Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 885
Nixon White House Tape 885 (March 20, 1973 – March 21, 1973)
8 conversations · Oval Office · about 2 hr 26 min of released audio
Featuring Nixon, Bull, Ehrlichman, Cox, Sanchez
President Nixon and John Ehrlichman met to discuss the growing political crisis surrounding the Watergate scandal, specifically focusing on the administration’s strategy for responding to Congressional inquiries and potential subpoenas. The two debated the merits of issuing a formal White House statement versus maintaining a policy of non-disclosure to manage damaging revelations, while also considering how to insulate the President from the emerging legal troubles of staff members and associates. Additionally, they reviewed potential strategies for handling the Ervin Committee, discussed the legal ramifications of executive privilege, and touched upon developments in the Vesco case involving campaign contribution allegations.
President Nixon contacted the White House operator to facilitate an outgoing call. This brief administrative interaction served as a logistical step for the President to initiate further communication. No substantive policy discussions or complex decision-making occurred during this short exchange.
President Nixon informs his daughter, Tricia Nixon Cox, that he must remain at the White House to work on a budget speech with John Erickson. He requests that she assist her mother with their evening plans in his absence. The brief exchange focuses on the President's personal schedule and the coordination of family logistics.
President Nixon met with his aide Stephen B. Bull in the Oval Office to briefly discuss geographical or situational details concerning a specific location identified as Skopel. The exchange appears to be a follow-up inquiry regarding information or correspondence the President had previously reviewed. No major policy decisions were reached during this short interaction before Bull’s departure.
President Nixon met with his personal valet, Manolo Sanchez, in the Oval Office to coordinate logistics for the evening. The discussion primarily focused on the President's upcoming schedule, including his transition to the Executive Office Building and specific requests for dinner. This brief exchange functioned as a routine administrative check-in regarding the President's personal accommodations.
President Nixon and General Brent Scowcroft discussed the potential for U.S. airstrikes against North Vietnam in response to ongoing infiltration, weighing the strategic military value against the political risks of such action. They evaluated the timing of these strikes in relation to the final scheduled release of American prisoners of war and the formation of a new government in Laos. Ultimately, they examined whether a show of force would successfully deter future North Vietnamese aggression or if it would merely incite domestic Congressional opposition without achieving a meaningful military objective.
President Nixon, H. R. Haldeman, and Stephen Bull discussed a variety of administrative and political concerns, including scheduling presidential meetings and managing the public fallout from the Watergate scandal. The participants deliberated on whether to have White House staff testify before investigative committees and the risks associated with potential disclosures and perjury. Nixon expressed frustration with the ongoing inquiries, emphasizing the need for a cohesive containment strategy to protect the administration while balancing the requirement for public explanations.
The President met with unidentified individuals in the Oval Office to conduct discussions that remain undocumented in the available transcript. The interaction took place while the President was transitioning between the Oval Office and the Executive Office Building. No record of the subject matter or specific action items is currently accessible for this recording.