Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 19 › Conversation 019-114

Haldeman & Carruthers on Richard Nixon and Vietnam Speech

Wednesday, January 26, 1972 · 4:01 PM–4:20 PM ET · White House Telephone · 4 min

ParticipantsHaldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Carruthers, William H.Conversation019-114 on Tape 19StartWednesday, January 26, 1972 at 4:01 PMEndWednesday, January 26, 1972 at 4:20 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 019-114 ↗

AI Summary

H. R. Haldeman consulted media consultant William H. Carruthers to evaluate the President’s televised address regarding Vietnam. Carruthers praised the President’s relaxed pacing, confident delivery, and physical appearance, attributing the success to a deliberate, unhurried speaking style. The pair concluded that technical presentation was secondary to the President’s performance, though they decided to lower future camera angles to better manage his appearance on screen.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Hello.
I have Mr. Kurevich.
Thank you.
Bill, Bob Haldeman.
Hi, Bob.
How are you?
Fine.
I wanted to get your view on how you thought the thing looked last night and what you thought of the president's delivery and all.
Oh, he was excellent.
Rarely seen him better than he was last night.
Why?
Because we were curious.
A lot of people said that, and we were curious as to what was different that made it better.
Well, my feeling was this, that his delivery was very, very comfortable.
And he did not rush himself.
You know, I think I've said on several memos to you in the past that I felt he was trying to jam too much language into too short a time.
Yeah.
It did not appear that way.
He seemed to have total confidence in what he was doing.
And I think it was just the overall pacing.
I see.
His own pacing.
The speed he was actually delivering the material at.
Mm-hmm.
Sometimes he gets on and he seems to want to rush, and it makes you feel like he wants to get it over with.
And he makes mistakes, you know, jamming too many words into a short period of time.
But that was so relaxed and so comfortable and yet totally confident.
And he looked good.
I mean, he really looked good.
He looked like he'd had some rest.
You mean look good physically?
Yeah, physically.
Not the picture or anything?
You mean just the president looked good?
The president looked good.
Well, that's probably, you know, a weekend in Florida helps there, too.
Boy, I'll say.
I'll say.
I really think if there is any one comment that I could make that really made it work for him was the pacing at which he delivered the material.
I see.
Okay.
You know, we're always working against the clock, Bob, in this business.
He's the one guy who doesn't have to.
Doesn't have to.
That's right.
You know, it's his time, and he can take his own damn sweet time with how much time he wants to deliver the material.
Right.
So that would be your evaluation of why there's been this reaction that this was...
you know, better delivery than some of the others.
Yeah, and I also think it was a brilliantly constructed speech.
I don't know whether he wrote it or he had assistants writing it or what happened.
Yeah, well, I think you're right.
The construction of the material was excellent.
It was so clear and so concise and step-by-step he laid it out.
And he appeared to have a great deal of confidence in the material.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Okay.
Very good.
Well, that's basically what we're trying to figure out.
Okay.
Get a...
An expert opinion.
Wish it could be like that all the time.
Yeah.
Really.
You know, that and the first economic message are the two best performances he's delivered since I have been involved with him.
And it's totally him.
There's nothing we do to make him work that way.
Right.
So you don't feel there were any technical differences that had any effect at all?
Not essentially, no.
I think the camera angle was a little high last night.
Yeah.
Uh, he's now beginning to get a little jowly.
And, uh, the camera level seemed just a hair above eye level, about where we would normally put it.
But I think we ought to start considering dropping it down a little bit.
Oh, I agree.
That'd show a little bit more neck and a little less jowl.

NARA Description

On January 26, 1972, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman and William H. Carruthers talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:01 pm and 4:20 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 019-114 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 19-114

Date: January 26, 1972
Time: Unknown between 4:01 pm and 4:20 pm
Location: White House Telephone

H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman talked with William H. Carruthers.

[See Conversation No. 318-3H]

     The President's January 25, 1972 speech on Vietnam
          -The President's delivery
               -Pace

           -The President's physical appearance
                -Florida
           -The President's delivery
                -Pace
                -Reaction
           -Construction
                -The President’s confidence
           -Compared to the President's first economic message
           -Camera angle

Also recorded on January 26, 1972

  • 019-112 3:58 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Frank Stanton talked on the telephone from 3:58 pm to 4:01 pm.
  • 019-113 4:01 PM · 8 sec — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:01 pm and 4:20 pm.
  • 019-115 4:20 PM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 4:20 pm.
  • 019-116 4:20 PM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and George P. Shultz talked on the telephone from 4:20 pm to 4:21 pm.
  • 318-004 4:20 PM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 4:20 pm.
  • 318-005 4:20 PM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and George P. Shultz met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:20 pm to 4:21 pm.
  • 019-117 4:21 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:21 pm and 4:23 pm.
  • 318-006 4:21 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:21 pm and 4:23 pm.

All 102 conversations from January 26, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 019-114, January 26, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/019-114 (accessed October 12, 2026).