Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 58
Nixon White House Tape 58 (May 18, 1971 – May 20, 1971)
5 conversations · Cabinet Room · about 3 hr 16 min of released audio
Featuring Nixon, Kissinger, Laird, MacGregor, Timmons
President Nixon met with his Cabinet and Republican Congressional leaders to coordinate the administration's legislative agenda, specifically addressing the ongoing national railroad strike and the upcoming Congressional vote on the military draft. The discussion also focused on foreign policy, with Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird and Henry Kissinger providing briefings on the status of NATO, the credibility of U.S. military commitments in Europe, and the implications of recent Soviet statements regarding mutual force reductions. The President urged the Congressional leaders to maintain a firm stance against unilateral U.S. force withdrawals while emphasizing the need to handle these matters through stable, negotiated frameworks rather than disruptive legislative amendments.
Unnamed individuals convened in the Cabinet Room to discuss preparations for upcoming presidential speeches and press conferences. The brief, fragmented exchange suggests a focus on logistical planning and the management of media appearances. No definitive policy decisions or clear action items were captured in the limited transcript.
An unidentified group of individuals met in the Cabinet Room to discuss technical discrepancies regarding the recording or broadcast of an individual's remarks. The participants expressed uncertainty about whether a specific statement was actually delivered, suggesting potential confusion over the integrity of a record or audio feed. No definitive actions were finalized, as the dialogue centers on clarifying the sequence of events surrounding the suppressed communication.
President Nixon met with his Cabinet and key advisors to announce a major breakthrough in Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) with the Soviet Union, culminating in a joint statement to be released simultaneously in both nations. The agreement establishes a framework to prioritize limiting anti-ballistic missile (ABM) systems while pursuing parallel measures for offensive weapons. Nixon emphasized that the breakthrough was achieved by maintaining a strong U.S. defense posture, and he urged his administration to avoid public speculation or detailed commentary that could complicate sensitive ongoing negotiations.
President Nixon met with Vice President Agnew and a bipartisan group of Congressional leaders to announce a significant diplomatic breakthrough in the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT). Nixon informed the attendees of a forthcoming joint statement with the Soviet Union pledging to focus on limiting anti-ballistic missile (ABM) systems and certain offensive strategic weapons. While some lawmakers advocated for immediate unilateral U.S. defense cuts to demonstrate good faith, the President and his advisors successfully urged the leaders to maintain existing defense programs during the negotiations to avoid losing vital bargaining leverage.