Nixon White House Tapes › Topic
Nixon Tapes on Leonard Garment
31 conversations · frequently with Nixon, Bull, Ziegler, Haig
President Nixon met with his aide Stephen B. Bull to briefly discuss administrative details regarding the President’s daily schedule. The conversation focused on the presence of a security guard on the premises and the scheduling of an upcoming appointment with Leonard Garment. Bull received instructions to coordinate these logistics before exiting the Oval Office.
President Nixon consulted with a White House operator to facilitate a telephone connection with Leonard Garment. This brief interaction served as a logistical step to initiate direct communication with the Special Consultant to the President. No further substantive policy or strategic discussions occurred during this exchange.
President Nixon met with H. R. Haldeman and Alexander Butterfield to coordinate the logistics for his attendance at Thomas E. Dewey's funeral and to prepare correspondence for female members of the press. The discussion also turned to the administration’s public relations strategy, with the President evaluating the effectiveness of staff members like Leonard Garment in managing media narratives. Nixon emphasized the need for a more persuasive, "bullshitting" approach to public relations to better compete in the political landscape.
President Nixon and Stephen B. Bull reviewed the President’s upcoming schedule to manage his time effectively. The discussion focused on coordinating a meeting with senior citizens organizations and adjusting the timing for an appointment involving Leonard Garment. They also briefly touched upon the President's engagement with the National Advisory Committee on Foreign Aid, resulting in instructions to shorten the duration of scheduled meetings.
President Nixon initiates a request to the White House operator to be connected with Leonard Garment. This brief interaction serves as the administrative bridge to facilitate a direct communication between the President and his advisor. The primary action item is the immediate placement of the call to Garment's office.
President Nixon called jazz legend Duke Ellington to offer well wishes for his upcoming diplomatic trip to the Soviet Union. The President also provided an update on his administration's efforts to facilitate the logistics for a Youth Symphony project spearheaded by Leonard Garment. The call concluded with an exchange of mutual appreciation regarding the success of a recent White House event honoring Ellington.
President Nixon initiates a request for the White House operator to connect him with Leonard Garment. This brief interaction serves as the administrative bridge for a follow-up discussion between the President and his advisor. No substantive policy matters were addressed during this connection process.
President Nixon instructed the White House operator to place an outgoing call to Leonard Garment. This brief communication served solely as a logistical request to connect the President with his advisor. No policy discussions or substantive developments occurred during this interaction.
President Nixon requested a telephone connection to Leonard Garment while receiving a status update from the White House operator regarding John Connally. The operator informed the President that Connally was currently located on an island off the coast of Texas and reachable only via radio. Nixon declined a radio-based connection, deciding instead to wait until the following evening to communicate with Connally via a standard telephone line.
In this telephone call, Bob Hope offers birthday greetings to President Nixon and discusses his recent USO tours, including positive feedback from military leadership regarding the President’s Vietnam policy. Hope also expresses his disapproval of congressional anti-war efforts and advocates for the President to award Adolph Zukor the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Nixon directs Hope to coordinate the Zukor recommendation with Leonard Garment and agrees to watch Hope’s upcoming television special after being prompted by a reminder.
President Nixon directed the White House operator to instruct Leonard Garment to contact entertainer Bob Hope. The call was initiated to facilitate the exchange of information that Hope wished to provide to the administration. The operator confirmed the directive and prepared to relay the request to Garment.
President Nixon consulted with his aide, Stephen B. Bull, to finalize the scheduling and attendance details for his upcoming meetings. They confirmed that Congressman Donald E. Young and Lucy Ferguson would follow a meeting with Max M. Fisher, with Nixon approving the request for Leonard Garment to join the discussion with Fisher. Finally, the President directed that these meetings be held in his office rather than the Oval Office.
President Nixon instructed the White House operator to contact Leonard Garment and request his immediate presence at the Oval Office. This brief directive served as a scheduling order to facilitate a high-level consultation with one of his legal counsels. The conversation reflects the administrative process Nixon utilized to manage his inner circle during a period of heightened internal pressure.
President Nixon and John Ehrlichman discuss a strategy to avoid a high-profile, public confrontation regarding John Dean by refusing to send him to testify before the Senate. They decide that Leonard Garment should adopt a hard line, offering only written interrogatories and sworn statements instead of a television appearance. Additionally, they discuss economic policy, specifically the need for a more effective public spokesperson than George Shultz, and agree to wait for a memorandum from Pierre Rinfret before finalizing administration economic papers.
President Nixon and John Dean discuss the political and legal implications of the ongoing Watergate investigation, specifically focusing on the potential impact of a public presidential statement on the case. They review a document drafted by Leonard Garment and deliberate on whether a public declaration might inadvertently impair the government's prosecution, particularly regarding Jeb Stuart Magruder's expected testimony. The two agree to meet later in the afternoon to further evaluate the legal risks and procedural questions surrounding the court's handling of the case.
President Nixon met with his aide, Stephen B. Bull, to discuss logistics regarding the President's upcoming schedule. During the brief exchange, the two reviewed arrangements involving Leonard Garment, potential golf plans, and correspondence related to Frank Sinatra and Paul W. Keyes. No major policy decisions were reached, as the discussion focused primarily on administrative updates and personal scheduling matters.
President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald L. Ziegler held a brief meeting to address administrative concerns regarding Leonard Garment. The discussion centered on a specific request involving John D. Ehrlichman and the implementation of a plan proposed by Garment. No major policy shifts were recorded during this short interaction.
