Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 1 › Conversation 001-012
Nixon, Woods & Sanchez on Southeast Asia policy and Presidential speeches
Wednesday, April 7, 1971 · 9:42 PM–9:49 PM ET · White House Telephone · 6 min
AI Summary
President Nixon consulted with Rose Mary Woods to gauge the public and political response to his televised address on Southeast Asia. The conversation highlighted positive reactions from key figures, including Vice President Spiro Agnew, Secretary of State William P. Rogers, and Attorney General John Mitchell, while noting the President's personal emotional investment in the speech. Nixon decided to place follow-up calls to Agnew, Rogers, and Hobart D. Lewis to acknowledge their support and discuss the strategic reception of his remarks.
- Southeast Asia policy
- Presidential speeches
- Public opinion
- Political strategy
- Nixon administration
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.
Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data
· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Each line starts with a timestamp button; press it to play the audio from that point.
Hello.
This is Wood, sir.
Hi, Rose.
That was absolutely great.
How's the dispatch side reacting over there?
Well, let me tell you that it was tremendous from everybody's point of view.
The whole thing, the sincerity, I'm now lumping a lot of calls together, but when you put the papers down and just talk,
I would doubt that you had a dry eye in the audience.
Well, I didn't.
I felt a little wet myself.
Yeah.
I know that.
And I remembered, I was thinking myself of that woman you saw at El Toro who was... That's right.
You know, so...
The little boy that saluted.
I remember when he saluted me while I was broke up.
Oh, that's great.
Because Jack Mulcahy called.
Did he?
Yes.
And he was, he's down in Florida, and Bergen and O'Hara were around, and they just thought it was absolutely tremendous.
Oh, that's nice.
And he said that it was the first time he'd ever listened to any president and had tears in his eyes.
Did he?
Yes.
Even old Jack?
Yeah.
He thought it was sensei.
And all of them came on, you know, Bergen and O'Hara.
And Delta Fire.
excuse me yeah i'm sorry bergen bergen came on and and he just thought it was a great speech it was magnificent well it was a nice little speech actually it was 19 minutes and 40 seconds but it was one of the hardest ones i ever did oh you know we'd have no support this goddamn cabinet except for connelly and i must say bill rogers to his effect not one of the veterans not one rogers called i'll get to him the vice president called he would like to talk with you
Peter Malatesta talked with me and said that the Vice President thought it was, they all thought it was just marvelous, but that he really would like to talk with you, so I'll give the operator that number if you want.
Well, maybe I should return his call.
Secretary Rogers was at the Luxembourg Embassy.
So he didn't see it?
Yes, he did.
He called and he said it was great, it was tremendous.
He said everyone thought it was, and he said that
he thought it had quote the same impact as the fun speech that it had one hell of an impact and that he just he just thought the last part was well he suggested that you know he didn't no he didn't suggest what i'd say but he said throw away your notes and just talk a little while but this little story about kevin i've told i never told before but that was beautiful
The little boy saluting.
Wasn't that something?
Yeah.
It was beautiful.
And the Attorney General called.
Oh, did he?
Yeah.
What did he say?
He thought it was great.
He thought it was one of your very best.
One of your great... That's nice.
He said, I thought it was one of his greatest performances personally.
And he said that he'd been working, talking with people, very hard problem, but he thinks that you have really, you know, touched the people.
And he thinks that...
Yeah, we just have to move ahead with the project of selling some of the idiots.
Well, they're most of them in the establishment, yeah.
Well, I'm glad Rogers was pleased and the vice president.
Very much so.
Is Agnew out in California?
Yeah, Agnew, I'll give the operator the number.
Well, maybe not.
I don't think I should call him out.
I think you should.
well he called me did he yes well then i should return he said he called and said i would like to talk to you all right fine that you can't you know you can't i can i can talk to him i wouldn't need to talk to you i shouldn't talk to mitchell most of the others you don't need to rogers rogers said don't bother he's at the embassy and so forth um home lewis thought it was uh he called what he said yes he thought it was the greatest ever
You really did?
