Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 748
Nixon White House Tape 748 (July 20, 1972)
10 conversations · Oval Office · about 1 hr 13 min of released audio
Featuring Nixon, Butterfield, Bull, Haldeman, Colson
President Nixon met with his aide Stephen B. Bull in the Oval Office to coordinate his daily schedule. The primary focus of the brief discussion centered on managing appointments, specifically concerning Charles W. Colson. This meeting served as a routine administrative briefing to organize the President’s upcoming engagements.
President Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met to coordinate the agenda for upcoming strategic meetings with Republican Congressional leaders and Cabinet members regarding the 1972 election. They discussed the structure of breakfast briefings, emphasizing the need for clear communication with key participants like Clark MacGregor and John D. Ehrlichman. The President also reviewed budget planning recommendations from Caspar Weinberger and directed Butterfield to ensure tighter control over public relations and press interactions concerning agency heads.
President Nixon met with Charles Colson to manage White House correspondence and coordinate political strategy regarding the 1972 election. The discussion covered administrative matters, including a condolence call to Margaretta Rockefeller, and shifted to tactical planning regarding labor union support. They specifically analyzed George McGovern's political rhetoric regarding 'power brokers' and reaffirmed Nixon's strategy for maintaining relations with labor leaders like George Meany.
President Nixon consulted with an unidentified individual to coordinate his immediate schedule and manage availability for upcoming appointments. The brief discussion focused on reviewing the President's calendar to identify open time slots for potential meetings. No substantive policy decisions were made, as the exchange was limited to logistical planning and scheduling inquiries.
President Nixon met with Alexander P. Butterfield to review the logistics of upcoming official engagements, specifically focusing on the President's schedule. The discussion centered on H.R. Haldeman’s recommendation regarding the inclusion of agency heads in planned breakfast and Cabinet meetings. The President expressed concerns about the optics of these appearances, ultimately weighing whether to proceed with or cancel the planned involvement of agency leadership.
President Nixon and personal secretary Rose Mary Woods discussed their favorable impression of the film *Skyjacked* after viewing it in the White House theater. The President requested that a telegram be sent to actor Charlton Heston expressing their praise for the performance. The conversation concluded with the President voicing his hope that the film would receive an Academy Award.
President Nixon met with businessman Armand Hammer to discuss ongoing trade negotiations with the Soviet Union, the status of Hammer's Occidental Petroleum company, and the possibility of recruiting Marvin Watson to assist the Nixon reelection campaign. Hammer provided detailed accounts of his long-standing history with Soviet leadership, including Lenin and Khrushchev, and updated the President on his efforts to improve U.S.-Soviet relations through art and business ventures. Following Hammer's departure, Nixon and H.R. Haldeman shifted focus to the Watergate scandal, specifically debating the legal strategies regarding immunity for campaign staff members Jeb Stuart Magruder and Hugh Sloan, Jr. to contain further investigations.
President Nixon and Henry Kissinger met to discuss the political implications of providing a security briefing to Democratic presidential candidate George McGovern. They evaluated the potential strategic impact of this action in light of concerns raised by H.R. Haldeman. Ultimately, the two men deliberated on whether to grant the request, weighing the political benefits and risks associated with engaging the opposition.
President Nixon held a brief administrative exchange regarding his upcoming schedule and the availability of his office. He coordinated the logistics for a meeting with Henry A. Kissinger, specifically noting that the discussion would take place in the Oval Office rather than the Executive Office Building. This brief interaction served to organize the President's immediate agenda and confirm the meeting location for his national security advisor.
Secret Service agents entered the Oval Office to coordinate logistics regarding the President’s location. The brief exchange concerns the agents' upcoming movements and their immediate responsibilities for presidential security. No significant policy decisions were reached during this brief operational coordination.