Secret White House Tapes

526–2

About this recording

526–2
  • President Richard M. Nixon
  • H. R. Haldeman
  • Alexander P. Butterfield
June 18, 1971
Conversation No. 526-2

Date: June 18, 1971
Time: 8:45 am - 9:38 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.

Pentagon Papers
-Upcoming statement by President
-Content of written message
-Patrick J. Buchanan
-Public relations
-Support for war
-Content of message to National Security Council [NSC]
-Content of message to be submitted by staff
-Preparation
-Effect of consensus
-Need for chief writer
-Buchanan
-Role for press conferences
-Media memorandum
-Raymond K. Price, Jr.
-John D. Ehrlichman
-Content
-Need for confidentiality in negotiations
-Declassification
2

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)




Awarding of honorary degrees
-President Leopold Sedar Senghor of Senegal
-Reflection on \"Today's\" schools
-Harvard University
-University of California at Los Angeles [UCLA]
-Accomplishments of Sedar Senghor
-Haldeman’s experience on Board of Regents of UCLA
-Role of recipients
-Value of honorary degrees
-Senghor accomplishments
-Compared to some US mayors
-Size of Senegal
-Heads of Black African states
-Haldeman’s view
-Attractiveness as honorary degree candidates
-Honorary degrees

Pentagon Papers
-Statement by President
-Efficacy
-Nixon administration role in Vietnam
-Ehrlichman
-Bombing halt
-Request for Henry A. Kissinger and Haldeman meeting
-Consequences
-Administration strategy
-Two issues
-Relationship of content to administration’s policy
-Seriousness of security breach
-Need for clear focus of administration strategy
-William E. Timmons
-Support for administration
-Among publishers
-James S. Copley
-Carl T. Curtis opposition
-Rationale
-Barry M. Goldwater
-Gen. Maxwell D. Taylor
-Promotion
-Gale W. McGee
-Congressional strategy
3

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)



-Timmons
-Relationship to Alger Hiss case
-Potential headlines
-President's support during Hiss case
-Issues
-Attack on New York Times
-Kissinger statement
-Ronald L. Ziegler Conv. No. 526-2 (cont.)
-Use of Kissinger on Rochester trip
-Hypothetical attack on liberals
-Joseph McCarthy
-Statement by President
-Content
-Impact
-Constraints due to court case
-Use of national television
-Nature of audience
-Herbert G. Klein
-Position of press
-Freedom of press
-Klein and Ehrlichman role
-Impact of statement concluding a briefing
-Domestic emphasis
-Domestic policy
-Comparison with Birmingham remarks
-Use of national audience
-Personal letter to editors and television producers
-World War II classified documents
-Korean classified documents
-Washington Post story
-Dwight D. Eisenhower [?]
-Source
-Implication
-Post use of Pentagon Papers
-Administration reaction to use of documents
-Klein’s outlook
-Use of Kissinger
-Effect on Senators or Congressmen
-Air Force One
-Possible comments
-Timing of fight with Times
-Effect of court decisions
4

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)



-Charles W. Colson
-Use in Congress
-McGee
-Image of White House action
-Political impact of Times story
-Involvement of Democratic Presidents
-John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson
-Franklin D. Roosevelt Conv. No. 526-2 (cont.)
-Harry S. Truman
-Confidential advice
-Effect on current negotiations
-Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
-Middle East
-Berlin negotiations
-Weighing of good story against US interests
-Rationale for statement
-Report of President's statement
-Robert J. Dole statement
-Content
-Political nature of the battle
-Dole statement
-Content
-Partisan play by Democrats
-Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy
-Hubert H. Humphrey
-Humphrey statement
-Johnson
-Dole statement
-Effect on Johnson
-Opposition to Vietnam War
-Robert H. Finch
-Return from Chicago
-Views
-Freedom of the press
-President’s relationship with the Times
-Future relationship
-George P. Shultz
-Times reaction
-Peter Lisagor reaction
-Restriction of Times
-Coverage
-John F. Kennedy
5

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)



-Herald Tribune subscription
-Subtlety of attack
-Comparison with Spiro T. Agnew attacks
-Timing of Presidential statement
-Relation to judicial process
-Daniel Ellsberg story
-Current play
-Ellsberg disappearance Conv. No. 526-2 (cont.)
-Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI] visit
-Leak of Kissinger recollections
-Ellsberg actions in Vietnam
-Kissinger and Ellsberg visits
-Santa Monica Outlook story
-Source
-Kissinger’s view
-Leslie H. Gelb
-Ellsberg
-Kissinger backgrounder on Air Force One
-Ehrlichman outline for statement
-Haldeman and Ehrlichman meeting
-Timing of statements by President
-Relation to court case
-Dole statement
-Response to order from President
-Partisan political impression
-Press reaction to administration response
-Press reaction to lack of response
-Ehrlichman
-Kissinger backgrounder
-Possible comments
-Timing
-Florida trip
-Air Force One to Rochester

Drug policy
-Drug policy statement
-Media play
-Dr. Jerome H. Jaffe
-Organization
-Personnel moves
-Shultz report
-Allen J. Ellender
6

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)



-Hospital staffing
-Early Jaffe moves
-Hospital closing
-Effect
-Shultz's report
Vietnam
-Coverage of casualties
-Walter Cronkite statement Conv. No. 526-2 (cont.)
-Other reporters' statements
-Coverage of anti-war amendments in Congress
-Wording of reports

Alexander P. Butterfield entered at 9:28 am.

Schedule
-Letters
-Memorandums

Butterfield left at 9:31 am.

-Arrival of President Senghor of Senegal

Pentagon Papers
-Kissinger backgrounder
-Benefits of statement

President Senghor

Pentagon Papers
-Kissinger backgrounder
-Ehrlichman
-Notification of press

President's schedule

Pentagon Papers
-Effect on administration
-Reaction by administration
-Administration response
-Dwight L. Chapin
-Humphrey
-Dole attack
7

NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)



-Kissinger's role

Haldeman left at 9:38 am.
Secret White House Tapes |

526–2

This recording is currently not available on millercenter.org. To listen to it, please email Mike Greco at mdg4u@virginia.edu

More Richard M. Nixon Recordings

View all Richard M. Nixon tapes
527–1
audio icon
527–10
audio icon
527–12
audio icon
5–128
audio icon
5–129
audio icon
5–130
audio icon
5–131
audio icon
527–17
audio icon
5–171
audio icon
527–2
audio icon