Conversation 603-003

TapeTape 603StartWednesday, October 27, 1971 at 12:23 PMEndWednesday, October 27, 1971 at 12:52 PMTape start time02:39:08Tape end time03:08:06ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Woods, Rose Mary;  Cox, Tricia Nixon;  Woods, Rose Mary;  [Unknown person(s)]Recording deviceOval Office

On October 27, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, Tricia Nixon Cox, Rose Mary Woods, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:23 pm to 12:52 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 603-003 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 603-3

Date: October 27, 1971
Time: 12:23 pm - 12:52 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Rose Mary Woods.

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Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 03/02/2020.
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[Personal Returnable]
[603-003-w001]
[Duration: 7m 23s]

[The President talked with Tricia Cox between 12:23 pm and 12:36 pm]

[Conversation No. 603-3A]

[See Conversation No. 013-020]

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
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[Personal Returnable]
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[See Conversation No. 013-020]

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[End of telephone conversation]

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       Jet Star airplanes
               -Use by First Family
                       -Tricia Nixon Cox [?]
                       -Secret Service
                               -Shuttle
                       -Charles G. (“Bebe”) Rebozo
                               -Commercial air travel
                       -Secret Service
                       -Camp David
                       -Tricia Nixon Cox [?]

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       The President’s schedule
              -Relatives
                      -Rose Mary Woods’ opinion

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     Henry A. Kissinger’s trip to the People’s Republic of China [PRC]

     William P. Rogers
          -State Department
          -Kissinger
                -Staff

     United Nations [UN vote to expel Taiwan, Republic of China
          -Tricia Nixon Cox
          -The President's view
          -Woods’s view
          -Conduct of delegates
          -The President's instructions
                -Ronald L. Ziegler
          -Congress
                -Charles H. Percy
          -New York Times
          -Expulsion of members
                -Delegates during Taiwan vote

     Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon's schedule

Woods talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 12:36 pm and 12:52 pm.

[Conversation No. 603-3B]

[See Conversation No. 13-21]

[End of telephone conversation]

     Mrs. Nixon's schedule

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             -The President’s view
                  -The President’s policies
             -Lyndon B. Johnson
             -Helen A. Thomas
             -The President's schedule

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     Rose Mary Woods’s schedule
          -Dinner plans
          -W. Kenneth Riland
          -The President’s schedule

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     Tricia Nixon Cox’s conversation with the President
           -Use of airplane

     Campaign
         -Use of airplane
         -Charles G. (“Bebe”) Rebozo
         -James D. (“Don”) Hughes

     Transportation costs
          -Government use
                -Solution
                     -First class fare
          -Airplane use
               -Secret Service

     Tricia Nixon Cox’s account of Edward W. Brooke dinner
           -Francis W. Sargent
                -Arrival time
                -Tricia Nixon Cox’s opinion
           -Drinking at dinner
                -Edward W .Brooke
           -Massachusetts fundraisers
                -The President’s opinion

     Tricia Nixon Cox’s schedule
           -Invitation to fund-raising dinner
           -New York City
                 -The President’s attendance
           -Washington, D.C.
                 -Julie Nixon Eisenhower
           -Republican National Committee

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An unknown person entered at an unknown time after 12:36 pm.

     Ziegler
          -Briefing

The unknown person left at an unknown time before 12:52 pm.

     Woods's schedule

     The President's photograph
          -Wallace F. Bennett
                -Francis Bennett
                -Mrs. Nixon’s signature
                -The President's signature
          -Bradford K. Bachrach
          -Portrait photographs

Woods left at 12:52 pm.

