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Conversation 833-014

TapeTape 833StartThursday, January 4, 1973 at 11:48 AMEndThursday, January 4, 1973 at 11:51 AMParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Ziegler, Ronald L.Recording deviceOval Office
AI Summary

President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler reviewed Gerald Warren’s recent press briefing and assessed public reaction to the December 1972 bombing campaign in North Vietnam. Nixon dismissed critical congressional and media sentiment, arguing that Washington’s hostility toward his war policies was detached from the sentiments of the broader American public. The two men concluded the meeting by shifting their focus to upcoming staffing and reorganization plans for the second term.

Vietnam WarPublic OpinionWhite House Press OfficeSecond Term ReorganizationMedia Coverage
AudioNARA Description

On January 4, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:48 am and 11:51 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 833-014 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 833-14

Date: January 4, 1973
Time: Unknown between 11:48 am and 11:51 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Ronald L. Ziegler.

       Gerald L. Warren's press briefing
            -Contents

       Washington, DC
           -Public opinion
                 -Congress
           -Attitude of country on war
                 -Palm Springs
           -December 1972 bombing of North Vietnam
                                                -34-

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                        Tape Subject Log
                                          (rev. Feb-09)

                                                           Conversation No. 833-14 (cont’d)

                    -Opposition
                    Television [TV] coverage

       Press briefings
             -Second term reorganization

Ziegler left at 11:51 am.
Transcript (AI-Generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

I had no problems this morning.
You didn't breathe?
No, I had more breathing this morning.
Oh, yeah.
He was hard-nosed, and he had no problems.
He just said we had nothing, no sense of time, nothing more to say, and announced the meeting he had this morning, and the rest of the schedule.
No problems.
Well, we'll get to all this.
The point is that Washington is an unreal town.
Congressmen and senators come back and say, well, we've got to make them.
They're worried and all that.
But Washington's not the country.
That's exactly right.
The country isn't all that stirred up.
Or do you agree?
I absolutely agree.
I agree.
Of course, you've been to Palm Springs, places like that.
They won't be so stirred up.
But I don't see it that way.
I just don't sense the great, you know, the people of the country and so forth.
They say, what the hell?
So that's the other thing.
People say, well, I haven't been bombed and all that.
Of course, you've covered that about 18 times, haven't you?
But it's just in this case, and others, those who question do so because they're against it.
They're against it, and that's why they're giving it a big television ride last night.
We're in good shape for today.
Let's see what's going on.
We're going to shift over to the reorganization.
Well, I should see it like this.
It will.
It will.
Okay.
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