Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 807
Nixon White House Tape 807 (October 26, 1972)
9 conversations · Oval Office · about 1 hr 31 min of released audio
Featuring Nixon, Bull, Ziegler, Ehrlichman, Goode
President Nixon met with aide Stephen B. Bull to coordinate his morning agenda, specifically focusing on a scheduled meeting with John D. Ehrlichman. The primary subject of the upcoming discussion involved a pending veto. The brief session served to organize the President's immediate administrative priorities for the day.
President Nixon and John Ehrlichman met to discuss the political strategy surrounding the potential veto of HR 1, a massive welfare and social security bill, while balancing concerns over fiscal responsibility and the upcoming 1972 election. They evaluated the political risks of appearing insensitive to the elderly and the blind versus the long-term economic consequences of payroll taxes, ultimately deciding to hold off on a final public decision. Additionally, the two discussed strategies for countering negative press coverage, specifically regarding the Watergate scandal, and weighed plans to marginalize the Washington Post through reduced access and accreditation pressure.
President Nixon met with Mark Goode, William Timmons, and senatorial candidates Winton Blount and J. Caleb Boggs to coordinate arrangements for a campaign film session. Following the candidates' departure, the discussion shifted toward the recording of a veto message regarding House Resolution 1. The President consulted with his staff on the messaging strategy and requested a follow-up telephone call to John D. Ehrlichman to finalize the legislative approach.
President Nixon met with his aide, Stephen B. Bull, to discuss logistical arrangements and updates regarding the President's daily schedule. The brief discussion primarily focused on administrative coordination, including the involvement of Press Secretary Ronald L. Ziegler. The interaction served as a routine planning session to organize the President’s upcoming agenda and public communications.
President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman met to coordinate the messaging strategy for upcoming major speeches. Nixon directed Haldeman to focus his immediate national defense address on the themes of nuclear retaliation previously outlined in his San Francisco and American Legion speeches, noting his frustration that past political content had overshadowed those points. Additionally, Nixon instructed that preparations begin for a separate foreign policy speech to be delivered the following week.
President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald L. Ziegler discuss the necessity of utilizing memorable catchphrases to influence public perception of the 1972 presidential campaign. Nixon emphasizes the importance of framing the media's coverage as "yellow journalism" to discredit critical reporting, particularly from the Washington Post. The President explicitly tasks Ziegler with delegating the execution of this strategy to others rather than handling it personally.
President Nixon and Henry Kissinger met to coordinate a public briefing regarding the North Vietnamese unilateral release of secret Vietnam peace settlement terms. Kissinger outlined a three-part strategy to explain the procedural status of negotiations, the substantive elements of the agreement, and the necessity of further refinements to ensure long-term enforceability. They agreed to frame the delay not as a failure, but as a commitment to a "right agreement" rather than a hurried one, while preparing to counter potential political criticism from George McGovern.
President Nixon held a brief meeting with his personal valet, Manolo Sanchez, in the Oval Office. The discussion was restricted to private, personal matters that have been officially withdrawn from public record. The interaction concluded quickly as both parties departed the office shortly after the meeting began.
United States Secret Service agents met with unknown individuals in the Oval Office to coordinate logistics and security arrangements. The dialogue, which appears to involve tactical planning or operational communication, remains fragmented and largely obscured by security redactions. No significant policy decisions or administrative actions are discernible from the available transcript.