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

My ladies and gentlemen, do you think they'd give you a nice hand or not?
Oh, sure.
With me.
Good luck.
Those meetings are always great.
Everybody's saying that's crazy and all that stuff.
Hold on.
Yeah, yeah.
Sure.
Yeah.
And you tend to be speaking without a respectful hearing or addition.
Well, which one?
I need you to go to one.
Where?
It's in Oregon, Massachusetts.
I can go to Massachusetts now, if it isn't worth your time.
Yeah, I'm sorry, I don't know if he's in charge of the room.
Well, how are you treating me today?
Oh, that's nice.
Well, anyway, I go to the Massachusetts, but what other city?
You shouldn't come to New York, because I'll be there.
But, yeah.
I'm going to New York and Chicago, yeah.
Well, I don't think maybe you ought to bother to go on there.
Yeah, I think maybe that's not where it goes.
That's fine.
What's that?
Just let me check.
I'll listen to my desk.
I'll see if it's enough.
That's really the only one around here today.
You know, I guess looking at the Boston area, the chairman is a great friend of ours, maybe, and it would not be the river grounds.
They're basically our ground.
This is the solution to us.
Would you mind going to Boston?
Well, go to Boston.
Go to Boston, and then you'll see some of our friends, which is not a bad idea.
All right, take me below the passages.
Well, listen, if you would go to the Boston dinner, would you do that?
Of course.
Yeah, I think so.
The chairman, the chairman is the fellow named Yeager.
Well, I know it is.
I know, but it's Tom Pappas and all that gang.
And you see, he's our great friend.
You know what he did for you.
And since they have asked, because I just checked with the side, I'd forgotten that they were killing that dinner.
You've got, like, Pappas, as you know, and Yeager.
And so, would you do that?
All right.
All right, fine.
All right, fine.
Great.
Well, fine, fine.
We'll go to that.
Yeah.
Yeah, I don't know what your reaction was.
I just, I don't know what I've heard.
It's pretty horrible.
On the other hand, well, the Congress isn't a cost, but I don't think that I've heard anything because I feel that they know we put on a fight, but they blame you, man.
That's what you think.
Yeah, but it's one of those things, one of those things.
No, they won't, they won't.
Well, that's the point.
That's right, that's right, that's right.
I'm taking a little, because basically they want to, they want BK, I mean, BK will not come to power in this matter, so they're choosing to, it's too bad.
He said, listen, one thing I wanted to mention to you that I had, I was, I had, I was supposed to, I was supposed to, they should have brought you when I was up there.
I should do it.
Oh.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Well, I thought, I thought it would fit that nicely.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Not until I, not until I go or something like that.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Uh, I, who?
Oh.
Oh, he's all right.
No, this is, you know, he's bad at all.
Yeah, that's all right.
I was going to say this.
One thing about the, you know, on the Jetstar plane, I think it would, I don't want to get any pressure, you know, the pressures that I get.
I just want to check.
Maybe, you know...
They depressed it a little, can't you see?
I can use it and so forth and so on.
And of course you know that we have it set up so that you can use it.
But I think that you probably ought to maybe be careful.
I would say about every three weeks is probably
Mr. Fargo was problematized that we have to be concerned about us through home arrest.
And we have, we limit that.
We have very tight control.
The problem that I have, and I just thought of it when you were there yesterday, that well now,
One of these press people may pick up the neck when I look here.
How all of the blind news and I don't want to go.
Now, actually, what we do is we pick up the check on the party at first last there.
Anyway.
But my point is, any time you come down on a commercial plane, it's fine.
That's easy.
There isn't to do that.
It is not bad.
In other words, you get an air shuttle to come down.
But on the Jet Star, it isn't that you should have used it.
But I think that about once every three weeks, there'd be no problem, whatever.
And then you can say, well, I had to come down because of various problems you had.
And we're not supposed to sell.
Nothing's developed yet, but I was talking to Hughes a little about it, and I said, well, we've had them off, but you know what I mean.
And I told you the same thing.
They will not, she will crush them.
She has very common feelings.
She doesn't want to get rid of them.
Every three weeks, as I said.
If there's anything, for example, where it can happen, then you just come.
That's the main competition.
If, on the other hand, you're just coming down, I would try to work it out so that you can do that on that basis.
You can do that.
And you just avoid the problem.
