Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 657
Nixon White House Tape 657 (January 26, 1972)
2 conversations · Oval Office
Featuring Butterfield, Nixon, Kissinger, Belcher, White House photographer
President Nixon met with Henry Kissinger to discuss the administration's strategic response to North Vietnam's rejection of the latest U.S. peace proposal, agreeing to maintain a tough, offensive public relations stance. Following this, the President held an extensive session with Representative Page Belcher, Secretary of Agriculture Earl Butz, and Clark MacGregor to address agricultural policy, congressional relations, and the political necessity of better maintaining ties with key legislative allies. During the meeting, Nixon authorized a mortgage guarantee for a Tulsa hospital and emphasized his desire for more frequent, direct communication with his congressional supporters to improve morale and political coordination.
Alexander P. Butterfield met with unidentified individuals in the Oval Office to discuss the President's schedule and physical location. Due to the unintelligible nature of the recording, no specific administrative decisions or substantive developments can be confirmed. The brief interaction serves primarily as an administrative record of movement logistics regarding the President's presence.