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Conversation 623-021

TapeTape 623StartTuesday, November 23, 1971 at 4:33 PMEndTuesday, November 23, 1971 at 4:35 PMTape start time04:50:46Tape end time04:54:25ParticipantsButterfield, Alexander P.;  Bull, Stephen B.;  Ziegler, Ronald L.;  Nixon, Richard M. (President)Recording deviceOval Office
AI Summary

President Nixon met with Ronald L. Ziegler, Alexander P. Butterfield, and Stephen B. Bull to coordinate the administration's public messaging regarding the President's upcoming travel and potential attendance at a football game. The group discussed how to handle press inquiries amidst the uncertainty surrounding pending Senate action and other legislative matters on the President's desk. Ziegler received instructions to maintain a non-committal stance with the media, clarifying that no travel plans were finalized while keeping the possibility of a last-minute appearance open.

Presidential schedulingPress relationsSenate legislative actionPublic relations strategyTravel planning
AudioNARA Description

On November 23, 1971, Alexander P. Butterfield, Stephen B. Bull, Ronald L. Ziegler, and President Richard M. Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:33 pm to 4:35 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 623-021 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 623-21

Date: November 23, 1971
Time: 4:33 pm - 4:35 pm
Location: Oval Office

Alexander P. Butterfield met with Stephen B. Bull.

     The President's schedule
                                              42

                           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                        Tape Subject Log
                                          (rev. 10/06)
                                                                      Conv. No. 623-19 (cont.)


           -Ronald L. Ziegler

Ronald L. Ziegler entered at 4:34 pm.

           -James O. Eastland

The President entered at 4:34 pm.

           -William L. Waller

Butterfield and Bull left at an unknown time before 4:35 pm.

           -Travel
                -Informing the press
                      -Gerald L. Warren
                -Ziegler's conversation with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
           -Football game
                -Senate action
                -Ziegler's forthcoming press briefing
                -Weather

Ziegler left at 4:35 pm.
Transcript (AI-Generated)

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.

Thank you.
Well, we're looking at 440 dollars.
So we went through that.
Bob and I were talking about it might be good for me to say I'll go to
the football game.
We have never announced if he works for the football game, but there's a little rumbling coming up.
Now, I talked about the Senate action and other matters before your desk.
That means he's not going to go there.
He says he isn't going to make any plans at all now because of the uncertainty of the Senate action.
All of that is going to keep real loose.
Real loose.
Could we do this and test him out?
Because I think what I did today, where I blasted him in the public, they moved a little story on him.
Could I say this, that no plans, never were any plans for you to go to a football game, so you might as well wipe that out of there.
Then say, because of the uncertainty of the Senate action, the president simply is, and the other matters on his desk, he has not determined what he's going to do over the next day.
When he does, we'll let you know.
And then try him on off the record guidance that there is a possibility that he may go tomorrow sometime.
But that is not said.
There is a possibility he will go Thursday.
I just can't tell you.
I play it very dumb.
He just doesn't know because of the things in his desk.
As soon as the thing clears up tomorrow, I'll let you know.
That's where we're posted now.
We're not...
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