Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 917 › Conversation 917-011

Nixon alone in the Oval Office on Clay T. Whitehead and Kevin Phillips

Monday, May 14, 1973 · 11:28 AM–11:40 AM ET · Oval Office · 1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President)Conversation917-011 on Tape 917StartMonday, May 14, 1973 at 11:28 AMEndMonday, May 14, 1973 at 11:40 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 917-011 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and an unidentified aide discuss the political impact of recent public statements made by Clay T. Whitehead and Kevin Phillips regarding administration policy. They conclude that while these individuals are advancing the administration's goals, their inflammatory rhetoric has become counterproductive. The conversation concludes with the President requesting copies of relevant materials and reviewing taped recordings to manage future appearances and public messaging.

Clay T. Whitehead
Kevin Phillips
Public relations
Administration rhetoric
White House messaging

Audio

Download MP3 · 2.7 MB

NARA Description

On May 14, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:28 am and 11:40 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 917-011 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 917-011

Date: May 14, 1973
Time: Unknown between 11:28 am and 11:40 am
Location: Oval Office

The President played portions of a previously recorded dictabelt tape.

       Memoranda [memos] to unknown person

               -Filing

**********************************************************************

[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift during chronological
review 2007-2013]

       President’s conversation with John D. Ehrlichman
               -Statements by Clay T. (“Tom”) Whitehead and Kevin P. Phillips

**********************************************************************

       Instructions for handling tape

       Need to control situation

       Television [TV] appearances

[There is no Conversation No. 917-012]

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).

We both agreed, and I'm sure you will share this conclusion, that what they are doing is exactly what we want done, but that their rhetoric at times has created problems, and I'm sure you will share this conclusion.

Some of the statements that have been made by Whitehead and Phillips.

Give the copies here.

Return the tape.

in respect to our future D.P.

appearances.

Also recorded on May 14, 1973

046-025 11:25 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Lawrence M. Higby talked on the telephone from 11:25 am to 11:28 am.
917-009 11:28 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:28 am and 11:40 am.
917-013 11:28 AM · 21 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:28 am and 11:40 am.
917-014 11:28 AM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:28 am and 11:40 am.
917-015 11:28 AM · 2 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 11:40 am.
917-016 11:28 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:28 am and 11:40 am.
917-017 11:28 AM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:28 am and 11:40 am.
917-018 11:28 AM · 13 sec — 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 11:40 am.

All 113 conversations from May 14, 1973 →

Nixon phone call with Kissinger on Vietnam War and White House messaging April 6, 1971 · 9 min
Nixon phone call with Ziegler on Press conference and Public relations June 22, 1972 · 2 min
Nixon, Haldeman & Agnew on Thomas F. Eagleton and 1972 Presidential Campaign July 25, 1972 · 2 min
Ziegler & Dean on Watergate scandal and Public relations April 19, 1973 · 1 min
Nixon phone call with Haldeman on media strategy and FBI investigation August 11, 1972 · 2 min
Nixon, Colson & Scali on Vietnam War and Henry Kissinger December 30, 1972 · 21 min

Cite this conversation

Conversation 917-011, May 14, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/917-011 (accessed November 9, 2026).