Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 639
Nixon White House Tape 639 (December 18, 1971 – December 21, 1971)
31 conversations · Oval Office · about 4 hr 11 min of released audio
Featuring Nixon, Bull, Haig, Butterfield, Haldeman
President Nixon met with Alexander P. Butterfield to coordinate administrative logistics regarding his official schedule. The discussion focused on arrangements for an upcoming press photo opportunity and a follow-up communication Butterfield was tasked to conduct with Press Secretary Ronald L. Ziegler. This interaction served to finalize brief scheduling adjustments required for the President's public engagements.
President Nixon initiates a brief communication with the White House operator to facilitate an outgoing call. The interaction serves as a routine administrative request to connect the President with an external party. No significant policy discussions or substantive decisions occur during this brief exchange.
President Nixon and his personal secretary, Rose Mary Woods, met briefly in the Oval Office to coordinate his official schedule. The discussion focused on administrative logistical arrangements regarding upcoming appointments and presidential obligations. No major policy decisions were recorded during this short exchange.
President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler coordinated the public messaging for an upcoming courtesy call to ensure the event remained low-key. Nixon explicitly instructed Ziegler to manage media expectations by limiting press coverage and declining requests for official photographs to prevent a build-up of publicity. The two agreed on a strategy to control the narrative by providing specific talking points to the press.
President Nixon met with Rose Mary Woods, Alexander Butterfield, and other staff members to finalize administrative tasks and discuss his upcoming holiday schedule. The conversation centered on the President's personal plans for Christmas, including weather concerns, football, and potential travel to Florida or Bermuda. Additionally, the group addressed office operations, such as signing paperwork, managing Christmas card messages, and approving a holiday financial gift for a staff member's wife in recognition of her assistance with data organization.
President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman met to coordinate upcoming administrative logistics, specifically focusing on the scheduling of a Cabinet dinner and holiday-related press engagements. The discussion touched upon the guest list for the dinner, including former administration members and various political figures, alongside planning for a CBS Christmas message and year-end media appearances. Haldeman also facilitated communication regarding John B. Connally’s schedule and return, while the participants finalized strategies for balancing these high-level social and public relations commitments.
President Richard M. Nixon met with Alexander P. Butterfield in the Oval Office for a brief, two-minute exchange. The specific content of this discussion remains unavailable due to the lack of an existing transcript and the unintelligible nature of the recording. No definitive policy decisions or significant administrative actions were captured during this brief encounter.
President Nixon and his personal aide Stephen B. Bull met briefly in the Oval Office to coordinate logistics for an upcoming discussion with General Alexander M. Haig, Jr. The primary purpose of the brief interaction was to facilitate Haig's arrival and manage the President's schedule. Bull departed immediately after addressing these preparatory matters.
President Nixon met with Alexander Haig and later H. R. Haldeman to review ongoing geopolitical crises and international economic negotiations. The discussion addressed the recent ceasefire in the Indo-Pakistani War, the administration's strategic posture toward the Soviet Union and China, and a delayed military response in Vietnam to avoid escalation during the Christmas period. Additionally, the President received an update from Secretary of the Treasury John Connally regarding stalled international monetary talks, focusing on recalcitrant stances from Italy, Japan, and Canada.
President Nixon held a brief, two-minute meeting in the Oval Office with an unidentified individual. The interaction was limited to a single administrative exchange regarding the movement of people within the room. No substantive policy discussions or significant decisions were recorded during this brief encounter.
President Nixon met with Zulfikar Ali Bhutto to discuss the aftermath of the Indo-Pakistani War and the ongoing territorial integrity of Pakistan. The conversation focused on the geopolitical implications of the conflict, specifically regarding the influence of the Soviet Union and India in South Asia, as well as the importance of maintaining international norms against aggression. Nixon offered general support for Pakistan's recovery while emphasizing the necessity for internal reform and self-reliance under the Nixon Doctrine, ultimately advising Bhutto to pursue a peaceful, negotiated path to restore regional stability.
President Nixon met with his personal valet, Manolo Sanchez, in the Oval Office for a brief, informal interaction. The discussion primarily involved routine administrative tasks and the President checking on the status of incoming communications. The brief exchange concluded shortly after without any significant policy developments or major decisions.
President Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met briefly in the Oval Office to coordinate the President's upcoming schedule. The primary purpose of the discussion was to arrange a subsequent meeting between the President and General Alexander M. Haig, Jr. Following these brief administrative instructions, Bull departed the office.
President Nixon and Alexander Haig discussed the geopolitical fallout of the Indo-Pakistani War, focusing on the roles of the Soviet Union, the People's Republic of China, and the United States. They evaluated the effectiveness of recent diplomatic maneuvers and military posturing, agreeing that the U.S. successfully demonstrated resolve to both global powers despite the conflict's outcome. The conversation also shifted to Vietnam, where the President authorized a military strategy involving air strikes against North Vietnamese targets to counter enemy aggression and address frustrations regarding the stalled Paris peace talks.
President Nixon met with Stephen B. Bull in the Oval Office to discuss administrative logistics and adjustments to the President's upcoming schedule. The conversation focused on coordination efforts regarding official engagements and internal appointments. No significant policy decisions were recorded during this brief administrative briefing.
