Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 574 › Conversation 574-008

Nixon, Gardella & Bull on Jack F. Kemp and Media Relations

Friday, September 17, 1971 · 11:41 AM–11:43 AM ET · Oval Office

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Bull, Stephen B.; [Unknown person(s)]; Gardella, KayConversation574-008 on Tape 574 (tape position 02:51:20–02:53:43)StartFriday, September 17, 1971 at 11:41 AMEndFriday, September 17, 1971 at 11:43 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 574-008 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met briefly with Stephen B. Bull and an unnamed individual to discuss his schedule, specifically concerning Representative Jack F. Kemp. Following their departure, the President engaged in a cordial phone conversation with television critic Kay Gardella. Nixon praised Gardella’s review of a recent broadcast, specifically highlighting her coverage of his San Clemente residence, and engaged her in casual conversation regarding the television landscape, including the show 'Columbo.'

Audio

Download MP3 (part 1) · 168.0 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 167.9 MB

This conversation has not yet been cut into its own clip, so the player above contains the full tape segment shared with neighbouring conversations. It begins about 02:51:20 into the tape and ends around 02:53:43.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

· Timestamps are positions within the full tape recording.
2:51:54Do you understand?
2:51:55I'm sorry, sir.
2:52:25Hello?
2:52:29Hello?
2:52:37Let me check out.
2:52:38Yes, I just come to tell you how I like your review of this section's callback broadcast.
2:52:46I'm not much of a, as you know, I don't look at much television except for sports, because I'm usually busy at times, but I did see this program, and of course I'm a bit reckless, and I love to pretend to share what you do.
2:53:01And she, I thought, she really thought that it turned out that the production, those sort of informal scenes around the country, and those shots of the Pacific and San Clemente,
2:53:12It was really great, but I read it with great interest.
2:53:17I hardly don't see the reviews, but somebody brought it in.
2:53:19I just want you to know that I greatly appreciate it.
2:53:26Well, give my best of all, follow up there at the news.
2:53:30Do you know the Colonel?
2:53:33He traveled with me in 1952.
2:53:36I'll ask him if he's keeping his weight now.
2:53:44Yeah, Frank, when I remember, yeah.
2:53:47And of course I remember so many of the others.
2:53:55The whole group.
2:53:57Fine, fine.
2:53:59Good to talk to you.
2:54:00You have such a problem now having to look at all these shows.
2:54:04What's going to be the winner this year?
2:54:08Is that a new one?
2:54:11Columbo.
2:54:13Well, I'll ask my kids to look it over for me.
2:54:17Okay.

NARA Description

On September 17, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, unknown person(s), and Kay Gardella met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:41 am and 11:43 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 574-008 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 574-8

Date: September 17, 1971
Time: Unknown before 11:43 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Stephen B. Bull and an unknown person.

     The President’s schedule
          -Jack F. Kemp

Bull and the unknown person left at an unknown time before 11:43 am.

The President talked with Kay Gardella at an unknown time before 11:43 am.

[See Conversation No. 9-61]

Also recorded on September 17, 1971

  • 574-006 11:29 AM · 13 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:29 am to 11:41 am.
  • 574-007 11:41 AM · 27 sec — Alexander P. Butterfield and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:41 am and 11:43 am.
  • 009-061 11:43 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Kay Gardella talked on the telephone from 11:43 am to 11:45 am.
  • 009-062 11:45 AM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:45 am and 4:28 pm.
  • 574-009 11:45 AM · 15 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Jack F. Kemp, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:45 am to 12:01 pm.
  • 574-010 12:01 PM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:01 pm to 12:05 pm.
  • 574-011 12:05 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Aida L. Gonzalez, Edwin R. Luther, Mrs. Edwin R. Luther, Frank K. Baker, Mrs. Albert E. Crowe, Mabel Marrs, Harold Davis, John Meek, Michael Wilson, Henry C. Cashen, II, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:05 pm to 12:14 pm.
  • 574-012 12:14 PM · 3 min — Alexander P. Butterfield and United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:14 pm and 12:34 pm.

All 48 conversations from September 17, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 574-008, September 17, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/574-008 (accessed September 26, 2026).