Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 857
Nixon White House Tape 857 (February 15, 1973)
14 conversations · Oval Office · about 3 hr 15 min of released audio
Featuring Nixon, Bull, Sanchez, Ziegler, Scowcroft
President Nixon met with his aide Stephen B. Bull to review logistical details for upcoming executive engagements, including a Pentagon visit, a Cabinet meeting, and a briefing on international monetary policy. They discussed strategies for public relations regarding 'Operation Homecoming' for returning POWs and finalized scheduling for a meeting with Sir Christopher Soames. Additionally, the President issued instructions regarding an ongoing hijacking agreement with Cuba, opting to have the ambassador deliver a message rather than personally addressing the matter.
President Nixon and Stephen B. Bull discussed managing the President’s schedule, specifically regarding the high volume of requests for meetings, photographs, and handshake sessions with White House staff and administration supporters. Nixon expressed concerns about maintaining a proper balance of visitors, cautioning against an overrepresentation of White House staff at the expense of other supporters. They also reviewed administrative staffing transitions, including potential departures and appointments for various roles such as the Secretary of Transportation.
President Nixon met with his staff to discuss public relations strategies, specifically focusing on the recent release of Prisoners of War (POWs), the need to manage expectations for upcoming press conferences, and the delicate political challenge of securing aid for North Vietnam. The President emphasized his desire to avoid "grandstanding" during his planned Pentagon visit while highlighting the need to address the emotional and physical well-being of returning veterans. Additionally, Nixon reviewed administrative staffing issues and social planning for upcoming events, directing his staff to organize White House functions that include a broad cross-section of Congress while managing internal personnel disputes involving the Secret Service and White House aides.
President Nixon met with his senior environmental and interior officials to coordinate a public relations strategy for the administration's environmental and energy policies. The discussion focused on framing the upcoming energy message and budget as a positive, proactive agenda rather than a series of cutbacks, while emphasizing the restoration of the environment as a central legacy of the 1970s. The group specifically discussed the need to promote land-use planning and to advocate for the repurposing of the Highway Trust Fund to support mass transit as a solution to urban congestion and smog.
President Nixon met with Generals Brent Scowcroft and Andrew Goodpaster to discuss the strategic implications of the Vietnam settlement, the return of American POWs, and future NATO relations. Nixon emphasized that the recent peace agreement and the successful December 1972 bombing campaign significantly bolstered American credibility with allies and boosted domestic morale. The group also analyzed the importance of maintaining a firm stance with NATO partners during ongoing security negotiations and the potential for long-term military force restructuring in Europe.
President Nixon held a brief three-minute meeting with an unidentified individual in the Oval Office. The discussion appears to have centered on the President's upcoming daily schedule. No specific policy decisions or significant developments were recorded during this session.
President Nixon met with J. Curtis Counts to discuss Counts’s transition from government service to the private sector and his upcoming work in the construction industry. The two discussed the challenges of labor-management relations, the competence of various labor lawyers, and the difficulties of negotiating within a fragmented industry. They also touched upon the public impact of returning prisoners of war and the strategic necessity of the recent bombing of North Vietnam. Before concluding the meeting, Nixon presented Counts with presidential gifts and offered professional advice regarding his future career path.
President Nixon met with an unknown individual to review a list of potential ambassadorial candidates and staff appointments. The discussion focused on administrative protocols for correspondence, specifically the use of first names and the procedure for marking selections on the provided list. Nixon confirmed his preference for circling names to expedite the preparation of official letters.
President Nixon met with Stephen B. Bull to coordinate administrative and logistical arrangements regarding upcoming photography sessions and staff schedules. The discussion focused on ensuring specific staff members were included in photographs and managing travel logistics for General Brent Scowcroft’s visit to the Pentagon. Additionally, they briefly touched upon the scheduling of Ronald L. Ziegler and other personnel matters.
President Nixon met with an unknown woman in the Oval Office to coordinate the handling of specific correspondence. During the brief discussion, the President instructed the visitor to leave two letters on his desk rather than mailing them immediately. The interaction focused on ensuring the proper temporary storage and subsequent dispatch of this personal documentation.
President Nixon met with his personal valet, Manolo Sanchez, in the Oval Office to prepare for the President's departure from the White House. The brief interaction focused on logistical arrangements, specifically the retrieval and preparation of the President's topcoat. The conversation concluded as the two men exited the office together.
Secret Service agents gathered in the Oval Office to receive technical instruction from an unknown individual regarding the operation of equipment. The discussion focused on specific procedural steps for managing or configuring a mechanism, possibly related to the tape recording system or office logistics. No high-level policy decisions were addressed, as the exchange remained limited to practical, instructional guidance.
President Nixon met with an unidentified individual in the Oval Office for a brief, three-minute session regarding the President's daily schedule. The conversation concluded without a recorded transcript, and no specific policy outcomes or significant historical developments were documented during this short engagement. The meeting served primarily to address logistical arrangements related to the President's time management.
Secret Service agents gathered in the Oval Office to discuss the President’s current location and movements. The conversation centers on the President's frustration regarding the tardiness of staff members associated with the Executive Office Building. The agents conclude the discussion by suggesting a follow-up phone call to address the President's anger.