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Conversation 700-013

TapeTape 700StartMonday, April 3, 1972 at 5:49 PMEndMonday, April 3, 1972 at 11:59 PMTape start time04:25:35Tape end time04:28:15Participants[Unknown person(s)];  Bull, Stephen B.Recording deviceOval Office
AI Summary

Stephen B. Bull and an unknown participant discuss the logistical feasibility of managing White House operations from California during the summer, specifically in August. They evaluate the political optics of travel commitments and public perception regarding presidential involvement in ongoing military operations. The discussion culminates in a tentative consensus that moving White House operations to the West Coast is a viable strategy to manage press scrutiny and workload during the campaign season.

White House administrationPresidential travelMilitary operationsPress relationsCampaign strategy
AudioNARA Description

On April 3, 1972, unknown person(s) and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 5:49 pm and 11:59 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 700-013 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 700-13

Date: April 3, 1972
Time: Unknown between 5:49 pm and 11:59 pm
Location: Oval Office

Unknown persons and Stephen B. Bull met.

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

[Non-historical returnable]
[Duration: 2m 40s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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The unknown persons left at an unknown time before 11:59 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 Do not cite this transcript as authoritative.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.

If we get into a box, just almost, time and time again, I've been pretty, I mean, pretty much asleep this night, but if we get into a box of not going,
Every time we think there's some people think we ought to be here, I'm just not going to get there often enough, you know what I mean?
There's going to be something else that week, you know?
Something else is going to be affected.
I mean, maybe they think, well, you ought to be up working on the bus this week, or you ought to be preparing for this this week, or you ought to be doing this this week, you know?
I don't know.
This may be a different kind of thing.
But the other side of this coin, of course, is that in terms of this one, if this were American involvement, in other words, like a Cambodian or Laotian operation, I wouldn't dream of joining.
Cambodia certainly not, and Laotian probably not, because we were pretty heavily involved with our helicopters.
But here, where it is basically American involvement only,
and air, it's a quite different kind of a ball game.
Do you think it is?
Or do you not?
Yes, I do.
I don't think it's a problem.
As I said, unless just, you know, all of a sudden all hell breaks loose or something.
But I feel it's the...
the need to, you know, let that sun salt and so forth.
But yeah, it's very difficult for us.
You've just got to take all you can of it at this period of knowingness.
And you know, we're going to do pretty well.
A trip to California will be a good time.
In August, John's got July.
And it's really, I think we may operate out of California soon.
The more I think of it, I think we could operate out of California soon in August.
I do, too.
You know what I mean?
I think that the press corps will be out of here anyway.
I mean, I think we can, I mean, they're going to be covered, the Democratic candidate may be covered, and I think we can run the damn White House thing out of there to a certain extent.
We might.
Sometimes, sometimes, sometimes.
Can we?
I don't think you want to stay for an extended, a long extended period.
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