Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 612
Nixon White House Tape 612 (November 3, 1971)
5 conversations · Oval Office · about 59 min of released audio
Featuring Nixon, Butterfield, Long, United States Secret Service agents
President Nixon held a brief, six-minute meeting in the Oval Office with one or more unidentified individuals. Due to the lack of an available transcript or audio clarity, the specific subject matter and any resulting policy decisions remain unknown to researchers. The meeting concluded without recorded documentation of its purpose or participants.
President Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met to finalize administrative details for upcoming White House events, including a state dinner for Indira Gandhi. They discussed the guest list for the dinner and reviewed potential speakers for a religious service scheduled for November 14, 1971. The President evaluated recommendations from Charles Colson and Robert Finch regarding the service, ultimately addressing the logistical difficulties of securing guests for the event.
President Nixon requested that the White House operator place a call to Senator Russell Wong. This brief interaction served as a logistical step to facilitate direct communication between the President and the Senator. No further substantive discussion or policy developments were recorded during this brief exchange.
President Nixon met with Henry Kissinger, Alexander Haig, and Robert Finch to coordinate administrative strategy, specifically focusing on Finch's upcoming Latin American trip and the management of sensitive foreign policy issues. The group discussed diplomatic messaging for Latin American heads of state, the handling of the U.S. import surcharge, and the importance of military assistance programs. Additionally, the President reviewed his upcoming meeting with Indira Gandhi regarding the India-Pakistan crisis and evaluated political developments, including the impact of recent local election results on his administration's economic agenda.
Secret Service agents met with the President in the Oval Office to conduct a brief logistical review concerning his upcoming schedule. The discussion focused on arrangements regarding the President’s movements and requirements within the White House residence. The brief exchange was interrupted and cut off, leaving the specific details of the operational planning incomplete.