Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 1 › Conversation 001-033

Nixon phone call with Rockefeller on Vietnam War and Southeast Asia policy

Wednesday, April 7, 1971 · 10:51 PM–10:52 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Rockefeller, Nelson A.Conversation001-033 on Tape 1 (tape position 01:12:36–01:14:48)StartWednesday, April 7, 1971 at 10:51 PMEndWednesday, April 7, 1971 at 10:52 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 001-033 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 408403765 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon initiated this call to thank New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller for his public support of a recent presidential address concerning Southeast Asia and the Vietnam War. Rockefeller praised the effectiveness of Nixon's use of visual charts and emotional appeals in communicating his policy to the public. The two men discussed the importance of maintaining resolve regarding the war, with Nixon hinting at the potential for future diplomatic negotiations.

Audio

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NARA Description

On April 7, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Nelson A. Rockefeller talked on the telephone from 10:51 pm to 10:52 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 001-033 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 1-33

Date: April 7, 1971
Time: 10:51 pm - 10:52 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Nelson A. Rockefeller
     President’s previous speech on Southeast Asia

     Vietnam
          -Negotiations
               -President's options

     President’s previous speech on Southeast Asia
          -Chart
          -Media reaction
           -Young boys reaction
           -Rockefeller's support
                -John V. Lindsay
                -Margaretta (“Happy”) Rockefeller

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Mr. President, I hear Governor Rockefeller.
Here you are.
Hello.
Mr. President.
Hi, Nelson, how are you?
Well, listen, aren't you nice to call back?
I just wanted to call and say I thought you handled a difficult situation with tremendous straightforwardness and skill.
Well, thank you.
I appreciate that.
I think you've stuck with the thing, and I think it's going to work.
Well, the main thing, Nelson, is how it all comes out, isn't it?
That's right.
And in the end, you know, it's going to come out all right if we can stick the course, because in the next two or three months, you know, between you and me, we might have a negotiation.
Who knows?
If we don't, if we don't, then we'll do something else.
Well, I think that the use of that chart, of those figures, was tremendous.
Did that come across?
Yes, and then, interestingly enough, afterwards, the commentary, I've forgotten what station we were looking at, but...
They took your figures and went by the periods, you know, you cut 50,000 and you cut 100,000, whatever it was, and they accentuated it, and I think it was extremely powerful.
Yeah.
I thought it was important to Nelson to put it in very personal terms, the last about the little boy, the four-year-old, you know, by God, we've got to get across, you know, that's what it's all about, you know, not our generation, but their generation, and are we going to,
let them down, that's really what it really is involved, you know.
The tragedy is that so much of what's said has now sort of become an Alice in Wonderland thing.
I know.
We're talking about something that has nothing to do with the realities in which we live.
That's right.
Well, let me say I've appreciated your, I know you're under horrible heat up there, you know.
Well, it's my pleasure.
I'm finished.
No, no, no, no, no.
I meant that in terms of this whole business, you know, your friend Lindsay and all the rest.
But I've appreciated the fact you stood firm, and by God, I won't forget it.
Well, listen, you're the man who stood firm.
Well, I had to, but you didn't have to.
And you did, and I appreciate it.
Yeah, nice to say it.
And you give my best to Happy and all of our good friends.
I certainly will, and we're just with you.
All right, thank you.
Okay, thanks a lot.

Also recorded on April 7, 1971

  • 001-026 10:35 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 10:35 pm to 10:37 pm.
  • 001-027 10:38 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Charles G. ("Bebe") Rebozo, and Manolo Sanchez talked on the telephone from 10:38 pm to 10:45 pm.
  • 001-028 10:45 PM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 10:45 pm.
  • 001-029 10:45 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 10:45 pm.
  • 001-030 10:45 PM · 2 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 10:45 pm.
  • 001-031 10:46 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 10:46 pm to 10:48 pm.
  • 001-032 10:49 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon, and Julie Nixon Eisenhower talked on the telephone from 10:49 pm to 10:50 pm.
  • 001-034 10:52 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:52 pm and 11:08 pm.

All 79 conversations from April 7, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 001-033, April 7, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 408403765). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/001-033 (accessed November 2, 2026).