Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 99
Nixon White House Tape 99 (April 20, 1972 – May 3, 1972)
8 conversations · Cabinet Room · about 2 hr 48 min of released audio
Featuring Nixon, Cole, Krogh, Domestic Council, Moorer
President Nixon met with the President's Panel on Nonpublic Education to discuss strategies for supporting private and parochial schools through tax credits and welfare legislation. The discussion focused on the necessity of private-sector self-help, the constitutional hurdles posed by the courts, and the political challenges of passing school-aid legislation during an election year. Nixon encouraged the panel to continue lobbying efforts on a bipartisan basis to build momentum for future success, while also emphasizing his administration's commitment to the role of parents in the educational marketplace.
Kenneth R. Cole, Jr., Egil Krogh, and members of the Domestic Council convened in the Cabinet Room for a meeting that was primarily occupied by non-substantive maintenance activities. The recording reflects a period of inactivity regarding policy or administration, as the participants were largely displaced by unknown personnel performing routine maintenance. Consequently, no significant policy discussions, executive decisions, or official action items were recorded during this session.
Kenneth R. Cole, Jr., Egil Krogh, and members of the Domestic Council met to coordinate White House legislative strategies, address internal communication issues with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and manage specific policy challenges. The group discussed delicate administrative and legal matters, including the handling of environmental regulations, lobbying by tax-exempt organizations, and the management of a Justice Department lawsuit regarding Texas offshore oil and fishing rights. Krogh emphasized the difficulty of communicating with John Connally and expressed concerns regarding the internal bureaucratic processes and potential for staff friction.
A guide provides a tour of the Cabinet Room to a group of visitors, explaining the historical significance of the room's decor and furnishings. The discussion highlights President Nixon’s selection of presidential portraits, the history of the Cabinet table, and the specific seating arrangements based on governmental seniority. Additionally, the guide describes the traditions surrounding Cabinet member departures, including the practice of allowing outgoing officials to take their chairs as mementos.
Maintenance personnel or unidentified individuals met in the Cabinet Room to discuss technical or logistical issues related to equipment or documentation. The participants briefly touched upon the status of a specific item or record, referencing a building photograph and the transmission of language for a match. No significant policy decisions were recorded, as the conversation appears to focus on administrative or maintenance-related coordination.
President Nixon met with his national security team, including Henry Kissinger, Admiral Thomas Moorer, and Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird, to receive a comprehensive military briefing on the ongoing North Vietnamese Easter Offensive. Admiral Moorer provided a detailed regional analysis of the conflict, noting that while South Vietnamese forces were facing intense pressure and heavy casualties, they were holding key positions with the crucial assistance of U.S. air power and naval support. The President emphasized that the conflict would remain difficult but reaffirmed his commitment to maintaining air support and striking military targets in North Vietnam until the offensive subsided.
President Nixon met with Republican congressional leadership to coordinate strategy on key domestic and foreign policy issues during an election year. The discussion focused on distributing fact sheets regarding economic improvements, crime reduction, and unemployment to bolster support, while also strategizing to defeat restrictive anti-war amendments in Congress. Additionally, the President announced his decision to appoint an acting FBI director to ensure institutional stability following the death of J. Edgar Hoover, aiming to shield the bureau from partisan political controversy.
Secret Service agents utilized the Cabinet Room for an unrecorded internal meeting, as the transcript contains no substantive policy or administrative discussion. The interaction primarily consisted of procedural dismissals and directions regarding the room's facilities as the agents concluded their gathering. No decisions or significant developments regarding White House operations were documented during this session.