Nixon White House Tapes › Topic
Nixon Tapes on J. Edgar Hoover
118 conversations · page 2 of 2 · frequently with Nixon, Haldeman, Butterfield, Haig
President Nixon and H.R. Haldeman discussed the political implications of the upcoming Soviet summit in light of the ongoing North Vietnam offensive. Nixon rehearsed his eulogy for J. Edgar Hoover before deliberating with Haldeman on whether to cancel or postpone the summit to avoid domestic political fallout from Democrats and election-year critics. They weighed the strategic risks of proceeding with negotiations against the potential for a foreign policy victory, ultimately considering the possibility of a post-election meeting.
President Nixon, H. R. Haldeman, and Alexander Butterfield discuss the administration's strategic response to the Vietnam War, focusing on public support for a naval blockade and the conditions for a potential ceasefire. The participants deliberate on the political optics of nominating L. Patrick Gray III as FBI director, weighing the risks of appointing a political associate versus an independent candidate. Additionally, they address logistical preparations for J. Edgar Hoover’s upcoming funeral, specifically concerns regarding lighting for television coverage.
President Richard Nixon met with his aide Stephen B. Bull to rehearse his eulogy for J. Edgar Hoover and coordinate the logistical details of the upcoming funeral service. They reviewed the ceremonial sequence, including the recessional order, specific camera positioning for television coverage, and seating arrangements for notable guests like Mamie Eisenhower and the L. Patrick Grays. This preparation ensured that both the President's delivery and the procedural movements of the dignitary participants would proceed smoothly during the high-profile memorial.
President Nixon met with acting FBI Director L. Patrick Gray III and his wife shortly after the death of J. Edgar Hoover to discuss strategy for Gray's permanent nomination. Nixon provided detailed counsel on managing the press, explicitly warning Gray to avoid adversarial news organizations like CBS and the New York Times while maintaining a tough, professional persona similar to Hoover's. The President emphasized the need to build staff morale through personal outreach and advised Gray to project a professional, rather than personal, relationship with the White House to deflect political criticism.
President Nixon met with Rose Mary Woods and others to debrief on the funeral services for J. Edgar Hoover, discussing the reception of his own eulogy and the appropriateness of the Rev. Edward L.R. Elson's actions. The President expressed relief that Hoover passed away when he did, sparing him from potentially damaging political fallout during the upcoming election cycle and the persistent attacks from critics like Jack Anderson. The conversation concluded with administrative logistics, including scheduling, staff concerns, and the work habits of White House support personnel.
President Nixon consulted with H. R. Haldeman regarding strategic advice from John Connally concerning the escalating Vietnam War and the upcoming Soviet summit. Connally strongly urged the President to prioritize winning the war through intensified bombing and a potential blockade, while advising that the United States should not unilaterally cancel the summit, instead forcing the Soviet Union to take that responsibility. The participants discussed the political necessity of projecting strength and the minimal impact of public backlash, while also briefly reviewing the logistics and positive reception of President Nixon’s recent eulogy for J. Edgar Hoover.
President Nixon directed Richard A. Moore to facilitate a media strategy following the death of J. Edgar Hoover to distance the administration from L. Patrick Gray III. Nixon instructed Moore to place a human-interest story emphasizing the deep, 25-year personal friendship between Nixon and Hoover to contrast it with his purely professional, non-personal relationship with Gray. The President also ordered a total media blackout regarding CBS reporters, specifically citing animosity toward the network.
President Nixon directs Richard A. Moore to plant a story with major television networks or wire services to clarify the nature of his professional relationships following the recent death of J. Edgar Hoover. Nixon emphasizes the need to frame his history with Hoover as a uniquely close personal friendship while explicitly defining his relationship with acting FBI director L. Patrick Gray as strictly professional and non-political. The objective is to utilize the Hoover narrative to distance the administration from Gray and counter media speculation regarding his personal involvement with government associates.
In this meeting, President Nixon confers with Henry Kissinger, H. R. Haldeman, John Connally, and Admiral Thomas Moorer to finalize plans for a military escalation in Vietnam. Frustrated by previous constraints, Nixon decides to implement a naval blockade of North Vietnam and launch intensive air strikes against key strategic targets, including rail yards, power plants, and oil supplies. Nixon emphasizes the necessity of this decisive action to prevent a U.S. defeat, secure the release of prisoners of war, and force a ceasefire, while explicitly directing Moorer to maintain the chain of command directly to him and bypass Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird. The group also discusses the potential cancellation of the upcoming Soviet summit as a consequence of these actions and addresses the possible replacement of General Creighton Abrams in theater.
