Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 563 › Conversation 563-001

Nixon & Ehrlichman on Busing and Civil Rights Commission

Friday, August 13, 1971 · 8:59 AM–9:36 AM ET · Oval Office · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ehrlichman, John D.Conversation563-001 on Tape 563 (tape position 00:17:40–00:20:41)StartFriday, August 13, 1971 at 8:59 AMEndFriday, August 13, 1971 at 9:36 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 563-001 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and John Ehrlichman consult on strategies for responding to political criticism regarding the administration's stance on busing and civil rights enforcement. The discussion focuses on maintaining a firm public position that the law does not mandate busing while managing the optics of ongoing attacks from opponents. Nixon instructs Ehrlichman to coordinate the administration's messaging and Q&A preparation to ensure a unified front in upcoming public appearances.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 1 minute of this recording (about 32% 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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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What would you do, what would, what would you do on this then?

Just let it go?

How would you let it go?

Oh, I see.

Well, you said we were in the case, John.

We can't get it, everyone.

So that they don't draw any kind of indication.

I think I'll push that can't think of leaving back by 5.30 anyway so that'll be the time to do some Q&A thoughts next because you don't have to stand in the first meeting.

Okay.

With regard to the general position, just remind me, I think it's probably on this bus.

There's sounds of P&J in the middle of it.

We're being attacked today.

There's a little ACP on one side.

It involves the civil rights commission.

It involves the other.

And they're just going to stick right to the thing.

They won't enforce the law.

The law does not require busing.

I mean, they got it on all week.

Or you got it on all week.

All right.

NARA Description

On August 13, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:59 am and 9:36 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 563-001 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 563-1
Date: August 13, 1971
Time: Unknown between 8:59 am and 9:36 am
Location: Oval Office

The President talked with John D. Ehrlichman.

     Busing
          -Boston case
               -Federal action

     President’s schedule
           -Camp David

     Busing
          -Boston
          -Administration's position
               -National Association for the Advancement of Colored People [NAACP]
               -George C. Wallace
               -Ronald L. Ziegler
               -Law enforcement

Also recorded on August 13, 1971

007-113 8:59 AM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:59 am and 12:32 pm.
563-002 9:36 AM · 29 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:36 am to 10:08 am.
069-001 10:08 AM · 1 hr 45 min — President Richard M. Nixon and members of the National Security Council, including Vice President Spiro T. Agnew, John N. Irwin, II, Melvin R. Laird, Gen. George A. Lincoln, John N. Mitchell, Richard M. Helms, Adm. Thomas H. Moorer, George P. Shultz, Ronald I. Spiers, David Packard, Henry A. Kissinger, Col. Richard T. Kennedy, Dr. [First name unknown] Weinsmith, Caspar W. ("Cap") Weinberger, and Kenneth W. Dam, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 10:08 am and 11:57 am.
563-013 10:08 AM · 50 sec — United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:08 am and 11:57 am.
563-003 11:57 AM · 19 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Diana Billings, Robert Buchanan, Christopher Chapin, Patricia Clifford, Thomas Davis, Arthur Ferguson, Marsha Gilman, Scoll Gleason, Douglas Hallett, Harding Jones, Dale Kinsella, Jeanne Luboja, Loretta Lungren, Chris Marshall, William Olson, Michael Schatzlein, Linda Scheuplein, Robert Sutcliffe, Blair Wilson, Frederic V. Malek, Stephen B. Bull, Herbert G. Klein, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:57 am to 12:15 pm.
563-004 12:16 PM · 57 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:16 pm to 12:18 pm.
563-005 12:19 PM · 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, Frederic V. Malek, Herbert G. Klein, Jayne B. Spain, Patricia R. Hitt, Helen D. Bentlye, Barbara H. Franklin, Elizabeth Hanford, Nancy Hanks, Sallyanne Payton, Ethel B. Walsh, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:19 pm to 12:27 pm.
563-006 12:29 PM · 1 hr 17 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander P. Butterfield, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Rose Mary Woods, White House operator, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, Stephen B. Bull, Manolo Sanchez, John N. Mitchell, John D. Ehrlichman, George P. Shultz, Edward L. Morgan, and Bruce A. Kehrli met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:29 pm to 1:45 pm.

All 18 conversations from August 13, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 563-001, August 13, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/563-001 (accessed October 9, 2026).