Nixon White House Tapes › Topic
Nixon Tapes on Classified Information
16 conversations · frequently with Nixon, Haldeman, Ziegler, Ford
When Classified Information comes up
Related topics: White House TapesPresidential meetingsPresidential recordsPentagon PapersNixon administrationNational SecurityExecutive Office BuildingWhite House operationsWatergatePublic relationsOval OfficeDaniel EllsbergWhite House staffWhite House administration
President Nixon and Congressman Gerald Ford discuss their mounting concerns regarding House Majority Leader Hale Boggs, whom they characterize as mentally unstable and prone to substance abuse. Due to fears that Boggs cannot be trusted with sensitive information, the President decides to exclude him from an upcoming briefing with congressional leaders. Nixon instructs Ford to consult with Speaker Carl Albert to restructure the meeting to include only Ford and Albert from the House, ensuring that classified matters regarding Vietnam negotiations can be shared securely.
On April 27, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:11 pm and 2:25 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 251-015 of the White House Tapes.
President Nixon met with H.R. Haldeman and other White House staff to discuss the political fallout and public relations strategy following the leak of the Pentagon Papers. They debated how to respond to the press, the credibility of news criticism, and the potential damage to the administration. The conversation also touched upon the President's schedule, including upcoming trips and meetings, and the administration's handling of various policy issues.
On June 14, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:15 pm and 7:19 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 005-069 of the White House Tapes.
President Nixon directs Henry Kissinger to aggressively restrict access to classified information by cutting off institutions like the Brookings Institution, RAND Corporation, and the Council on Foreign Relations. The President mandates a 90% reduction in the number of personnel cleared for top-secret documents across the government, including embassies and the Departments of State and Defense. This directive serves as a strategic move to secure sensitive information and limit external exposure to government intelligence.
President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman met to coordinate the administration's response to the Pentagon Papers leak and to discuss various domestic and foreign policy matters. They deliberated on whether the President should make a formal public statement, ultimately favoring a strategy of caution, non-interference, and reliance on surrogates to avoid appearing overly invested in the controversy. Additionally, they reviewed poll data indicating rising public approval, discussed the security of sensitive government documents, and finalized plans for a polygraph examination for a staffer involved in leaking classified cables.
President Nixon met with Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler and Deputy Director of the CIA Vernon Walters to discuss sensitive intelligence matters. The conversation, which was almost entirely redacted for national security, focused on confidential briefing details and operational secrecy. Walters departed the Oval Office shortly after the discussion concluded.
President Nixon held a private meeting in his Old Executive Office Building suite with an unidentified individual. The entirety of the recorded segment involves a brief, four-second withdrawal of material categorized as a personal returnable. No further substance or policy discussion is available due to the withdrawal and the absence of a transcript.
President Nixon held a private meeting with an unidentified individual in his Old Executive Office Building suite. The brief recorded session included a withdrawn segment labeled as personal and returnable, indicating the discussion likely involved sensitive or non-official subject matter. Due to the lack of available transcripts and the protected nature of the dialogue, the specific substance of the exchange remains undisclosed for historical analysis.
President Nixon held a brief, private meeting with an unidentified individual in the Old Executive Office Building. Due to the presence of withdrawn material and the lack of an available transcript, the specific subject matter, objectives, and any resulting decisions remain classified or undocumented. The interaction concluded within approximately twelve minutes.
President Nixon held a brief meeting with an unidentified individual in the Old Executive Office Building to discuss classified or sensitive information. The interaction was limited in duration and concluded with the visitor departing shortly after arrival. Due to the lack of a transcript and the presence of withdrawn material, the specific objectives and outcomes of this discussion remain historically obscured.
On June 11, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 9:22 am and 9:51 am. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 341-016 of the White House Tapes.
On June 16, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:53 pm and 12:56 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 737-008 of the White House Tapes.
On March 8, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 6:22 pm and 11:59 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 873-005 of the White House Tapes.
President Nixon directs Attorney General Richard G. Kleindienst to ensure that the prosecutor and judge in the Daniel Ellsberg case understand the extreme sensitivity of the underlying national security investigation. Nixon emphasizes that information regarding these sensitive sources and methods should be handled with restraint to prevent public exposure. This directive seeks to protect classified intelligence gathering operations by framing the scope of the legal proceedings accordingly.
President Nixon and J. Fred Buzhardt discussed the contents of sensitive documents removed by John Dean, which Buzhardt identified as materials related to the Huston Plan concerning domestic intelligence collection rather than the Watergate scandal. Fearing that these classified records regarding U.S. intelligence capabilities could be leaked if released to the Ervin Committee, they strategized on methods to suppress the documents through the court system. Buzhardt was tasked with finalizing his identification of the materials and briefing Alexander Haig to ensure the administration was prepared for potential disclosure.