Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 721 › Conversation 721-002

Nixon & Ehrlichman on Abortion policy and New York politics

Monday, May 8, 1972 · 8:38 AM–8:43 AM ET · Oval Office · 4 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ehrlichman, John D.Conversation721-002 on Tape 721 (tape position 00:01:12–00:13:34)StartMonday, May 8, 1972 at 8:38 AMEndMonday, May 8, 1972 at 8:43 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 721-002 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and John Ehrlichman discuss the political fallout and potential friction surrounding a letter concerning abortion policy in New York. The President expresses concern that the administration's involvement in the issue could complicate relationships between the Conservative Party and Nelson Rockefeller Jr. during a legislative battle. Ehrlichman is tasked with investigating the origins of the correspondence to ensure the White House avoids appearing to intervene in state-level political disputes.

  • Abortion policy
  • New York politics
  • Nelson Rockefeller Jr.
  • Executive branch intervention
  • Political strategy

Audio

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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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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matter and I imagine he's pretty upset about that.
Some letters I wrote in COVID.
I don't know what the letter is, but I did COVID.
But did we, did I send it?
Well, first it's done, it's done.
I suppose it's a
I should have been clear about it, probably in this case, but he wouldn't have killed him.
Well, if you want to give Rob a call, try to find out who his hand was on.
After all, he's got a bill up there.
week or whatever it is, and it looks as if we deliberately intervened.
Also, it is our position, but on the other hand, when it's a political matter like that,
Somebody wants to just push it through.
We do check it out and let me know if there's any of that.
Would you call her out?
Call her out.
I mean, how can you handle it with anyone?
Could you say it?
Yeah, you see?
However we deal with the abortion issue, and we do deal this way, that's a national problem.
We don't want to screw up Rockefeller Jr. and get in the middle of a fight between the cabinet clerks, the conservative party, and Rockefeller.
That's what this is all about, you know.
And it's a fight for .
So I got ahold of him very soon, and I said, I called, expressed concern about him, and that this was simply, frankly, a form that we had used on this.
I don't know what that meant.
We have always carefully said that we didn't educate any.
I mean, it's an each-day state matter.
That's what we all do.
It's a farm of views for ourselves.
But what was it like?
What did it say?
I don't know.
Did it say to be imposed in New York?
So it did.
So, I don't know how, when that name thing goes, it's all very good, but it just, probably came out of a political group.
You can't, you can't post that group.
Okay.

NARA Description

On May 8, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 8:38 am to 8:43 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 721-002 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 721-2

Date: May 8, 1972
Time: 8:38 am - 8:43 am
Location: Oval Office

The President talked with John D. Ehrlichman.

[See Conversation No. 24-1]

Also recorded on May 8, 1972

  • 721-001 8:36 AM · 42 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:36 am and 8:38 am.
  • 024-001 8:38 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman talked on the telephone from 8:38 am to 8:43 am.
  • 721-003 8:43 AM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:43 am and 8:54 am.
  • 721-004 8:54 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 8:54 am to 8:56 am.
  • 721-005 8:56 AM · 31 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:56 am and 8:59 am.
  • 721-006 8:59 AM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 8:59 am to 9:06 am.
  • 721-007 9:07 AM · 28 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:07 am to 9:08 am.
  • 024-169 10:45 AM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:45 am and 10:47 am.

All 94 conversations from May 8, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 721-002, May 8, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/721-002 (accessed October 9, 2026).