Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 939
Nixon White House Tape 939 (June 13, 1973)
4 conversations · Oval Office · about 1 hr 19 min of released audio
Featuring Nixon, Ziegler, Bull, Haig, Timmons
President Nixon met with Stephen Bull and other staff to coordinate logistics for upcoming travel, including a trip to Illinois and an appearance with Mrs. Dirksen. They discussed scheduling for a diplomatic credentials ceremony, the selection of high-profile passengers for Air Force One, and the need to manage various administrative appointments. The conversation focused on balancing the President's public appearances with his internal preparations for a speech on the economy.
President Nixon met with Ronald Ziegler, Alexander Haig, and William Timmons to coordinate White House strategy regarding the impending Ervin Committee testimony of John Dean and the administration’s broader press relations. The participants discussed the necessity of discrediting Dean and managing public perception amid the Watergate scandal, while balancing these concerns with the President's upcoming economic address and the diplomatic significance of the forthcoming Leonid Brezhnev summit. Nixon emphasized the importance of maintaining a unified front with congressional allies and directed his staff to ensure that supporters, including members of the Chowder and Marching Society, publicly prioritize national policy over the ongoing hearings.
President Nixon, accompanied by Ronald Ziegler and members of the press, prepared for a televised address from the Oval Office to outline his new economic strategy. During the session, technicians coordinated technical arrangements for the broadcast while the President reviewed his speech, which centered on implementing a price freeze and establishing "Phase 4" economic controls to combat inflation. Following the address, the President participated in a photo session with the press and discussed the logistics of the production.
This recording consists of a brief, isolated fragment of dialogue between unidentified participants meeting in the Oval Office. The content is limited to a short verbal exchange that concludes with a vague acknowledgment, yielding no substantial policy discussions or administrative decisions. Due to the lack of identifiable participants and contextual markers, the recording provides no historical insight into specific White House operations.