President Nixon, Charles Colson, and Ron Ziegler met to discuss domestic political strategy, focusing on exploiting the recent peace negotiation failures of Democratic candidate Edmund Muskie. Nixon directed his team to aggressively attack Muskie's public statements regarding the Vietnam War, arguing that they undermined the administration's ongoing diplomatic efforts. Additionally, the group reviewed positive economic indicators—specifically improvements in unemployment rates for married men—and strategized on how to promote these figures to the public to improve the President's image ahead of the 1972 campaign.
On February 3, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, Charles W. Colson, Rose Mary Woods, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:23 pm to 4:42 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 665-011 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidIreland
-US policy
-Possible impact on the British
-Rogers’s concern
-Inquiries from Buckley and Richard J. Daley
-Rogers’s upcoming meeting with Hillery
Keating
-Upcoming meeting with the President
-Conversation with Kissinger
-Type of communication
-Forthcoming Senate testimony
-Lakshmi Kant Jha
-Foreign Relations Committee
-Cable
-Efforts of Joseph J. Sisco and Rogers
-India - Pakistan War
-Indira Gandhi
-State Department talking points
-Jack N. Anderson papers
-Forthcoming conversation with President
-Gandhi’s visit
-State Department memoranda
-US-Indian relations
-Possible problems
-Kissinger’s conversation with Jha
-Timing
-Bangladesh
-US policy
-Possible willingness to accept recognition
-Conversation with Kissinger
-Bangladesh
-Pakistan
-Arms sales
Bangladesh
-US aid
-Humanitarian relief
-Percentage of United Nations [UN] contributions
-State Department views
-Definitive answer after President’s trip to PRC
Keating
-Forthcoming Senate testimony
-Gandhi
-Restoration of US aid
-The President’s forthcoming world report
-Restoration of US aid
-Kissinger’s view
******************************************************************************
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 08/09/2022.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[665-001-w006]
[Duration: 42s]
1972 campaign
-Nelson A. Rockefeller’s plans
-Jacob K. Javits
-Kenneth B. Keating
-Actions
-Previous campaigns
******************************************************************************
Ellsworth F. Bunker
-Forthcoming conversation with President
-Tenure in office
-Upcoming offensive
Porter
-Style
President’s schedule
-Joseph S. Farland
-Florida
-Previous meeting
-Keating
-Forthcoming call from Farland
-Ambassadors
Yevgeny Yevtushenko
-Rogers’s memorandum to the President
-Content
-Announcement
Rogers’s schedule
-Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
-Kissinger’s memorandum
-Location
-Florida
[Haldeman talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 9:18 am and 9:49 am.]
[Conversation No. 665-1A]
Kissinger’s memorandum
Kissinger left at 9:49 am.
[No conversation]
Kissinger entered at 9:51 am.
Kissinger’s memorandum
Yevtushenko
-State Department
-Comment about Vietnam
-Liberals
[The President talked with Rogers between 9:52 am and 9:55 am.]
