Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 728
Nixon White House Tape 728 (June 6, 1972)
10 conversations · Oval Office
Featuring Nixon, Woods, Butterfield, Haldeman, Colson
President Nixon and Charles W. Colson met to discuss strategic administrative and legislative priorities, including the confirmation schedules for Richard Kleindienst and George P. Shultz. The conversation covered personnel matters involving key cabinet officials and the political implications of the President’s recent appearance at a joint session of Congress. They also touched upon national defense policy and administrative planning for upcoming presidential travel.
President Nixon met with Alexander P. Butterfield to coordinate the President's immediate administrative schedule. The brief discussion centered on the logistical necessity of signing outstanding official documents. The meeting concluded quickly after logistical confirmation between the two parties.
President Nixon consulted with a White House operator to facilitate an outgoing call. This brief interaction served as a routine administrative request to connect the President to another party. No substantive policy discussions or significant political decisions occurred during this brief exchange.
President Nixon met with his personal secretary, Rose Mary Woods, to discuss logistical arrangements and his upcoming travel schedule. The brief conversation focused on his plans to visit Camp David, where he intended to meet with Henry Kissinger, as well as comments regarding poor weather conditions in Florida. The discussion remained administrative in nature, focusing on the President's immediate movements and personal itinerary.
President Nixon and Alexander Haig met to review positive military developments in Vietnam, including successful operations against North Vietnamese forces and the effectiveness of the ongoing bombing campaign. The conversation shifted to Nixon’s deep frustration with the Central Intelligence Agency, specifically criticizing its personnel for being overly cautious, unreliable, and obstructionist. Nixon and Haig discussed plans to aggressively purge the agency of the established 'Georgetown' and 'OSS' crowd, emphasizing the need to cut staff and forcibly reassign those deemed to be problematic.
President Nixon initiates a brief exchange with the White House operator to clarify if he had been signaled for a call. The conversation serves as a routine administrative check to address a potential missed connection or communication request. No substantive policy matters or further actions are recorded during this brief interaction.
President Nixon met with his personal secretary, Rose Mary Woods, and briefly with Chief of Staff H.R. Haldeman to review his daily schedule, administrative dictation, and upcoming travel arrangements. The discussion covered routine matters such as weather reports for Camp David, feedback regarding the President's recent speech to Congress, and planning for a state dinner. Additionally, Nixon and Woods engaged in a discussion expressing strong disapproval of the recent acquittal of Angela Davis and the conduct of her jury, which led to a broader conversation about political opponents and current public figures.
President Nixon, H.R. Haldeman, and Henry Kissinger met to coordinate the President's upcoming schedule, finalize foreign policy messaging regarding the recent Soviet Union summit, and discuss strategy for the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT). The participants emphasized the need to control public relations and domestic messaging while avoiding overexposure of Kissinger to congressional testimony. Additionally, Nixon directed Kissinger to undertake personnel reforms within the CIA to ensure bureaucratic loyalty, while also evaluating potential diplomatic openings to resolve the Vietnam conflict before the upcoming Democratic National Convention.
President Nixon met with Rose Mary Woods to handle administrative tasks, including signing documents and discussing weather conditions at Camp David. Alexander P. Butterfield briefly joined the session to consult on the President's upcoming schedule, specifically regarding Barry M. Goldwater. The conversation also touched upon political messaging regarding nuclear defense capabilities and congressional resistance to military building programs.
President Nixon held a brief, four-minute meeting in the Oval Office with an unidentified individual. Due to the lack of an available transcript and limited documentation, the specific subject matter and any resulting decisions remain unknown. The interaction concluded when the President and the participant departed the office together.