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Conversation 659-016

TapeTape 659StartFriday, January 28, 1972 at 4:06 PMEndFriday, January 28, 1972 at 4:46 PMTape start time03:58:13Tape end time04:36:36ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Mitchell, John N.;  Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Recording deviceOval Office
AI Summary

President Nixon, John Mitchell, and H.R. Haldeman met to coordinate the transition of the Attorney General’s office, specifically timing Mitchell’s resignation to coincide with the President's upcoming trip to the People's Republic of China. Mitchell advocated for the simultaneous Senate confirmation of Richard Kleindienst as his successor and L. Patrick Gray as Deputy Attorney General, expressing confidence in their approval despite potential political opposition. The participants also discussed administrative matters, including the presentation of the Encyclopedia Judaica to Martha Mitchell and the political outreach efforts involving Max Fisher.

John MitchellRichard KleindienstL. Patrick GrayCabinet appointmentsNixon China tripMax Fisher
AudioNARA Description

On January 28, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, John N. Mitchell, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:06 pm to 4:46 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 659-016 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 659-16

Date: January 28, 1972
Time: 4:06 pm - 4:46 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with John N. Mitchell and H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 1m 23s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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     Barbara Walters interview of Haldeman
          -Attack on administration critics
               -Aid the enemy in Vietnam

     Mitchell’s retirement as Attorney General
          -Preparation
          -Timing of announcement
                -The President’s forthcoming trip to the People’s Republic of China [PRC]

     Appointments
         -Richard G. Kleindienst’s confirmation
              -Prospects
              -Edward M. Kennedy’s intention
                    -James O. Eastland
              -John V. Tunney’s intention
              -Tally of prospects
                    -Mark Price
                    -Results
                          -Roman L. Hruska
                          -Paul J. Fannin
                          -Richard S. Schweiker

                           -Charles McC. Mathias, Jr.
               -Hugh Scott’s view
                     -Talk with Mitchell
         -L. Patrick Gray’s promotion
               -Deputy slot
               -Benefits
               -Qualities
                     -Legal skill
                     -Administrative skill
         -Confirmations of Gray and Kleindienst
               -Submission to Senate
                     -Timing
                     -Eastland
         -Timing of announcement
               -Maurice H. Stans
               -PRC trip
         -Timing of swearing-in
               -Kleindienst
                     -Photograph session

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 17m 41s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

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    Encyclopedia Judaica
         -Martha (Beall) Mitchell
         -Volumes
              -Number
         -Workmanship
         -Other presentations
              -Giovanni Battista Motini [Pope Paul VI] and [Elizabeth, Queen of England
              Elizabeth II

         -Phantom jets
         -Yitzhak Rabin
              -Israeli generals
                    -Toughness
         -Presentation
              -Max M. Fisher
                    -Photograph session
                    -Mitchell and Stans
                    -Efforts for the administration
                    -Stephen B. Bull

    Jews in America
         -Compared to those in Israel
         -Fisher
         -Professionals
         -Israel
               -Economic conditions
         -Compared to Irish in US

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 11m 52s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4

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    White House dinner for DeWitt and Lila (Acheson) Wallace, January 28, 1972
         -White tie
              -Frequency
              -Compared to black tie
              -Collars

    Mitchell’s resignation
         -Timing
         -James R. (“Jimmy”) Hoffa comparison
               -Executive clemency

Mitchell and Haldeman left at 4:46 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.

