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Conversation 001-008

TapeTape 1StartWednesday, April 7, 1971 at 9:27 PMEndWednesday, April 7, 1971 at 9:31 PMTape start time00:14:48Tape end time00:17:27ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Recording deviceWhite House Telephone
AI Summary

President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman discussed the immediate public and media reception to the President’s recent televised speech on Southeast Asia. Haldeman reported that the emotional conclusion of the address, which was not included in the provided press texts, successfully caught network commentators off-guard and generally received favorable feedback. The pair noted positive reactions from Billy Graham and Secretary of State William P. Rogers, and Nixon instructed Haldeman to continue monitoring public sentiment while he stepped away for dinner.

Southeast Asia policyMedia relationsPublic opinionPresidential communicationVietnam War
AudioNARA Description

On April 7, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 9:27 pm to 9:31 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 001-008 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 1-8

Date: April 7, 1971
Time: 9:27 pm - 9:31 pm
Location: White House Telephone

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

     President's previous speech on Southeast Asia
           -President's emotional at end of speech
           -Network analysis
                 -American Broadcasting Company [ABC]
                 -National Broadcasting Corporation [NBC]
                 -Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
                       -Dan Rather
           -William F. (“Billy”) Graham's reaction
          -Brody F. Black, Cincinnati Inquirer
          -Others' reactions
          -William P. Rogers’ reaction
Transcript (AI-Generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

Hello.
Hello.
Yes, sir.
That was great.
Well, I don't know.
As I said, it was 19 minutes and 40 seconds.
But it was a lot of work.
It was 1937, actually.
You cut it by three seconds.
I must say that I put an awful lot of emotion into it.
I don't know whether it got through.
It sure did.
and it it did very clearly and it uh the decision to do the thing at the end was exactly right i think because it it for the for one thing it completely threw the the uh commentators off oh did it because it was you know they didn't have it they already chopped it up well they didn't have it in their text no they're not chopping it up both abc and nbc uh did just a very quick wrap up and then went off the air cbs is still on analyzing yeah but they're not uh
You know, it threw them off because so far they are covering it very fairly, but rather came on right at the beginning and made quite a point of it that the last two minutes was not in the text.
And, you know, that you had, that they had been briefed on the early part of it.
Yeah.
I just got a note here on Billy Graham's call.
He says this was a masterful job, particularly the last two or three minutes were very good.
He felt the president spoke to the heart as well as to the head.
As an appeal, it was one of the best
and generally one of the best presentations that he's given.
So Billy liked that part, and of course the staff people are all just, think it's great.
The last part of course was,
Quite a work of art, to be frank with you.
It sure was.
To take all of that and to put it, compress it into that, and to say it without being maudlin, and yet to have some emotion in it.
You know, it was done with style.
It sure was.
And nobody can say that we were tear-jerking and all that sort of thing.
But it jerked a tear, too, I think.
Well, that's Brody Black of the Cincinnati Inquirers, one of the guys in here, says the conclusion was impressive and moving.
And, you know, I think we're going to get that on all of these, that he thought the strong point of the speech was your willingness to be judged on the record.
And that's, you know, I think... Well, you can call me back in a half hour.
It comes through awfully strong.
Any reactions you get.
Okay.
Okay, sure.
Give me a half hour and a half hour.
I'll be eating and then I just want to...
But I don't want to talk to anybody myself.
Okay.
But I'm going to be particularly interested to know who does call.
Let me tell you one thing.
Bill Rogers called before the thing and said if I saw you before you went on to tell you he had read the speech and that it was right on the ball and as the kids would say, it was right on.
Yeah.
He was very enthusiastic.
Okay.
All right.
Okay.
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