President Nixon directed Stephen B. Bull to instruct Leonard Garment to revise a memorandum regarding access to the personal papers of H.R. Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman. Expressing shock and disappointment at the breadth of the proposal, the President insisted that the documents be protected rather than opened to FBI scrutiny, explicitly stating that his former aides were not defendants. The conversation also touched upon coordinating the President’s concerns with Secretary of State William P. Rogers's schedule.
President Nixon directs Stephen Bull to instruct Leonard Garment to revise a memorandum regarding access to presidential papers, which Nixon deems overly broad and legally intrusive. Nixon asserts ownership over his personal and national security files, refusing to allow them to be subjected to subpoenas or FBI seizure. Furthermore, Nixon expresses his frustration with Garment's handling of the matter and tasks Bull with pressuring Garment to produce a more appropriate document by his 2:30 p.m. deadline.
President Nixon instructed Stephen B. Bull to establish firm control over White House staff files, asserting that all correspondence between himself and his staff—particularly regarding national security—belongs exclusively to the President rather than individual staff members. This directive was intended to clarify ownership protocols in response to a memorandum drafted by Leonard Garment. Bull was tasked with revising the document to reflect the President's position for subsequent review by William P. Rogers.
President Nixon directs his aide, Stephen B. Bull, to ensure that a memorandum authored by Leonard Garment is revised to explicitly assert the President's personal ownership of presidential papers and national security funds. Expressing intense frustration with Garment’s approach, Nixon dismisses the memorandum's cosmetic focus and demands that his staff not be portrayed as criminals. He threatens to fire his entire staff if these instructions regarding the document's substance and tone are not immediately executed.
President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler discuss the fallout from recent press briefings regarding the Watergate scandal, specifically focusing on the handling of FBI file processing and the resignations of H. R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman. Nixon expresses intense frustration toward Leonard Garment, threatening to fire him for a memorandum that allegedly cast his former aides in a criminal light. Ziegler reports on the press's current disposition and the established communication boundaries regarding the authority of Elliot Richardson. The call concludes with Nixon instructing Ziegler to keep an upcoming Cabinet meeting brief and to frame the proceedings as a standard administrative transition.
Alexander M. Haig, Jr. contacts the White House operator to facilitate a telephone connection with Leonard Garment. This administrative request serves to initiate a high-level communication between staff members during a period of significant pressure on the Nixon administration. No further substantive discussion occurs on this specific recording beyond the request for the transfer.
Alexander M. Haig, Jr. utilized the White House operator to facilitate a bridge call to the offices of J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr. and Leonard Garment. This administrative coordination served to connect senior staff members involved in the evolving legal and political strategy of the Nixon administration. The primary purpose of the contact was to establish direct communication between these key legal advisors regarding ongoing developments.
President Nixon consulted with an unidentified staff member regarding the preparation of a forthcoming Sunday night television address. The discussion focused on the necessary length of the speech, with the President specifying a fifteen-minute duration to ensure effective delivery. Nixon emphasized the importance of coordinating the message with advisors Leonard Garment and William P. Rogers while considering the political implications for Congress.
Alexander M. Haig, Jr. updates President Nixon on his discussions with J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr. regarding recent legal meetings involving H.R. Haldeman’s counsel and Horace "Chappie" Rose. The conversation centers on clarifying Rose’s level of involvement in these meetings and addressing internal anxieties regarding potential misinformation conveyed by Leonard Garment. Nixon and Haig conclude by reaffirming their trust in Rose’s integrity while seeking to minimize staff tensions regarding the handling of sensitive information.
President Nixon and Leonard Garment, coordinated by Ronald Ziegler, discuss the administration's frustration with the Senate Watergate Committee's delay in addressing false allegations that the President stole $1 million in campaign funds. Garment reports on his unsuccessful efforts to reach Senators Sam Ervin and Howard Baker, while Nixon aggressively instructs him to pressure Fred Thompson for swifter action. They conclude that the committee's inability to promptly deny these claims provides the White House with a strategic political advantage.
President Nixon directs the White House operator to place an urgent call to Leonard Garment. The President specifically requests that Press Secretary Ron Ziegler be connected to the conversation as well. This exchange facilitates communication regarding arrangements for an upcoming dinner.
President Nixon directed the White House operator to place a telephone call to Leonard Garment, who was serving as acting White House Counsel at the time. This brief exchange served solely as a logistical request to facilitate communication between the President and his advisor. No substantive policy discussions or decisions occurred during this brief interaction.
President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler coordinate the rollout of an upcoming White House statement regarding the Watergate scandal. The discussion focuses on the strategy for a press briefing, which will include Leonard Garment and J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr., intended to project a relaxed and positive image. Nixon emphasizes that the staff must maintain a firm conviction in the truthfulness of the forthcoming statement before scheduling a follow-up meeting to finalize implementation details.
President Nixon directs J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr. to coordinate with Leonard Garment regarding a confrontational response to Senate counsel Samuel Dash concerning leaked information about White House cooperation with the Watergate investigation. Nixon emphasizes that the administration must manage public perception and media narratives regarding the release of materials, rather than focusing on logistical logs. The President instructs Buzhardt to demand a public statement from Dash, threatening that the White House will initiate a critical media campaign if the administration's cooperation is not properly acknowledged.