when I have a 75th birthday soon or something, and he was sending a call.
I just want you to be sure to check to see whether one was sent with a letter sent or, and you can put up a call list of what's been, or he mentioned it to me, but I don't know whether he was able to tell me.
Foster McGon.
I've got you consciously aiding the enemy, Dunn.
Who did that?
I did.
Barbara Waller's led me into it, and today she'll let me do it.
So I did.
If it's squirrely, it'll bounce.
It should.
It'll bounce, or... Oh, they won't.
So they're doing that on me?
If I put it into context, I'd made it exactly the way we talked about it.
Or it could be said they didn't know what we were doing, and they were not being able to shut down.
Mr. President, I just have a couple of things to run by.
The other reason I'm really curious is the number one issue, and that's my retirement state.
The time has come, or at least shortly, and I think it should be programmed the way we talked before, and that is just to drop an announcement on the 16th or 17th when you're leaving town to go to China.
A resignation to take a clerk March 1st.
At the same time, send Clayton's name up for a confirmation.
And I am absolutely convinced that he can be confirmed without any difficulty.
Teddy Kennedy has called findings.
He's called Jimmy's one.
But he will support it.
I've got people like Honey and the rest of them coming in.
They had an abortive tally up there by Mark Price before it was shut off.
So they got it started out of the White House here.
And Mark Price was out on the floor of the Senate taking a tally on findings.
So...
And the point is that he had covered 24 senators, the and all the rest of them, and they were .
Hugh Scott went down to see me the other day, and he said there'd be no problem with it.
He was sure about it, whatever he recommended.
I don't know if he'll do that.
And then if you're still in on the opinion, we'll put in the deputy's job.
Yeah, I like that.
I think that's a good... Tells them to the future.
Tells them to the future, and it's a good balancing wheel, and I have been intrigued with Pat Gregg as a little lawyer as he is.
He's a first-class lawyer.
Good.
He really is.
First-class lawyer.
Mr. President, I just have a couple of things to run by.
The only reason I'm really curious is the number one issue, and that's my retirement.
The time has come, or at least shortly, and I think it should be programmed the way we talked before, and that is just to drop an announcement on the 16th or 17th when you're leaving town to go to China, a resignation to take effect March 1st, at the same time send Clayton's name up for a confirmation.
And I am absolutely convinced that he can be confirmed without any difficulty.
Teddy Kennedy has called findings.
He's called Jimmy's one.
But he will support it.
I've got people like Honey and the rest of them coming in.
They had an abortive tally up there by Mark Price before it was shut off.
So they got it started out of the White House here.
And Mark Price was out on the floor of the Senate taking a tally on findings.
The point is that he had covered 24 senators, the Schleicherts and Matthiases and all the rest of them, and they were proclaiming.
Hugh Scott went down to see me the other day, and he said there'd be no problem with the reviews.
I don't know if you'll do that.
And then if you're still in the
from the opinion of Pat Gray and the deputies.
I think that's a good...
It tells them to the future.
It tells them to the future.
It's a good balancing wheel.
I have been intrigued with Pat Gray as a good lawyer as he is.
He's a first-class lawyer.
He really is.
He really is a first-class lawyer.
He has a head straight on his shoulders.
He's a good administrator.
He's a good administrator, so...
Uh, that'll take care of the Justice Department through the next 10 months or whatever it is.
If you're in court, we will advance that program.
All right.
They both have to be confirmed?
Yeah.
Yes.
Put both nominations up then at the same time?
I would.
And then this one, we'll take care of it in good style.
We don't, John Sullivan's, we not do anything like the stands thing, you know, any public.
We just put out the announcement.
We're getting ready to go to China.
And then when, then we do a swearing in.
I can do a picture.
When you get back in, please confirm.
Swearing in, see if Dick Poole will do it.
I think that's the way that Floki had planned on getting done.
John, I got to be glad to donate to you the new Jewish scientific sheet.
I'm going to give it to you so you can give it to Margaret for her birthday.
She'd love it.
Sixteen bucks.
Sixteen bucks.
It's the most fantastic work.
I know it.
I heard all about it before you got it.
I got it when I got the first copy, and the Pope's getting the second, and Queen Elizabeth the third.
That's right.
So why don't you tell my wife that I've given it to you so she can give her a surprise for her birthday.
I understand that you opened up the volume under the tea and all the phantom jets flew out of it.
The ambassador opened up that volume for me.
He's a good guy, Ravine.
Ravine's a hell of a fellow.
Well, we killed a large other bird with that stone, too, by running Max in, because Max has been... Well, incredibly, he's got to get in, he's got to have a picture, so that's why he went natural.
I heard you as I was walking past the door.
You were saying?
Yeah.
Well, he says he's running a word of old around the corner.
Well, he is.
He works his ass off, but he's got to keep nothing in balance.
If we didn't get him in with men, it would have been too late.
Well, that's why we got him first in the picture.
You know, the English thing is, America, a lot of our Jewish Jews in Israel,
They are.
Max, Max is a professional governor.
He's just doing his job.
They believe all that crap.
Over in Israel, they're too busy scratching to make a living.
They're worried about all that crap.
Here, they're, they're, they wear all their shoes.
It's like a professional actor.
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