And then when you come on commercial, heck, just take commercial planes and come down and pick up a car.
It's not bad, but we've been in trouble with, say, some of the service, you know, get you on a, get you, get you to the seat and all that.
So, yeah.
And, but I use the Jetstar.
I don't know if you like it.
You're going to have to check it out.
I have to get out of California for that Bob Boat thing.
And it's the Bob Boat day.
It's the Bob Boat Boston on the night.
That's the day after Thanksgiving, two days after Thanksgiving.
I may go out to fly out on Thanksgiving Day in order to get out there and get a day to rest beforehand.
Every three weeks.
Well, yeah, but that's right.
It also saves you a fucking hammer on your head if you keep working on it.
Yeah, she said they were taking care of it.
I said, oh shit, what's your problem?
They go out and pop on the shuttle and nobody's down there.
That's right.
And they've got to take care of the service workers for all of us.
There's receipts in there.
It's wrangling.
It's just easier.
I mean, they really go out a lot of these days.
It's just not quite as convenient.
You've got to go when the plane comes.
But once they take it all, it's just as easy.
I'll give you one example of a good friend of mine.
He always takes commercials.
It's a great time.
He likes that.
But here at the Secret Service, we do a jury rights thing every three weeks.
They should come.
I ain't got to cut down on that.
I thought that was better, because they don't come to Camp David every week now.
If they had the Camp David thing, they would have said we promised it or something.
I don't think they will.
I don't think they're going to take a plane every weekend.
They won't do that every weekend.
They come home.
I don't think.
Then they shouldn't anyway.
Well, she's got a message from the nutritionist.
And you did that very, very nicely.
I don't think we're all going to be next year.
Why are we going to be next year?
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
You know, it's a real problem.
I believe we have a problem with Bill Rogers.
It's just, you know, it's a bad thing.
You know, there's just the State Department thing.
You know what I mean?
Bill has had his good advice, but it's, uh...
He's also known as Henry Rushpot.
I don't think any other Secretary of State has ever been more overshadowed by Donald Trump.
But Henry also has... Has his courage.
And Henry's staff is constantly knocking State Department.
You know, and it's...
So it's a hard...
It's hard.
It's hard all the time.
The differences are significant.
Bill doesn't know a hell of a lot about some of these things.
He really doesn't.
That's right.
And it's a real problem.
He likes to be in on things that he doesn't know a hell of a lot about.
Oh, that was difficult.
I'm working on it.
I'm constantly refereeing the battle between the two.
Oh, shit.
I just want to sit in there.
I can't have a...
I'm a goddamn stranger.
You can't have big games all the time with people.
No.
You don't accomplish as much.
I mean, because everyone you have, they have to have people in it.
Conversation becomes more important in the audience.
What do you think about the U.S.?
Yeah, and they were kicking out the charter member, and they acted like a bunch of cubs.
Well, they cheered.
They were embarrassed for the United States.
That's what I just told them.
I appreciate it.
No, I bet Crony said push through something and cut him down or something.
I hope they did.
Yeah, I'm worried.
Percy thinks that would be very bad for our cause.
Percy, no, we haven't seen Percy for all these years.
So they're, uh, they're, well, they're being denied admissions.
Uh, a lot of them do.
The way I understand it, of course, it's not clear.
Before the Congress was ever seen for the show, the show, the show, the show, the performance has hurt itself.
Yeah, I think the headlines, if you're in the White House, they hear some thoughts with all the taxpayers and everything.
I think everyone I've talked to has just fed up with the, with the, well, yeah, particularly the other, you say that, doing a jig and that sort of thing.
Yeah, I don't know why I didn't see it.
Did you see it?
No, I didn't see it on television, but there was a picture of it in New York, somebody showed me it in New York Times.
They're doing a jig and...
And people don't like having a million people get in and have to vote and can kick somebody out who's got 14 or 15.
Well, that's because half of them are just very civilized.
That's what it really must be like.
That, I would guess, because I don't think anybody with any real touch or any real discipline would ever do something like that.
It has to be.
Do you know what kind of practice that is?
No, I don't.
I can find out.
Would you bring it out?
Two, one, five, three, six.
This is Rose.
Could you tell me what time this is next?
I'm going to zoom back in.
Okay.
Around 2.15.
Alright, fine.
Thank you.
3 is avoiding.
2 is avoiding at 1.
I'm probably about 2.15.
I hate the message.
I really do.