I might return his call because he never calls me.
I mean, he never calls me to bug me.
Yeah, he never does.
He said, anyone has to be convinced by that.
He thought you had an unbeatable position, the record was great, another $100,000 on top of what you've done.
He just thought it was marvelous.
Leonard Firestone called.
Oh, did he?
Len?
Yes.
He was in Palm Springs, and he said that he was with a whole group of people.
And they all were so thrilled.
They thought it was just...
I'm reading from notes now.
That it was great.
The record, the leadership, the delivery, the poise, the...
The everything of the delivery and everyone around there, just their consensus was it was great.
To conclude, you know, tell me about the people in your office.
They were moved by the city, the kids.
Marge even called me and Dwight called me.
Dwight called me and it was over.
Dwight says, I haven't ever cried before.
And Marge, everybody, it was just beautiful.
Well, I was practically crying when I delivered it.
I remember that.
I know that from watching it.
And Senator Dole had just gotten to Florida.
Dole?
Yeah.
Yeah, and he said he has an officer cranking out a statement that, you know, so forth.
He thought it was very good.
He said he's going to put out a release in terms of the carping Democrats.
And I said, what are you going to do about our own people?
Yeah.
He said, we didn't limit it to Democrats.
That's right.
But he just thought it was great.
He's down there doing five fundraisers.
Now, out of all those people, I think the only one really would be Agnew.
Because I didn't speak with him.
I might call Rogers for only a reason.
He suggested throwing away the text at the last.
If you want, I'll tell you up there where he is.
He's at the Luxembourg Embassy.
And I'll give him the Vice President's number.
You think I should call Hope Lewis?
I think that would be great because as a matter of fact, if somebody calls, I got cut off from home.
Fine.
All right.
Fine.
Okay.
I'll tell the operator again for you.
Fine.
All three.
Fine.
NARA Description
On April 7, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, and Manolo Sanchez talked on the telephone from 9:42 pm to 9:49 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 001-012 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 1-12
Date: April 7, 1971
Time: 9:42 pm - 9:49 pm
Location: White House Telephone
The President talked with Rose Mary Woods.
President's speech on Southeast Asia
-Reactions
-Kevin Taylor's saluting President
-John A. (“Jack”) Mulcahy's reaction
-[Forename unknown] Bergen
-[Forename unknown] O’Hara
*****************************************************************
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 12/20/2017.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[001-012-w001]
[Duration: 5s]
Refreshment order
-Scotch and soda
*****************************************************************
-Bergen and O'Hara
The President conferred with Manolo Sanchez at an unknown time between 9:42 pm and 9:49
pm.
Fireplace
[End of conferral]
President's speech on Southeast Asia
-Bergen
-Length
-Cabinet
-John B. Connally
-William P. Rogers
-Callers' reactions
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-Rogers
-Taylor anecdote
-John N. Mitchell
-People to be called
-Callers' reactions
-Agnew
-Rogers
-Hobart D. Lewis
-Leonard K. Firestone
-Dwight L. Chapin
-Marjorie P. Acker
-Robert J. Dole
People to be called
-Agnew
-Rogers
-LewisAlso recorded on April 8, 1971
- 001-007 9:25 PM · 2 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:25 pm and 9:27 pm.
- 001-008 9:27 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 9:27 pm to 9:31 pm.
- 001-009 9:31 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, unknown person(s), and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 9:31 pm.
- 001-010 9:31 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 9:31 pm to 9:39 pm.
- 001-011 9:39 PM · 2 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:39 pm and 9:42 pm.
- 001-013 9:49 PM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, Manolo Sanchez, and unknown person(s) talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:49 pm and 9:52 pm.
- 001-014 9:52 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and William F. ("Billy") Graham talked on the telephone from 9:52 pm to 9:55 pm.
- 001-015 9:56 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Vice President Spiro T. Agnew talked on the telephone from 9:56 pm to 10:00 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 001-012, April 8, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/001-012 (accessed October 12, 2026).