Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 779
Nixon White House Tape 779 (September 15, 1972 – September 16, 1972)
3 conversations · Oval Office · about 1 hr 7 min of released audio
Featuring Nixon, Haldeman, Dean, Bull, MacGregor
President Nixon and H.R. Haldeman reviewed upcoming scheduling commitments, including a dinner for George Shultz and a State Department event. They discussed the political challenges of maintaining traditional social accessibility amidst the constraints of the presidency, with Nixon emphasizing that the nature of his office precludes returning to previous personal interactions. The pair also touched upon personnel matters, specifically regarding Emil Mosbacher’s duties and rewards, and confirmed a scheduled meeting with John Dean.
President Nixon met with H.R. Haldeman and John Dean to discuss the ongoing fallout and public perception of the Watergate investigation, emphasizing the need to keep the affair contained while criticizing potential political opponents. The participants assessed the progress of internal investigations and debated strategies for managing the Democratic National Committee's activities, including potential legislative and legal maneuvers. Nixon expressed a firm determination to reorganize the administration after the election, insisting that political loyalty and control over the federal bureaucracy would be prioritized to eliminate perceived incompetence and disloyalty within the ranks.
President Nixon met with Henry Kissinger and Alexander Haig to review breakthroughs in Soviet-American diplomacy, specifically the consolidation of trade and Lend-Lease negotiations into a single comprehensive package. Kissinger outlined successful efforts to secure Soviet cooperation on commercial agreements and timelines for European Security Conference and Mutual and Balanced Force Reductions (MBFR) talks, effectively bypassing standard State Department channels. The group also discussed the management of these announcements to maximize political credit for the President while minimizing potential leaks from Secretary of State William Rogers or other officials. Additionally, Kissinger provided a brief update on the shift in attitude observed during recent Vietnam peace negotiations.