Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 740 › Conversation 740-003
Nixon, Haldeman & Ziegler on Watergate and Press Relations
Thursday, June 22, 1972 · 3:44 PM–4:06 PM ET · Oval Office
AI Summary
President Nixon met with H.R. Haldeman and Ronald Ziegler to evaluate the performance and news coverage of his recent press conference. The discussion focused on the administration's responses to sensitive topics including the Watergate break-in, campaign contributions, and the SALT negotiations. The participants also reviewed upcoming scheduling matters, including meetings with congressional leaders and Cardinal Krol, while assessing the public impact of various policy positions on issues like busing and tax reform.
Audio
Audio for this conversation has not been released by the National Archives.
Transcript (AI-generated)
No transcript is available because the audio has not been released.
NARA Description
On June 22, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:44 pm to 4:06 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 740-003 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 740-3
Date: June 22, 1972
Time: 3:44-4:06 pm.
Location: Oval Office
The President met with H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman and Ronald L. Ziegler.
The President's previous press conference
-Oval Office
-Value
-Questions
-Wiretapping
-Supreme Court decision
-John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson
-Tax reform
-Welfare reform
-Offensive weapons
-Watergate controversy
-Lawrence F. O’Brien, Jr.
-Gen. John D. Lavelle
-Campaign contributions
(rev. Feb-02)
-Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
-Melvin R. Laird
-Helen A. Thomas
-The President's schedule
-Questions
-Busing
-House Resolution [H.R.] 1
-Sarah McClendon
The President's schedule
-Meeting with Republican Congressmen and Senators
-Gifts
-Broadcasters meeting
-Herbert G. Klein
-Value
The President's previous press conference
-Questions
-Tax reform
-Quality
-Humor
-Quality of press questions
-Tax reform
-Current tax laws
-Complexity
-President’s view
-Length
-News value
-Campaign contributions
-Watergate break-in
-Questions
-Debate between candidates
-1964 Michael J. Mansfield Amendment
-Barry M. Goldwater, Johnson
-Hubert H. Humphrey, Edmund S. Muskie, George S.
McGovern
-Vote for amendment
-Johnson
-SALT negotiations
-Laird
-Necessity
-Middle East
-Patrick J. Buchanan
(rev. Feb-02)
-Busing issue
-Sports
-Houston, Texas
-The President's analogy
-Questions
-Republican Convention
-Security
-Wilbur D. Mills
-John R. “Tex” McCrary
-Newspapers compared with television
-Impact
-Radio
-Impact
-Detroit stations
-Busing issue
-Buchanan
-Detroit case
-The President's statement
-Racial balance
-Quality of education
-Congressional action
-Moratorium
-Constitutional amendment
Stephen B. Bull entered at 4:03 pm.
The President's schedule
-Meeting with John Cardinal Krol
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 31s]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
*****************************************************************
Krol
(rev. Feb-02)
-Meeting with the President
-Philadelphia
-Photographs
-Broadcasters meeting
Haldeman and Ziegler left and Alexander P. Butterfield entered at 4:04 pm.
The President's schedule
-Meeting with Krol
-Forthcoming Breakfast on June 23
-[Thomas] Hale Boggs
-Gerald R. Ford
-Importance
Butterfield left at 4:06 pm.Also recorded on June 22, 1972
- 740-002 3:02 PM — President Richard M. Nixon, Bonnie Angelo, Frank Cormier, and Sarah McLendon met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:02 pm to 3:44 pm.
- 740-004 4:06 PM — President Richard M. Nixon, John Cardinal Krol, John Gurash, Charles W. Colson, Henry C. Cashen, II, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:06 pm to 4:35 pm.
- 025-124 4:35 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 4:35 pm.
- 025-125 4:35 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 4:35 pm.
- 025-126 4:35 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Tricia Nixon Cox talked on the telephone from 4:35 pm to 4:36 pm.
- 740-005 4:35 PM — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at 4:35 pm.
- 740-006 4:35 PM — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at 4:35 pm.
- 740-007 4:35 PM — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Tricia Nixon Cox, Stephen B. Bull, White House operator, Ronald L. Ziegler, Charles W. Colson, Richard J. Daley, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:35 pm to 5:20 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 740-003, June 22, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/740-003 (accessed September 18, 2026).