President Nixon and H.R. Haldeman conducted a wide-ranging review of domestic and foreign policy priorities, including the administration's messaging strategy, upcoming travel, and staff management. They discussed organizational shifts within the Domestic Council under John Ehrlichman, the economic outlook provided by George Shultz, and the need for more aggressive public positioning on issues like busing and the environment. Additionally, the conversation covered debriefings on the recent Gridiron Dinner and logistical planning for press relations regarding the President’s upcoming trip to the Soviet Union.
On April 10, 1972, United States Secret Service agents and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 5:01 pm and 11:59 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 705-019 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidCanada
-The President's trip
-Speech to Parliament
-Revisions
Memoranda to Haldeman
Domestic programs
-Ehrlichman's job
-Problems
-Public relations arrangements
-The President’s instructions
-Haldeman's work with Colson and Ehrlichman
-Mobilization of staff
-Follow-up
-Edward L. Morgan
-Colson
The President's schedule
-Portrait
-Cancellation
-Meeting with John B. Connally
-Meeting with John N. Mitchell
-Philadelphia trip
-Demonstrators
-Ottawa
-Impact on war
-John A. Volpe
-Commitment
-John Cardinal Krol
-Political benefits
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew as substitute
-Meetings
-Consumption of time
-Domestic Council
-William F. (“Billy”) Graham
-Call from Kissinger
-Advice
-Political nature
Gridiron Dinner
-Goldwater's performance
-Rebozo and Robert H. Abplanalp
-Location
-Carl B. Albert and Warren E. Burger
-Abplanalp's account
-Clark M. Clifford
-David Kraslow
-Rebozo
-Unknown women
-Hubert H. Humphrey
-Quality of performance
-Assistance
-One-liners
-Paul W. Keyes
-Compared to Leslie T. (“Bob”) Hope
-Quality
-Robert J. Dole
-Keyes
-Goldwater
-Keyes
-Revisions
-Kissinger
-Frank F. Church
-Goldwater
-Jokes
-The President's administration
-Republicans
-Goldwater’s relationship with the President
-Compared with Humphrey
-Joke about Lyndon B. Johnson
-Johnson’s health
Wilson
-ITT case
-President’s view
-Concern
California
-Unemployment
-Figures
-George P. Shultz
-Department of Labor
-Statistics
Domestic issues
-Shultz's role
-Ehrlichman
-Statements
-George W. Romney
-Meeting with the President
-Alaskan pipeline
-Rogers C. B. Morton's meeting with the President
-Management of issues
-Ehrlichman
-The President’s instuctions
-Speeches
-Public appearances
-Concentration on big issues
-Responsibilities and duties
-Kenneth R. Cole, Jr.
-Shift in emphasis of Domestic Council
-Competence of personnel
-Egil (“Bud”) Krogh, Jr., Lewis A. Engman
-Issues to be emphasized
-Use of charts
-Busing
-Property taxes
-Food prices
-Environment
-Drugs
-Marijuana
-Identification of big issues
-Administration position
-Development of positions
-Attack on Administration
-Attack on opposition
-Raising taxes
-Marijuana
-Morality
-Abortion
-The President’s beliefs
-Adminstration's aggressiveness
-Concern from the President
-Domestic Council
-Environment
-Shultz
-Attendance at Conference Board, Inc. meeting
-Conversations with economists
-Optimism about economy
-Report
-Energy
-Concern
-Proposition 9 in California
-Impact on industries and energy supplies
-Edgar F. Kaiser
-Pollution standards
-Environment
-Blame on Democrats
-Proposition 9
-Threat to jobs
-Pollution requirements
-Opposition
-Slogan on billboards
-Leader, Clem Whitaker, Jr.
Clem Whitaker, Sr. and Leonie (Smith) Baxter
-1962 California gubernatorial campaign
Gridiron Dinner
-Reasons
-Previous conversation with the President
-Lack of recognition as press secretary
-Compared with James C. Hagerty, Pierre E. G. Salinger, Klein and
Gerald L. Warren
-Introductions
Press
-Relationship with the President
-Soviet trip
-List
-Ziegler's views
-Exclusion of reporters
-Logisitics
-Precedence
-The President’s previous trip to the Soviet Union
-Enemies
-Boston Globe and Newsweek
-Logistics
-Accommodations
-People's Republic of China [PRC] trip
-Conversations with White House staff
-Friends in press
-Hugh S. Sidey
-Soviet trip
-Press pools
-Comparison to Tricia Nixon Cox’s wedding
-John F. Osborne and Sidey
-Boycott
-Ziegler
-Kissinger's contacts
-Haldeman’s view
-Rowland Evans
-Foreign policy coverage
-Sidey
-Favorable comments
-Credibility
Forthcoming remarks at signing ceremony of Biological Weapons Convention
-Drafting
-Theme
-Editing
-Raymond K. Price, Jr.
-William L. Safire
-Canadian Parliament speech
White House staff
-The President's speeches
-Price
-Duties
-Research and writing
-Acceptance speech
-The President’s instructions
-Amount of time to write speech
-Klein
-Ehrlichman
-Usefulness to the Administration
-Editing
-Foreign policy
-Staff
-Philosophical orientation
-Patrick J. Buchanan
-Compared with the President
-John K. Andrews, Jr.
-Problems
-Philosophical disagreements
-Importance of words
-Kissinger
-Canadian speech
-Drafts
-Lee W. Huebner
-Sentimentality
-Kissinger's responsibility for review
-References to Soviet Union and PRC in speech
-Kissinger's review on foreign policy speeches
-Soviet Union and PRC references
-Compatibility of interests
Connally
-Health
Haldeman left at 10:38 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.