Let's try.
Good project.
We actually have Oski, Humphrey, and Caffey.
I don't care about the others.
I'm actually sedentary.
I'm supposed to help you.
I'm supposed to appear for you.
Yes, I am.
Do you agree with me?
I believe so.
Particularly observable with McMusky, because he's the guy that's got to get the Southern Galapagos.
If you didn't get, I nailed it down.
That's the project that we did.
How did you do that?
We've been placing advantage against the CIO Commission in Texas.
He's got to have, he's got to see the president in Dallas.
Now look, where is he?
He's in Dallas, getting ahead of us.
He's a direct follow-up.
Get two or three reporters going to get up there and bang one of them.
Ask him about it.
Another thing you can do is to get people with placards about bussing at the airport and get them up there.
Say, no bussing or something like that.
And he has to go over and shake hands with them.
He has to go over and shake hands with them.
There's several ways to do it.

— 21 min 56 s with no transcribed speech —

Well, let's hear it a little.
Sure.
Let's hear it.
Who's a golfer?
I used to have two handicaps until I got this business.
I'll show you a cute thing we have here.
A couple of eyes.
That's for your wife.
Thank you sir.
You don't have a secretary, do you?
You should give her some time.
Yes sir.
I couldn't find one.
Gary, you better take the golf ball.
You've got some money.
He's got, he's got some golf friends.
Okay.

— 2 min 23 s with no transcribed speech —

You hold it for just one minute.

Also recorded on August 9, 1971

  • 272-004 1:48 PM · 10 min — President Richard M. Nixon, George P. Shultz, and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:48 pm to 1:58 pm.
  • 272-005 1:58 PM · 19 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:58 pm and 2:01 pm.
  • 272-006 2:01 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:01 pm to 2:02 pm.
  • 272-007 2:02 PM · 40 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:02 pm and 2:15 pm.
  • 272-008 2:02 PM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:02 pm and 2:15 pm.
  • 272-009 2:15 PM · 44 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, John B. Connally, Manolo Sanchez, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:15 pm to 2:55 pm.
  • 558-002 3:36 PM · 40 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:36 pm and 3:38 pm.
  • 558-003 3:38 PM · 47 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, John N. Mitchell, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, unknown person(s), and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:38 pm to 4:29 pm.

All 35 conversations from August 9, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 558-001, August 9, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/558-001 (accessed November 2, 2026).