[Conversation No. 665-1B]
[See Conversation No. 20-43]
Yevtushenko
-Views of Vietnam
-Dobrynin
-Liberals
-Public relations
-Memorandum from Rogers
Ireland
-President’s recent conversation with Rogers
-US policy
-Rogers’s conversations
-Earl of Cromer, Hillery
-US policy
-Possible impact on the British
-Edward R.G. Heath
-Analogy to US domestic situation
The President’s schedule
-Farland
-Upcoming meeting
-Key Biscayne
-Briefing books
-Preparation for forthcoming trip to PRC
-Mao Tse-tung, Chou En-lai
-Biographies
-Mao’s favorite novels
-Keating
-Timing
-Bunker
-Timing
-Farland
-President’s reading material on PRC
-Buchanan
-Kissinger
-Key Biscayne
-Timing
-Departure time
-Reception
******************************************************************************
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 08/09/2022.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[665-001-w010]
[Duration: 5s]
The President’s schedule
-Key Biscayne
-Thelma C. (Ryan) (“Pat”) Nixon
******************************************************************************
Vietnam
-Problems with departments
-Negotiations
-October 1971
-Rogers, Laird
-Cambodia
-Kissinger compared to Rogers
-Kissinger’s personality
-Conflict
President’s schedule
-Yevtushenko
-Rogers’s possible actions
-Rogers’s memorandum
-Timing
-Press photograph
-Oliver F. (“Ollie”) Atkins
-Kissinger’s request
-Drug story
Rogers
-Henry Kissinger
-Previous conversation with Haldeman
-Lunch with Benjamin C. Bradlee, February 2, 1972
-Concern for Rogers
-Previous relationship with Graham
-Foreign policy problems
-John N. Mitchell
-Schedule
-Dobrynin’s meeting
-Israelis
-Unknown meetings
-Kissinger
-Credit
-Assumed credit
John B. Connally
-Relations within administration
-David M. Kennedy
Kennedy
-Perceived role
-North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO]
-The President, Kissinger
-Tenure
-Travel allowance
-Amount
-Rogers, Connally
-Request for more money
-Haldeman’s forthcoming meeting with Connally, Peter M. Flanigan, and Kissinger
-President’s instructions
Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 9:59 am.
Keating
Bull left at an unknown time before 10:08 am.
Kennedy
-Role with administration
Kissinger entered at 10:08 am.
-NATO post
-US Ambassadors in Brussels and Geneva
-Relations with Connally
-Kissinger’s possible conversation with Kennedy
-Kissinger’s possible conversation with Connally
-Haldeman
-Flanigan
-Connally’s role
-Leadership
-Role with administration
-Peter G. Peterson
Connally
-Role with administration
-Kennedy
Kennedy
-Role with administration
-NATO job
-Supervisory role
-Relations with Connally
-Cabinet
-Geneva
-Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development
[OECD] ambassador’s report
-Flanigan’s forthcoming efforts
-Connally’s view
-Relations with Connally
-Negotiations
-Kissinger’s previous talk with Connally
-Trade negotiations with Japan
-Kennedy’s role
-State Department
-President’s instructions
-Haldeman’s forthcoming efforts
The President’s schedule
Keating and the White House photographer entered at 10:14 am.
Prayer breakfast
Distribution of photographs
Haldeman and the White House photographer left at 10:15 am.
India-Pakistan relations
-Historic relationship
-Previous wars
-Partition
-1962
-1971
-Possible future
-Possible future relationships
-European Community
-Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
-Mujibur Rahman
-Gandhi
-USSR
-Relationship with India
-1962 War
-Pakistan
-Keating’s forthcoming testimony
-Timing
-Anderson’s papers
-Keating’s cables
-Keating’s approach and knowledge
-Farland [?]
Bangladesh
-US policy
-Peking visit
******************************************************************************
[Previous National Security (B) withdrawal reviewed under MDR guidelines case number
LPRN-T-MDR-2014-034. Segment declassified on 05/24/2019. Archivist: MM]
[National Security]
[665-001-w015]
[Duration: 8s]
Bangladesh
-US policy
-Indians
-Compared to Japanese
******************************************************************************
Bangladesh
-US policy
-Decision making process
-Announcement
-Timing
-PRC trip
-Semantics
-Proposed US action
-President’s instructions to Keating
-Pragmatism
-PRC
-India
President’s forthcoming world report to Congress
-Timing
-US relations with India
-Dialogue
-Use by Keating
-Indian foreign secretary [Trikoli Nath Kaul]
-Foreign aid
India-Pakistan
-US policy
-President’s conversations with Gandhi, November 4-5, 1971
-State Department memoranda
-Kissinger
-Toast
-Jawaharlal Nehru
-US aid
-Agha Mohammad Yahya Khan
-Unilateral withdrawal
-Refugee problems
-Keating’s forthcoming conversations with Indians
-President’s previous contributions to India
-Competition with PRC
-Democracy
-UN
-Non-alignment
-USSR
-Kissinger’s briefing of Keating
-PRC
-President’s and Keating’s experience
**************************************************************************
[Previous National Security (B) withdrawal reviewed under MDR guidelines case number
LPRN-T-MDR-2014-034. Segment declassified on 05/24/2019. Archivist: MM]
[National Security]
[665-001-w018]
[Duration: 1m 5s]
India-Pakistan
US policy
-Kenneth B. Keating’s conversations with Indians
-Press spokesman for Swaran Singh [?]