I don't mean to scare individuals.
I know they're after us.
I know they're out to kill us.
I don't give a goddamn thing.
And at the end of that reason, I get a more respectful press than Johnson does.
They believe a lot more than she did, than you and I.
But he just constantly sucks it around the clock.
And I just believe me, I am not going to give them all that.
I'll do something like for the hell of Thomas, that current president.
Well, I just wonder what we should do, Rosalind, actually.
Well, we've got to find out what's going on.
Why don't you come right on in, right on in.
It's 6.30 again.
Let's go over to Chinatown.
You can be there and throw in a few words and so forth.
I think the conversation with Chris was good.
They should have used the plant every week.
It's like, us.
Well, I think, you know, and you said it very nicely, and the thing is, I think very truly, because I would bet you, coming up in the campaign, they would be checking the first section.
And it's easy for them to tell them they're not here, you know.
Now, on the other hand, well, as you know, Don, he would bless his soul, because he was constantly, you know, finding ways to get that back, too.
But Don was saying, well, look, this shouldn't be, because I don't know what you know what I mean, and this is a secret service.
But it is not right on a solely personal basis.
to you who's got the transportation on you about how it is.
And I think, I think therefore, our pay, the first class fare, is a very good answer to that, because then the Secret Service is using the money, because they say they prefer it as a security matter, but we pay the first class transportation, so we're not paying it, and then we wouldn't have this problem.
I think it's a good point.
Do you agree with me?
Yes, we do.
I have a question.
But that's right.
They won't even question it.
But if they're every weekend, then it will be questioned.
And I think you talked about this.
You know, I'm sure that that was... You did it the other time.
I'm glad you mentioned it.
I didn't want to misuse it.
But let me tell you the background.
The background...
They were really, I think it was a Christian group of people, and she said they hated her.
And he said the next day he handed her a book.
He started to write, forty-nine minutes late.
And then he said she didn't like him at all.
He's a terrible person.
And I mean, I could gather that it was one of those things.
And the dinner was over at twelve or fifteen.
And they had cocktails for an hour and a half, but everybody, including Brooke, was stoned.
And she said, Brooke, she said, I'm never going to drink a champagne, but... Somebody did drink that, because they had this problem.
But I had their hands.
I had their hands.
The master's assistant, Mark Hall.
I can't believe it.
I don't know.
I've never known them.
I've never sat down on time.
They're all loud.
oysters and so forth and so on.
But I think she should go to this center for a reason that these are our friends.
A few of our friends.
And if they want her to come, did you say?
Yes, they invited her.
But I know that the other thing is that she shouldn't go to New York because you're going there.
And there's no point in her coming back here to Washington if I was in there.
It won't be them.
Well, you'll remember this one.
That's right.
Julie will be here.
And, um... And when she is right there at Cambridge, it would be nice to help anyone living in Massachusetts just to have the image.
But when she appears, you know it's going to be good.
Oh, I'm confused about that.
But at least, at least we aren't, we don't have to swallow the iron.
That's right.
You see, Ross, I agree with you.
Yes, I have a radio.
Yes, I have a radio.
Yes, I have a radio.
Yes, I have a radio.
Yes, I have a radio.
Yes, I have a radio.
Yes, I have a radio.
I don't think you need to.
No, I don't think he's going to go take it to someone.
Well, let's see whether or not I sign it.
Look, if he does, he doesn't deserve a picture.
That's right.
I'm getting the same one as his game.
So if they can sell it someday, they don't deserve it.
Pat, Pat, Pat.
He said this has been a ridiculous argument.
You know, it's funny.
I deal with that picture as well.
It's a real goldmine to send to people.
Now, I don't like that at some point.
I couldn't possibly approach that picture to you.
That's an excellent picture.
That's a hell of a picture.
Hell of a picture of both.
It's got a great expression.
That's what I think they ought to do is they'll look through the pictures to see if they can't find one that's far below the peak and use that as our picture.
You know, get an expression that is not posed.
Why don't we try that once more?
We've been around that track.
There it is.
Well, the tough ones aren't right on this one or this one.
There you go.
It's a question of the face.
I'll take a picture.
I'll take a picture.
Maybe they can't find one.
I've tried before, but I'm not going to go through that picture and see if it can help.
And it is a pain in the neck.
I see.