Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 860 › Conversation 860-009

Nixon & Ziegler on Gridiron dinner and Henry Kissinger

Wednesday, February 21, 1973 · 3:23 PM–3:26 PM ET · Oval Office · 4 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.Conversation860-009 on Tape 860StartWednesday, February 21, 1973 at 3:23 PMEndWednesday, February 21, 1973 at 3:26 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 860-009 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Ronald Ziegler briefly discussed upcoming social events, including the Gridiron and White House Correspondents Association dinners, and the President's planned nonattendance at the former. The conversation also touched upon Ziegler's press briefing strategy and Henry Kissinger's meetings. A significant portion of the discussion focused on the Watergate scandal, specifically the E. Howard Hunt, Jr. and G. Gordon Liddy stories, and how Ziegler and Gerald Warren should respond to news reports, particularly those linking Hunt to Dita Beard and Charles Colson, amidst ongoing Senate hearings.

  • Gridiron dinner
  • White House Correspondents Association dinner
  • Ziegler's press briefing
  • Henry Kissinger
  • Watergate
  • E. Howard Hunt, Jr.
  • G. Gordon Liddy
  • Dita Beard

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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How did you get along today?
Good.
The beach is going to do it.
Yeah.
i've been eating quite a bit every day right now and uh poe and uh
What else did you do today?
A lot of interviews.
I let Jerry breathe today, so.
Well, that's not for sure.
Well, they've got to get you to communicate for tomorrow.
There was really nothing more.
Your radio speech carried the news today, so.
Well, that's right.
We need to read it.
So there's no reason to kick the radio tomorrow.
If I went out, I would have had to respond to the Hud and Hud-Liddy thing, so I let them hear it.
Yeah, I don't need a beard.
I guess that would be a continuing running story.
He just said, he carried me away with this.
He said, well, I haven't read the
Testimony, I can't comment on that.
That left it there.
What were you saying?
I was just saying, Jerry responded right yesterday.
And let him press their stuff.
There's nothing we can do on a story like that.
We don't gain one thing by commenting on it.
Not a thing, not a thing.
Well, it's not a new story.
I'm sorry.
Newsday had it.
I'm sorry.
That was one of the things he imposed was to investigate.
I guess not because it went out there.
Sure, but their angle, of course, is to try and associate Hunt with Colson in their report.
draw a conclusion that was that but there's i don't think you can deny an association because i mean i say jobs
Those are pretty hard ones.
No, no, we've handled that.
There's no problem.
But their hearings, again, they're going to have to crowd all out and say, well, I'm so sorry.
I just .
And I think one of the hearings .
Absolutely.
I think just like it was a corporate issue, that's what I had to .
I would never get in the position.

NARA Description

On February 21, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:23 pm to 3:26 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 860-009 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 860-9

Date: February 21, 1973
Time: 3:23 pm - 3:26 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Ronald L. Ziegler.

       Gridiron dinner
              -Message to William P. Rogers
                     -President's nonattendance

       White House Correspondents Association dinner

       Ziegler's press briefing

       Henry A. Kissinger
             -Meetings with President

       Edgar Poe and Garrett D. (“Jack”) Horner
              -Meeting with President

       Gerald L. Warren
              -Briefing
              -Kissinger communique
                                            -6-

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                            Conversation No. 860-9 (cont’d)

       President's radio speech
              -News coverage

       Watergate
             -E. Howard Hunt, Jr. and G. Gordon Liddy stories
                   -Ziegler's response
                   -Dita Beard
                   -News stories
                   -Warren's response
                   -Ziegler's response to story on Beard and Hunt
                          -Newsday
                   -Hunt
                          -Visit with Beard
                          -Association with Charles W. Colson
                                   -Stories
                          -John D. Ehrlichman
                                   -Leaks
                          -White House response
                                   -Hearings in Senate

Ziegler left at 3:26 pm.

Also recorded on February 21, 1973

  • 043-153 3:15 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:15 pm and 3:26 pm.
  • 043-154 3:15 PM · 19 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:15 pm and 3:26 pm.
  • 860-005 3:15 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:15 pm and 3:23 pm.
  • 860-006 3:15 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:15 pm and 3:23 pm.
  • 043-155 3:26 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 3:26 pm to 3:28 pm.
  • 860-010 3:26 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:26 pm to 3:28 pm.
  • 860-011 3:28 PM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:28 pm and 3:30 pm.
  • 860-012 3:30 PM · 28 min — President Richard M. Nixon, John B. Connally, and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:30 pm to 3:58 pm.

All 88 conversations from February 21, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 860-009, February 21, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/860-009 (accessed October 11, 2026).