Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 911 › Conversation 911-023

Nixon, Goldwater & Timmons on Aviation industry and Latin American arms sales

Thursday, May 3, 1973 · 11:19 AM–11:24 AM ET · Oval Office · 5 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Goldwater, Barry M.; Timmons, William E.; Friedersdorf, Max L.; White House photographerConversation911-023 on Tape 911StartThursday, May 3, 1973 at 11:19 AMEndThursday, May 3, 1973 at 11:24 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 911-023 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with Senator Barry Goldwater and White House staff for a photo opportunity and a brief discussion covering both official business and political scandal. Goldwater briefed the President on his research regarding foreign competition in the U.S. aviation market, emphasizing the need for American involvement in aircraft sales to Latin America. The conversation shifted to the ongoing Watergate scandal, with the participants comparing current political pressures to previous controversies involving Bobby Baker and Lyndon B. Johnson.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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So we kind of have
I did all that.
Remember you came back last time and said you were going to burn your table.
Well, I burned my table.
I'm just going to go back and get us in the table right now.
I'm just going through aerospace and technology.
And I've already just heard you say you've got 15 hands of foreign aviation companies telling you that.
And this small business yet, business that now belongs to friends.
And that's an important thing about America.
I read all the security accounts the other day.
They're going to buy.
No, no, not security accounts.
We have the leaders now.
We've got all these amendments.
We don't sell any weapons to Latin America.
The question is not whether or not they're going to get them.
They're going to buy them.
Do you want America to get involved or Russia?
They're in the market for I think over a billion and a half dollars worth of air traffic control.
Well, I appreciate it.
Well, you know, look, Gary, if you've been such a strong soldier, you know, these jackass things happen.
And kind of what they did to you in 64 was nothing compared to what I had to go through here.
I was lucky.
We can't tell if there's a great memory of Hoover.
Oh, yeah.
Let's get it.
I had endless consent.
We'll eat lunch.
I see.
Well, we'll be there.
We're getting the box.
We're getting the box.
I think they've had a better lunch.
I had breakfast with about 40 newsmen this morning.
That's all they can talk about.
Why aren't you guys as enthusiastic when you're doing it to me?
Where are we when Bobby Baker was around?
Where are we when Johnson is becoming a multi-millionaire?
He's the only Republican you can get fresh ass.
I don't know.
Well, I don't know.

NARA Description

On May 3, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Barry M. Goldwater, William E. Timmons, Max L. Friedersdorf, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:19 am to 11:24 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 911-023 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 911-23

Date: May 3, 1973
Time: 11:19 am - 11:24 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Barry M. Goldwater, Sr., William E. Timmons, Max L. Friedersdorf, and
the White House photographer.

       Signing of letter
              -Photograph

       Goldwater

       Presentation of award to President
              -Air Force Association
                      -Bob Stephens [Robert G. Stephens, Jr. ?]
              -Photograph

       Goldwater’s schedule
             -Paris Air Show
                                             -33-

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                             Conversation No. 911-33 (cont’d)

       US aviation and aircraft sales
              -Goldwater’s research
                     -Technology magazine
                             -Foreign aviation company sales in US
                                      -France
              -President’s meeting with bipartisan Congressional leaders
                     -Foreign aid bill
                             -Latin America
                             -Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy [?]
                             -Amendments
              -Compared with Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR], France
                     -Influence
              -Goldwater’s meeting with USSR representatives
                     -Report
                             -Air transport problems
                                      -Russian birth
                                      -Helicopter mechanic [?]
                             -Air traffic control material
                                      -US compared to France

       Watergate
             -1964 campaign
                     -Compared with Watergate
                            -J. Edgar Hoover
                            -Richard G. Kleindienst
             -Firing of H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman
             -Charles H. Percy, Jr.
                     -Special Prosecutor
             -Goldwater’s breakfast with newsmen
                     -Robert D. (“Bobby”) Baker
                     -Lyndon B. Johnson’s finances

Goldwater et al. left at 11:24 am.
                                             -34-

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                              Conversation No. 911-33 (cont’d)

Also recorded on May 3, 1973

  • 911-018 11:03 AM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon, William Brock, Howard H. Baker, Jr., Ronald McMahan, C. E. Waldon, J. W. Beard, Robert Cheeseman, Jack Reese, Alan Wright, Kitty Moon, Horace N. Moore, Mrs. Horace N. Moore, William E. Timmons, Max L. Friedersdorf, and Oliver F. ("Ollie") Atkins met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:03 am to 11:10 am.
  • 911-019 11:10 AM · 32 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:10 am and 11:11 am.
  • 911-020 11:11 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Thomas S. Foley, David J. Heerensperger, William Sterr, Jr., William Sterr, Sr., James Lucero, Frank Hewlett, William E. Timmons, Max L. Friedersdorf, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:11 am to 11:14 am.
  • 911-021 11:16 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Samuel L. Devine, William Mnich, William E. Timmons, Max L. Friedersdorf, and Oliver F. ("Ollie") Atkins met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:16 am to 11:18 am.
  • 911-022 11:18 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:18 am and 11:19 am.
  • 911-024 11:25 AM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Edward J. Derwinski, Mabel Liang, Yuan Liang, Mrs. Yuan Liang, William E. Timmons, Max L. Friedersdorf, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:25 am to 11:28 am.
  • 911-025 11:28 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:28 am and 11:30 am.
  • 911-026 11:28 AM · 28 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, Leonard Garment, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:28 am and 11:59 am.

All 42 conversations from May 3, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 911-023, May 3, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/911-023 (accessed October 5, 2026).