Conversation 850-007

TapeTape 850StartTuesday, February 6, 1973 at 11:17 AMEndTuesday, February 6, 1973 at 11:34 AMParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Bull, Stephen B.; Ziegler, Ronald L.Recording deviceOval Office

AI Summary

President Nixon met with Stephen B. Bull to coordinate his upcoming schedule with King Hussein of Jordan before consulting with Press Secretary Ronald L. Ziegler. The discussion focused on Ziegler’s recent press briefing regarding presidential impoundment of budget funds and the administration's frustration with media coverage. Nixon and Ziegler strategized on how to better communicate the administration's fiscal policy to the press by drawing direct comparisons to the practices of previous administrations.

Budget impoundmentPress relationsKing Hussein of JordanPresidential schedulingMedia coverage

Audio

NARA Description

On February 6, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:17 am and 11:34 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 850-007 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 850-7

Date: February 6, 1973
Time: Unknown between 11:17 am and 11:34 am
Location: Oval Office
                                                -12-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. Sep.-09)
                                                               Conversation No. 850-7 (cont’d)



The President met with Stephen B. Bull.

       President’s schedule
              -Meeting with [Hussein, King of Jordan] Hussein ibn Talal

Bull left at an unknown time before 11:32 am.

Ziegler entered at 11:32 am.

       Ziegler’s press conference
              -Budget
                      -Impoundment
                              -President’s conversation with John D. Ehrlichman
                              -Timing within briefing
                              -Hugh Scott, Gerald R. Ford
                              -Press relations
                                      -Misunderstanding
                                      -Ziegler’s forthcoming statement
                                              -Compared to Lyndon B. Johnson administration

       Photograph sessions [?]
             -Duration

Ziegler left at an unknown time before 11:34 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.

Can you see me now?

Yeah?

Can you see me now?

Sure, we'll have to do a two-seater on David.

That's all right.

Because this story came out exactly opposite of what you had in mind.

The purpose of that was to point out that we were withholding less than was the tender average before.

And I know the point was made, but apparently it was made too far down the briefing for them to get it.

Well, it was made at the top of the briefing, and it threw out the point it was made.

We face the problem, and they don't want to understand it.

They don't want to understand it.

And I talked to Scott Ford the other day, and we'll just keep it.

But it's hard to drive it through the media block to get them to pick that up and to get them to write it, because they don't understand it.

The fact is, it's a very simple statement, just to say that this is one half of the, uh, of the Coley-Johnson period, or something like that.

Sir, we've done it.

We'll do it again.

These are the, these, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they,

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