President Nixon met with H. R. Haldeman and Stephen B. Bull to strategize on press relations and manage the administration's political image in the wake of the Vietnam peace settlement. The participants discussed handling media inquiries regarding amnesty, scheduling upcoming press conferences, and coordinating with Ronald Ziegler and Henry Kissinger to manage interviews with high-profile journalists like Barbara Walters. The discussion also touched upon internal party dynamics, specifically the prospects of John Connally and potential political shifts within the administration.
On January 31, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:50 pm to 3:10 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 845-004 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 845-4
Date: January 31, 1973
Time: Between 2:50 pm and 3:10 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
Tape machine
-Location
-Tape
John B. Connally
-Meeting with Haldeman
-John D. Ehrlichman
-Algeria
-Export-Import Bank
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[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift.]
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
(rev. Mar.-09)
Conversation No. 845-4 (cont’d)
Politics
-Prospect for Connally’s change of parties
-Charles W. Colson
-William D. Ruckelshaus
-Press story
-Nicholas P. Thimmesch
-Peter Lisagor
-Jules Witcover
-Spiro T. Agnew
-Connally
-Thimmesch
-John F. Osborne
-Agnew
Kevin P. Phillips’s analysis
-Prospects for 1976 Presidential race
[End segment reviewed under deed of gift.]
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Press relations
-Press conference
-Location
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Dan Rather
-Television [TV] coverage
-Amnesty
-Vietnam settlement
-Mail analysis
-Opposition
-The President’s response
-Double standard
-Press conferences
-Frequency
-Helen Thomas
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
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Conversation No. 845-4 (cont’d)
-Henry A. Kissinger’s trip
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-TV coverage
-Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, Harry S Truman
Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 2:50 pm.
The President's schedule
Bull left at an unknown time before 3:10 pm.
Press conference
-Clark R. Mollenoff
-Questions
-Sarah McLendon
-Vietnam questions
-Tax reform
-Europe
-Great Britain
-Edward R.G. Heath’s visit
-TV coverage
-New York Times
Press relations
-Kissinger
-Ziegler
-Barbara Walters
-Ziegler
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
-Marvin Kalb
-Dinner with Walters
-Commitment
-Kalb
Haldeman left at 3:10 pm.
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
(rev. Mar.-09)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.