President Nixon and Stephen B. Bull coordinate the logistics for the President's upcoming departure to New York City. The discussion focuses on scheduling adjustments, the coordination of the presidential party at the helipad, and the inclusion of Tricia Nixon Cox in the travel arrangements. Additionally, Nixon weighs the timing of a potential press release and a phone call to John B. Connally, stipulating that plans remain off the record pending further confirmation.
President Nixon consulted with General Alexander M. Haig, Jr. regarding the identity of an individual named John A. Becker. The brief exchange focused on clarifying this person's background or professional status as part of an inquiry into the President's schedule. No further policy decisions were recorded during this short administrative interaction.
President Nixon and Alexander Haig coordinated the messaging and execution of an upcoming U.S. air offensive in Laos to counter intensifying enemy activity against pro-U.S. firebases. They decided to announce the operation from Saigon rather than Washington to minimize public scrutiny while Congress was in recess, ensuring the action was perceived as a routine defensive measure. Additionally, the pair reached a consensus to withhold the public release of a letter from Indira Gandhi, preferring to maintain a firm, private stance on international communications.
President Nixon initiates a call to the White House operator to be connected with Secretary of Commerce Maurice Stans, referred to as Secretary Cotton. The brief interaction serves as a logistical bridge to facilitate an official communication between the President and the Secretary. No further policy discussions or significant substantive developments occurred during this short exchange.
President Nixon and John Connally discuss the logistics of an upcoming trip, specifically timing their travel and public engagement to accommodate a press briefing. They coordinate the sequence of events, focusing on how to effectively address the media after thanking their associates. The brief exchange concludes with Connally noting a critical, high-priority matter that requires the President's attention.
President Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met to coordinate logistics for the President's upcoming visit to the Smithsonian Institution's 'Superstar' exhibition. The discussion focused on the departure timing, transportation arrangements, and the involvement of First Lady Pat Nixon. They also established guidelines for communicating with the press regarding the event.
President Nixon met with his aide Stephen B. Bull to coordinate logistical arrangements for an upcoming interview with Time magazine. The discussion centered specifically on the placement and presence of cameras during the session. No further actions or major policy decisions were recorded during this brief administrative meeting.
President Nixon met briefly with an unidentified individual in the Oval Office. The conversation consisted of a casual, logistical exchange regarding the maintenance of the fireplace. No substantive policy matters or official developments were recorded during this brief interaction.
President Nixon met with Stephen B. Bull in the Oval Office to discuss administrative logistics regarding the President's upcoming schedule. The primary focus of the brief meeting was the preparation and coordination required for a forthcoming interview. No major policy decisions were reached, as the discussion remained centered on routine scheduling arrangements.
President Nixon met with journalists from Time magazine—Jerrold L. Schecter, Hugh S. Sidey, Hedley W. Donovan, and Henry A. Grunwald—to discuss the state of his presidency and his administration’s foreign and domestic agendas. The conversation covered a wide range of topics, including U.S. economic policy, the Vietnam War, the ongoing India-Pakistan conflict, and his strategic overtures toward the People's Republic of China and the Soviet Union. Nixon used the meeting to articulate his vision for a global balance of power and to express his confidence in his leadership style as he looked toward the 1972 election.
President Nixon and Stephen B. Bull engaged in a brief, informal discussion regarding the outcome of a San Francisco 49ers football game. The conversation centered on confirming the 31-27 final score and expressing general enthusiasm about the result. No significant policy decisions or official business were conducted during this exchange.
President Nixon met with his aide Stephen B. Bull in the Oval Office to conduct brief administrative or logistical business. The conversation, which lasted less than ten minutes, consists of unintelligible dialogue and polite exchanges before Bull departed. No substantive policy discussions or significant presidential decisions are recorded in the available transcript.
President Nixon consulted with the White House operator to facilitate an outgoing call. This routine interaction served as a technical precursor to the President’s subsequent telephonic communication, designated as Conversation 16-128. No substantive policy discussions occurred during this brief exchange.
President Nixon held an Oval Office meeting with Attorney General John N. Mitchell to discuss unspecified administrative business. The conversation was interrupted by a White House operator, leading to a brief discussion regarding an incoming call. No significant policy decisions or substantive developments are documented in this brief interaction.
President Nixon met with John Mitchell, H.R. Haldeman, and John Ehrlichman to discuss a serious security breach involving a Navy yeoman who was systematically stealing and duplicating classified documents from the National Security Council (NSC) for the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The participants determined that the yeoman had been acting under the instruction of military superiors, specifically Admirals Robinson and Welander, to funnel sensitive foreign policy information to the Pentagon. To address this compromise without triggering a public scandal or a damaging confrontation with the military establishment, they decided to move the military liaison office out of the NSC, replace it with a new security officer, and have the officials involved reassigned.
Secret Service agents met with President Nixon in the Oval Office to confirm his current location and immediate travel plans. The brief exchange focused on coordinating the President's transit to the Executive Office Building. The agents departed shortly thereafter to secure the President's movement.