Nixon White House Tapes › Topic
Nixon Tapes on Media strategy
218 conversations · page 3 of 3 · frequently with Nixon, Ziegler, Haldeman, Dean
President Nixon met with H.R. Haldeman and briefly John Ehrlichman to strategize on public relations, presidential travel, and the administration's political narrative. The discussion focused on how to improve the President's approval ratings amidst economic concerns and domestic policy issues, with a specific emphasis on effectively communicating accomplishments and countering media criticism. Key decisions included planning future travel to Latin America and regional locations to dominate the public dialogue, as well as refining the President's upcoming schedule and appearance strategy to maximize political impact.
On March 15, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:19 am and 11:22 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 880-002 of the White House Tapes.
President Nixon and Admiral Thomas Moorer discuss the management of a high-profile, emotionally compelling news story involving the return of prisoners of war and the contributions of a specific nurse. Nixon requests that Moorer cooperate with anticipated media inquiries, emphasizing the need to shape a positive narrative regarding these events. The conversation serves as an alert to ensure military personnel are prepared to provide coordinated testimony once the timing is appropriate.
President Nixon, John Dean, and Richard Moore discussed the President's recent press conference, focusing on the press's lack of interest in significant foreign policy matters and their intense focus on Watergate. They also debated the administration's strategy for handling Senate investigations, particularly regarding executive privilege and the release of FBI raw files, drawing parallels to Nixon's past role in the Alger Hiss case. The conversation highlighted concerns about potential subpoenas for White House staff and the legal and political implications of various disclosure scenarios.
President Nixon, H.R. Haldeman, John Dean, and Richard Moore discussed the President's schedule, including upcoming meetings with Congress and the Cabinet, and the declining quality of leadership in the US. A significant portion of the conversation focused on the Watergate investigation, with Dean providing an update on the administration's strategy for responding to Senate inquiries and potential media narratives. They debated the best approach to handling the ongoing investigations, including the possibility of a counterattack and the timing of releasing information.
President Nixon consulted his daughter, Tricia Nixon Cox, regarding administrative arrangements for an upcoming dinner honoring returning prisoners of war (POWs). The President informed her that Press Secretary Ron Ziegler would contact First Lady Pat Nixon to coordinate the event's public relations strategy, specifically regarding the timing of announcements for the dinner and the entertainment. To maintain exclusivity and control the guest list, the President decided to delay the public announcement of celebrity participants like Bob Hope.
President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler coordinate their strategy for upcoming press briefings, agreeing to maintain a 'stonewall' stance on the Watergate scandal while James W. McCord, Jr. testifies before the grand jury. They plan to deflect media attention from Watergate by announcing an upcoming presidential speech focused on national security and domestic policy, specifically withholding details about impending price controls to avoid market anticipation. Additionally, Nixon instructs Ziegler to maintain a firm 'hardline' position regarding the enforcement of the Vietnam cease-fire agreement in Cambodia.
President Nixon consulted with Press Secretary Ronald L. Ziegler regarding the day's challenging political environment and media optics. The two discussed a potential strategy for Ziegler to frame upcoming narratives, with the President soliciting Ziegler's advice on how to manage the current situation. The brief exchange focused on coordinating their public messaging approach in response to mounting pressures.
President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler discussed the logistics of recording the President's upcoming remarks to the press. They weighed the merits of taping the event versus keeping the process informal to allow for spontaneity. Ultimately, they decided to record the remarks discreetly and defer the decision on public release until after the delivery, ensuring the press remained unaware of the taping plan.
On April 27, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 5:00 pm and 5:37 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 906-013 of the White House Tapes.
On May 10, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:21 pm and 12:31 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 915-018 of the White House Tapes.
President Nixon and Alexander Haig met to strategize on managing public perception and internal testimony regarding Watergate-related documents and investigations. They discussed ensuring that individuals like General Vernon Walters and L. Patrick Gray maintained a narrative of presidential innocence while maneuvering to leak specific, favorable information to the press to counter negative allegations. The meeting focused on controlling the dissemination of records to ensure the President was portrayed as having no prior knowledge of the scandal.
President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler consulted on managing public relations regarding the Watergate investigation and upcoming foreign policy developments. The discussion focused on drafting a press statement or orchestrating a strategic leak to clarify Nixon’s limited interactions with L. Patrick Gray and to refute allegations of presidential involvement in a cover-up. Additionally, they coordinated efforts to bolster support for a proposed commission on election reform by involving Republican leadership, while noting that Henry Kissinger’s recent briefings on the Soviet summit were successfully overshadowing Watergate concerns in the news cycle.
Ronald L. Ziegler and Leonard Garment coordinate a strategy to manage negative press coverage concerning the Watergate investigation. They discuss an individual's attempt to contact Senator Sam Ervin and contemplate demanding a public apology if the critical reports persist. The participants establish a secure communication channel via a specific White House telephone line to finalize their response after further information is gathered.
President Nixon consulted with J. Fred Buzhardt regarding the collection of affidavits from various officials to document that the Huston Plan was never fully implemented. Nixon emphasized the urgency of gathering these testimonies to prepare a defense strategy, while also discussing media efforts to highlight how upcoming Ervin Committee hearings might jeopardize ongoing legal trials. Finally, the President and Ronald Ziegler discussed countering allegations regarding a past political opponent's medical history, with Nixon demanding that negative information about the source of these rumors be leaked to the press to discredit the accuser.
President Nixon directs Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler to strategically leak information regarding the Daniel Ellsberg break-in to allies such as Hugh Scott and Strom Thurmond. The President emphasizes the necessity of releasing this information to shift the political narrative and intimidate his critics. He instructs Ziegler to characterize the forthcoming disclosure as part of a planned presidential action to ensure the material receives public and congressional attention.
President Nixon and Ronald Ziegler discussed media strategy and public relations, focusing on methods to counter unfavorable Watergate coverage, specifically regarding John Dean's upcoming testimony and immunity. They reviewed the importance of cultivating support among key congressional allies and influential columnists to defend the administration's record. Furthermore, the two explored ways to highlight the President's foreign policy achievements, particularly regarding Vietnam, to shift public focus away from the ongoing domestic scandals.
President Nixon met with Alexander M. Haig, Jr. for a brief discussion regarding the White House's ongoing public relations strategy concerning the Watergate scandal. The two conferred on administrative messaging and the potential involvement of Ronald L. Ziegler in addressing queries from the Ervin Committee and television networks. The conversation resulted in a minor directive to refine a prepared statement by removing a concluding sentence.