Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 599
Nixon White House Tape 599 (October 22, 1971)
18 conversations · Oval Office · about 3 hr 7 min of released audio
Featuring Nixon, Bull, Sanchez, Woods, Haldeman
President Nixon met with his personal valet, Manolo Sanchez, in the Oval Office to retrieve a briefcase. This brief interaction served as a logistical exchange to prepare the President for his subsequent official business. The conversation concluded promptly once the item was secured.
President Nixon met with his valet, Manolo Sanchez, in the Oval Office for a brief informal interaction. The participants engaged in light conversation regarding observations of objects or animals outside the office. No significant policy decisions or official White House business were conducted during this exchange.
President Nixon met with Alexander P. Butterfield to coordinate the President's upcoming daily schedule and manage interactions with high-profile visitors. The discussion focused on the logistics of meetings involving Imelda Marcos and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. Nixon specifically instructed Butterfield to involve the State Department, specifically Emil Mosbacher, regarding matters involving Marcos while expressing his desire to avoid direct personal involvement in certain sensitive logistical details.
President Nixon met with Alexander P. Butterfield to coordinate social planning for an upcoming White House event. The brief discussion focused on dinner arrangements involving Emil “Bus” Mosbacher, Jr. No major policy decisions were made during this logistical exchange.
President Nixon and personal secretary Rose Mary Woods met to discuss the President's upcoming schedule, including plans for a radio address and potential travel to Camp David. They reviewed logistical concerns regarding upcoming meetings, such as the visit of Josip Broz Tito, and touched upon various personal and staff-related matters, including the travel expenses and conduct of family members. The conversation concluded with Nixon deciding to postpone certain commitments due to health concerns and scheduling conflicts.
President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman met to review the President’s upcoming public schedule, including strategy for a potential radio address and administrative coordination for meetings with Imelda Marcos and the Price Commission. The pair discussed current Gallup polling trends, noting a recent increase in presidential approval ratings, and reviewed the economic landscape, specifically focusing on the Consumer Price Index and Arthur Burns's handling of the money supply. Additionally, they touched upon the confirmation preparation for Supreme Court nominees William Rehnquist and Lewis Powell, with Nixon emphasizing the need for thorough vetting to avoid potential Senate confirmation pitfalls.
President Nixon held a brief, unscheduled meeting in the Oval Office with an unidentified individual. The encounter lasted less than a minute and the content of the discussion remains entirely unintelligible. No substantive policy developments or decisions are recorded as a result of this interaction.
President Nixon met with Rose Mary Woods and Stephen B. Bull to discuss his recent televised address, manage his daily schedule, and address personnel and political matters. The group coordinated the President's attendance at a meeting regarding the Pay Board and Price Commission, ensuring no photography occurred due to the absence of labor leaders. Additionally, they reviewed potential Supreme Court nominees, evaluated a letter from Senator Charles Percy, and considered guest list arrangements for an upcoming White House dinner.
This recording consists of brief, unintelligible exchanges between unidentified individuals present in the Oval Office. The participants engage in casual, fragmented greetings and unclear administrative or personal requests. Due to the lack of substantive dialogue or discernible context, no official policy decisions or significant developments are documented in this segment.
President Nixon, H.R. Haldeman, and Ronald Ziegler discussed the positive public and political reception of Supreme Court nominees Lewis F. Powell, Jr. and William H. Rehnquist, focusing on the importance of their conservative credentials and intellectual capability. Nixon analyzed the ideological balance of the Court and strategized on managing media narratives regarding the nominees' ages and backgrounds. Additionally, the participants reviewed the administration's public relations approach to the Pay Board and the potential labor boycott, deciding to downplay the absence of labor members during upcoming announcements.
President Nixon met with Imelda Marcos, wife of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, along with Alexander Haig to discuss the political stability of the Philippines and regional security in Asia. Mrs. Marcos expressed concerns regarding communist insurgency and domestic criticism of her husband's administration, while requesting U.S. military assistance and support for sugar quotas. President Nixon reaffirmed his commitment to maintaining strong ties with allies despite his forthcoming opening to the People's Republic of China, and he pledged to look into providing additional military equipment to help stabilize the Philippine government.
President Nixon met with Representative Peter H. B. Frelinghuysen, Jr., Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and Clark MacGregor to receive a briefing on Frelinghuysen’s recent fact-finding travels to Pakistan and India. The discussion centered on the escalating humanitarian crisis, the potential for war between the two nations, and the complexities of U.S. foreign aid policy in the region. Nixon and his advisors also engaged in a broader philosophical debate regarding the viability of democratic processes in diverse cultures and the perceived hypocrisy of critics who apply double standards to right-wing versus left-wing regimes.
President Nixon met with his aide, Stephen B. Bull, to review and finalize scheduling logistics for upcoming appointments. The discussion focused on coordinating a meeting with George H.W. Bush and William P. Rogers, as well as an engagement with former Japanese Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi. This brief administrative interaction served to confirm the timing of the President’s afternoon agenda.
President Nixon met with his personal secretary, Rose Mary Woods, and personal aide Manolo Sanchez in the Oval Office to address administrative matters and logistics regarding his personal schedule. The discussion centered on planning the President's upcoming activities, including arrangements for Imelda Marcos's book presentation and logistics for family travel to Camp David. The session concluded with the President coordinating his lunch and departure schedule with his staff.
Rose Mary Woods, Anne Whitman, and Manolo Sanchez met briefly in the Oval Office to exchange casual conversation and tour the room's historical features. The participants discussed the provenance of presidential office furniture and personal photographs, including a specific portrait created by Leo Cherne. This informal gathering served primarily as a social encounter rather than a policy or administrative briefing.
President Nixon consulted with an unidentified individual regarding an expected incoming telephone call from his daughter, Julie Nixon Eisenhower. Rose Mary Woods, the President's personal secretary, facilitated the communication coordination. The interaction was brief and focused solely on logistical arrangements for the scheduled conversation.
President Nixon met with his senior advisors, including H. R. Haldeman, Secretary of State William Rogers, and UN Ambassador George H. W. Bush, to coordinate a final, high-pressure diplomatic push regarding the United Nations vote on Chinese representation. The participants strategized on how to secure decisive votes from key nations, including Italy, Mexico, Argentina, and Malta, while weighing the political risks of direct presidential intervention and the potential impact of Henry Kissinger's upcoming return from China. They concluded by establishing a list of targeted countries and specific action items, such as arranging presidential phone calls and leveraging foreign aid dependencies, to bolster support for the U.S.-backed position.
President Nixon met with his personal aide, Stephen B. Bull, in the Oval Office to discuss administrative or scheduling matters. Due to the unintelligible nature of the audio recording, no specific policy decisions or substantive outcomes were captured. The interaction serves as a routine record of the President's daily engagement with his immediate staff.