Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 854 › Conversation 854-034

Nixon, Rumsfeld & Bull on Travel logistics and Rose Garden

Tuesday, February 13, 1973 · 1:04 PM–1:05 PM ET · Oval Office · 39 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Rumsfeld, Donald H.; Bull, Stephen B.Conversation854-034 on Tape 854StartTuesday, February 13, 1973 at 1:04 PMEndTuesday, February 13, 1973 at 1:05 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 854-034 ↗

President Nixon met with Donald Rumsfeld to confirm his travel arrangements for a commercial flight to Europe, with specific attention paid to his departure schedule from National Airport. Following this logistical check, Stephen Bull joined the discussion to coordinate a photo opportunity for Rumsfeld in the Rose Garden. The meeting concluded with the participants preparing to head outside for the scheduled photographs before Rumsfeld's departure.

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Yes, sir.
You got a commercial?
Yes.
You have to be there on time.
How much time you got on the flight?
Well, I'm supposed to get a 2 o'clock flight to Nashville, so I'm here for a check.
Did you want that outside?
Yes.
Are you ready to shoot?
We'll take a walk in the garden.
Go down to the left-hand side.
The left-hand side.
There's a center to where it comes around to the rest of the right-hand side.
So you walk down to the left-hand side.
All right.
Well, are you all set?
I'm going to read this one here.

On February 13, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Donald H. Rumsfeld, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:04 pm and 1:05 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 854-034 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 854-34

Date: February 13, 1973
Time: Unknown between 1:04 pm and 1:05 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Donald H. Rumsfeld.

       Rumsfeld’s schedule
             -Departure for Europe
             -Commercial flight
                            -Time
                            -National Airport

Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time before 1:05 pm.

       Walk in Rose Garden
              -Photographs

The President, Rumsfeld, and Bull left at 1:05 pm.
                                            -47-

                  NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
  • 854-028 12:45 PM · 52 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:45 pm to 12:46 pm.
  • 854-029 12:46 PM · 26 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:46 pm and 12:55 pm.
  • 854-030 12:46 PM · 28 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:46 pm and 12:55 pm.
  • 854-031 12:46 PM · 25 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:46 pm and 12:55 pm.
  • 854-032 12:46 PM · 38 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:46 pm and 12:55 pm.
  • 043-066 12:55 PM · 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon and William P. Rogers talked on the telephone from 12:55 pm to 1:04 pm.
  • 854-033 12:55 PM · 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon and William P. Rogers met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:55 pm to 1:04 pm.
  • 854-035 1:11 PM · 17 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Donald H. Rumsfeld, Manolo Sanchez, and Nicholas Rumsfeld met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:11 pm to 1:41 pm.

Conversation 854-034, February 13, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/854-034 (accessed October 1, 2026).