Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 697 › Conversation 697-017

Nixon, Stewart & MacGregor on Minneapolis and PRC trip

Thursday, March 30, 1972 · 12:15 PM–12:20 PM ET · Oval Office

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Stewart, James E.; MacGregor, Clark; White House photographerConversation697-017 on Tape 697 (tape position 02:43:34–02:48:13)StartThursday, March 30, 1972 at 12:15 PMEndThursday, March 30, 1972 at 12:20 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 697-017 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with James E. Stewart and Clark MacGregor, accompanied briefly by a White House photographer, to discuss political relations, potential travel logistics, and administrative appointments. The conversation touched upon Stewart’s history in Minneapolis, praise for Nixon’s recent trip to the People's Republic of China, and anticipation for his upcoming visit to the Soviet Union. The participants also briefly addressed pending Supreme Court nominations and the search for an Attorney General, with Nixon advising caution regarding staff travel requests.

Audio

Download MP3 (part 1) · 167.9 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 167.8 MB ·Download MP3 (part 3) · 141.2 MB

This conversation has not yet been cut into its own clip, so the player above contains the full tape segment shared with neighbouring conversations. It begins about 02:43:34 into the tape and ends around 02:48:13.

Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

· Timestamps are positions within the full tape recording.
2:43:34That you're at a point where we just, you better take a step back from it.
2:43:35Yeah.
2:43:36Then we all ought to be moving on to the center of our ground.
2:43:39Yeah.
2:43:41I agree.
2:43:41It's an honor.
2:43:42So the more time we've got each year, let's get some time off.
2:43:45We've got to relax.
2:43:45There's nothing to do on this anyway.
2:43:47Is there any way that you could give him and two or three other staff members a ride on a, you know what I mean, it's costly to live down there on a courier plane?
2:43:58There's something in Florida, isn't there?
2:44:02Let me see.
2:44:03Why not?
2:44:03Let me see.
2:44:04Don't raise it with me.
2:44:05No.
2:44:06But my point is, don't you raise any vacation things.
2:44:09Let me try and work something out.
2:44:10I think maybe I can.
2:44:12When Ms. Sally Mitchell's done, I never even said something.
2:44:14She was going to come at 2.30 today.
2:44:18I should only go to Jacksonville.
2:44:20They can't.
2:44:22But I think it would be a nice thing to have a mentalist down there send a, I don't know, I don't see any reason why you're planning, I guess you can't do it.
2:44:36kind of makes other let me see we may have some we can work out there's all kinds of stuff let me check
2:45:00Oh, God.
2:46:21How do you get along with such a character?
2:46:24Well, it's been hard, but over the years, I've had a good chance.
2:46:27Did you support him against me?
2:46:30No, sir.
2:46:30I did not.
2:46:33I surprised the president.
2:46:36Sir, Jeff and I have been great friends.
2:46:38He was a constituent of mine when I was a congressman.
2:46:41He is a former reporter, a great friend of Bob's presidency.
2:46:44Oh, yeah, a former reporter.
2:46:46Where did you live in Minneapolis?
2:46:47I know that place.
2:47:18I used to play a little bit, a little bit.
2:47:24I did a lot of entertainment, so I was like, you can stop.
2:47:33But listen, he's doing great.
2:47:34Well, Jim has been very helpful to us as president.
2:47:38I think it will be helpful.
2:47:39Well, listen, I know about all he's done, and I appreciate it.
2:47:44But the main thing is to be sure Clark's subsidized.
2:47:48Well, the main thing is these things you're doing are so rich.
2:47:51Your Chinese trip was great, and we're looking forward to your Russian trip.
2:47:54That's got to be more important.
2:47:55You've got a point in science.
2:47:56Clark said, which is more important?
2:47:58The Supreme Court?
2:47:59The Supreme Court, I mean, it's been... Well, we have to try to get it through.
2:48:02How they don't want an attorney general, that's what I mean.
2:48:06I mean, you're going to have to talk to the lawyer.

NARA Description

On March 30, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, James E. Stewart, Clark MacGregor, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:15 pm to 12:20 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 697-017 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 697-17

Date: March 30, 1972
Time: 12:15 pm - 12:20 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with James E. Stewart and Clark MacGregor; the White House photographer
was present at the beginning of the meeting.

     Greetings

     Minneapolis

     [Photograph session]

     MacGregor
         -Stewart’s frienship

     Hubert H. Humphrey

     MacGregor
         -Stewart

     Robert L. Kunzig

     Minneapolis

     Leslie T. (“Bob”) Hope

     Thomas E. Dewey

     Golf

     International Telephone and Telegraph [ITT]

     The People's Republic of China [PRC] trip

     Soviet trip

     Supreme Court

     Attorney General

     Lawyers

**********************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 1m 11s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

**********************************************************************

      Charles G. (“Bebe”) Rebozo
           -Tuxedo
                 -Manolo Sanchez

      Gifts

Stewart et. al. left at 12:20 pm.

Also recorded on March 30, 1972

  • 697-016 12:15 PM · 40 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at 12:15 pm.
  • 697-018 12:20 PM · 30 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:20 pm to 12:21 pm.
  • 697-019 12:21 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Donald L. Jackson, Peter M. Flanigan, Stephen B. Bull, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:21 pm to 12:25 pm.
  • 697-020 12:25 PM · 28 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:25 pm to 12:26 pm.
  • 697-021 12:26 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Carl W. Tiller, George P. Shultz, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:26 pm to 12:30 pm.
  • 697-022 12:30 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:30 pm to 12:31 pm.
  • 697-023 12:31 PM · 11 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Mike Finamore, Ann Landers, A. Hamblin Letton, Mrs. A. Hamblin Letton, Charles R. Ebersol, Mrs. Charles R. Ebersol, Lane W. Adams, Mrs. Lane W. Adams, Irving I. Rimer, Alan Davis, John Finamore, Mrs. John Finamore, Deborah Finamore, Alice Letton, Kenneth R. Cole, Jr., James H. Cavanaugh, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:31 pm to 12:39 pm.
  • 697-024 12:39 PM · 21 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:39 pm and 12:45 pm.

All 48 conversations from March 30, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 697-017, March 30, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/697-017 (accessed October 12, 2026).