Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 648
Nixon White House Tape 648 (January 17, 1972)
5 conversations · Oval Office · about 6 min of released audio
Featuring Nixon, Drury, Shula, Sanchez, Haldeman
President Nixon met with author Allen S. Drury to express his strong appreciation for a letter Drury wrote regarding the Washington press corps. Nixon praised the document as a truthful critique that would likely alienate Drury from mainstream journalists while earning respect from honest observers. The conversation served primarily as a private gesture of validation for Drury’s confrontational stance toward the media.
President Nixon met with Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula to offer consolation following the team's recent loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl VI. During their brief meeting, the President dictated a formal letter of encouragement, praising Shula’s leadership and the team’s impressive performance throughout the season. Nixon expressed his admiration for the Dolphins' competitive spirit and conveyed his confidence that the franchise would remain a top contender in future seasons.
President Nixon met with his personal valet, Manolo Sanchez, in the Oval Office to address administrative needs. The discussion focused on organizing and retrieving specific materials intended for the President’s briefcase kept in his Executive Office Building (EOB) office. The meeting concluded with Sanchez departing to handle these logistical preparations.
President Nixon met with H. R. Haldeman and various staff members, including Henry Kissinger and John Connally, to manage media relations, cabinet appointments, and urgent foreign policy challenges. A significant portion of the discussion addressed leaks regarding the Anderson Papers and the unauthorized disclosure of information by Yeoman Charles Radford, with the President expressing frustration over the administration's perceived passivity. Furthermore, Nixon and his aides evaluated the ongoing tensions between Secretary of State William Rogers and National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger, while finalizing the transition of Peter G. Peterson into the Commerce Department to bolster economic policy control. Throughout the meeting, the President emphasized the need to maintain strict operational control over sensitive negotiations and prepare for the upcoming state of the union address.
This recording consists of a brief, informal administrative check regarding the President's current location. A Secret Service agent communicates with an unidentified party to confirm that Richard Nixon is situated in the Executive Office Building. The exchange serves as a routine security update intended to maintain awareness of the President's whereabouts.