President Nixon dictated a memorandum to H. R. Haldeman outlining a strategic public relations counter-attack against George McGovern during the 1972 campaign. The discussion centered on exploiting McGovern’s past supportive comments regarding Ramsey Clark to portray the Senator as sympathetic to communists and critical of American interests. Nixon directed the administration to coordinate with speakers, newspaper editors, and conservative groups to amplify these criticisms and highlight the contrast between McGovern’s positions and the legacy of J. Edgar Hoover.
President Nixon, John Dean, and Ron Ziegler discuss the administration's policy regarding Congressional access to raw FBI files amidst the Watergate investigation. Dean clarifies that while historical precedents exist for allowing committee members like Senators Eastland and McClellan to view sensitive files informally for investigative purposes, these materials were never officially surrendered or made public. The President decides to leverage J. Edgar Hoover’s legacy of strict security to justify denying formal access to current committees while maintaining pressure on executive agencies to improve their responsiveness.
President Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, and Alexander Haig confer to locate missing files once belonging to J. Edgar Hoover that were reportedly sent to the White House following the departures of H. R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman. Woods clarifies that the sensitive materials were never delivered to her office or placed in her custody. Consequently, Haig agrees to investigate the matter further to determine the actual location of the files.
President Nixon and Alexander Haig met to strategize on managing public and legal fallout from the ongoing Watergate scandal, specifically focusing on the unauthorized surveillance of National Security Council staffer Anthony Lake. They debated the necessity of publicly framing these wiretaps as legitimate national security measures while distancing the White House from illegal conduct by comparing their practices favorably to those of previous administrations. The pair discussed coordinating statements for Henry Kissinger and William Ruckelshaus, while emphasizing the need to locate specific files to support their defense that these operations were essential for protecting sensitive diplomatic initiatives.
President Nixon and Alexander Haig met to strategize the administration's response to the Watergate scandal, specifically focusing on managing the public statements of William Ruckelshaus and mitigating the impact of documents held by John Dean. They discussed the necessity of distancing the President from specific FBI and White House activities involving J. Edgar Hoover and William C. Sullivan. Nixon expressed relief after a review of his own files and private memoranda confirmed that no evidence existed linking him directly to the controversial actions under scrutiny.
President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler met to discuss the potential political damage associated with the disclosure of documents related to the 1970 "Huston Plan" for internal security. Nixon emphasized that the Huston Plan was a distinct interagency effort regarding riot control and should be separated from unrelated controversies like the Watergate break-in, the Plumbers' activities, and FBI wiretapping. They examined the necessity of keeping these operations legally and publically compartmentalized to mitigate potential criticism from civil libertarians and Senator Sam Ervin.
President Nixon and J. Fred Buzhardt discussed the status of their investigation into the 1970 "Huston Plan" ahead of potential scrutiny by the Ervin Committee. Buzhardt reported that records and staff recollections indicate the plan was a contingency study that was effectively abandoned following objections from J. Edgar Hoover. Nixon emphasized the importance of gathering documentary evidence and contextualizing the plan within the intense civil unrest of the era, such as the Kent State protests and threats against his administration. The two agreed on a strategy to document that the proposal never proceeded to implementation, intending to use this narrative to defend the administration’s actions.
President Nixon met with Stephen B. Bull to review and discuss specific White House tape recordings, including historical conversations involving John W. Dean III. The discussion focused on past intelligence activities, specifically allegations of J. Edgar Hoover’s surveillance of journalists, political figures, and the press. The President and Bull addressed the handling of sensitive documents and the potential political implications of these records becoming public during the ongoing Watergate-related inquiries.
President Richard Nixon met with Clarence M. Kelley to finalize his appointment as the new Director of the FBI and to outline the administration's expectations for his leadership. Nixon emphasized the need for Kelley to restore order, improve cooperation with other federal and local law enforcement agencies, and act as a fearless administrator to overcome the internal power struggles following J. Edgar Hoover’s tenure. The conversation also covered strategies for Kelley's upcoming confirmation hearings, particularly regarding Watergate, the handling of raw FBI files, and the administration's frustration with judicial restrictions on national security wiretapping.