-Dinesh Singh
-[First name unknown] Dar
-Indira Gandhi
-Parmeshwar Narayan Haksar
**************************************************************************
Triloki Nath Kaul
-Foreign secretary
-Relationship with Keating
-Conversations with Keating
-Overtures for better relations
-Kaul’s USSR sentiment
[Forename unknown] Dar
President’s conversation with Kaul
-Blair House
-Accommodations
-Compared to British
Kaul
-Closeness to the USSR
-Conversations with Keating
-Kissinger’s conversations with Jha
-Gandhi
-Kissinger’s instructions to Keating
Keating
-Communications with Kissinger
-State Department
-[David] Kenneth Rush and Bunker
-Walter H. Annenberg
-State Department
Leaks
-State Department
-French
-Kissinger’s previous trips to Paris
India
-Relations with the Administration
-Japan
-President’s forthcoming trip to PRC
-Aid
-US law
-US policy
-Senate Foreign Relations Committee
-Samuel J. Ervin, Jr.
-B. Everett Jordan
-Republicans’ views
-UN resolutions on conflict with Pakistan
-Apology
-Point by UN Secretary General
-Aid
-Basis
-Refugees
-Percentage of UN assistance
-Bangladesh
-PRC trip
-Announcement
-US policy
-Refugees
-Edward M. Kennedy’s statement
-Veracity
Keating’s forthcoming senate testimony
-Senate Foreign Relations Committee
-White House
-India-Pakistan War
-US policy
-State of the Union address
-Briefing for Keating
-Dr. David K.E. Bruce
-State Department’s views
-Keating’s upcoming testimony
-Previous meetings with Kennedy and W[illiam] Stuart Symington
-Possible political issue
-Anderson’s papers
Keating
-Role as ambassador
-Previous conversations with Kissinger and the State Department
-Forthcoming Senate testimony
-India-Pakistan War
-US policy
US-India relations
-Keating’s conversations
-Kaul’s speech
-Relationship with Gandhi
-India’s relationship with
-USSR
-PRC
-US
-US wish for India to succeed
-Keating’s forthcoming message for Kaul
-Discussion with the President
-Memorandum
Nelson A. Rockefeller
-Kennedy
-Conversations with Keating
-Rockefeller’s location
-Ronald B. Stafford
******************************************************************************
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 08/09/2022.
Segment cleared for release.]
[665-001-w016]
[Duration: 1m 17s]
Nelson A. Rockefeller
-Conversations with Kenneth B. Keating
-Ronald B. Stafford
-1972 campaign
-Kenneth B. Keating’s possible role
-Campaign in New York
-Potential resignation or leave of absence from Ambassador role
******************************************************************************
Personnel management
-Annenberg
-Tenure
-Kenneth B. Keating
-Tenure in office
-Preparation for possible resignation
******************************************************************************
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 08/11/2022.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[665-001-w017]
[Duration: 2m 4s]
1972 campaign
Kenneth B. Keating
-Possible resignation
-Timing
-Nelson A. Rockefeller
-Forthcoming conversations with John N. Mitchell
1964 campaign
-Kenneth B. Keating’s role
-Barry M. Goldwater
-Number of votes
-Robert F. (“Bobby”) Kennedy
-Majority win
Kenneth B. Keating
-Ronald B. Stafford
-1965 campaign
-Previous conversation with Nelson A. Rockefeller
-Retake the Senate
-New York Court of Appeals
-Plattsburgh, NY
******************************************************************************
Gifts
-Money clip
Keating
-Security
Unknown woman
Keating and Kissinger left at 10:52 am.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.