Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 24 › Conversation 024-026

Nixon phone call with Rush on Vietnam War and Naval Blockade

Monday, May 8, 1972 · 10:42 PM–10:45 PM ET · White House Telephone · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Rush, [David] KennethConversation024-026 on Tape 24 (tape position 00:30:22–00:33:13)StartMonday, May 8, 1972 at 10:42 PMEndMonday, May 8, 1972 at 10:45 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 024-026 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon instructed Kenneth Rush to adopt a firm public stance during his upcoming television appearance regarding the U.S. blockade of North Vietnam, explicitly rejecting the softer rhetoric suggested by Secretary of State William Rogers. Nixon emphasized that the administration's policy is to take whatever action is necessary to halt seaborne deliveries while maintaining a commitment to a forthcoming peace offer and POW return. Additionally, the President confirmed that he had aligned Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird with this hawkish strategy and invited Rush to speak at an upcoming administration event.

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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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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?
Yes, Mr. President?
Yes, again, how are you?
Fine, thank you, sir.
Your speech was wonderful.
Well, you're very kind to say that.
Let me say, you're going on in the morning.
Yes, sir.
And if I could give you just a couple of thoughts.
Thank you.
Bill Rogers, in talking to the Cabinet, was sort of saying this is not a blockade.
Don't take that line.
Take the line that, well, the words are not too important here.
What it is is that the president is going to do whatever is necessary to stop all seaborne deliveries to South Vietnam, to North Vietnam.
Yes, sir.
And it will be done.
Yes, sir.
And we'll do whatever is necessary.
Yes.
Don't you agree?
I agree 100%, Mr. President, and that is exactly what I think you should do.
Don't worry.
Now that we've crossed the Rubicon, we're going to kick those bastards, and we're going to do even more, you know.
Yes, I know.
So take a very strong line.
We're going to do what's necessary.
The President is, you can say, you can use the term, the President has crossed the Rubicon, and now?
But also emphasize that we have made a forthcoming peace offer.
Yes, sir.
Which is unequivocal, and it's as far as we can go.
A ceasefire, a return of our POWs, and then we withdraw all Americans for a month.
Yes.
Okay?
Yes, sir.
I think I have that, Mr. President.
I'll do my best.
I'm in complete accord, as you know, with what you're doing.
Well, I appreciate it.
I appreciate it.
It really was a great speech.
I know it was great, but anyway, the main thing is that
You know, you're the strong man over there now, by God.
I got Carl Laird, and I got him lined up.
He's all right now.
Well, I'm very pleased.
He says he's going to...
I said, Mel, you've got to be more hawkish than I am, and he said he would be.
Mel will do it now.
Yeah, Mel's a...
He's the kind of a guy that waits, and then he does what's right.
Once you tell him what to do, Mr. President, he will do it.
When you talk to him in the morning, you say, boy, the President's counting on you.
He's very pleased with his conversation with you, and Mel, by God, let's be more...
Right now, we've got to be ferocious.
Right.
All the way.
Okay?
Yes, sir, Mr. President.
All right.
In the morning, kick them in the ass.
I'll do my best.
Oh, you will.
Are you coming tomorrow night or not?
Yes, I'm looking forward to it very much.
It'll be a nice little party.
We're inviting all the lawyers in the administration.
to sort of be there with these little kids.
I remember the little kids, but you will remember most of them.
They were your students.
Yes, I remember that very well.
I'll call on you for a couple of minutes to say a couple of words.
Will you?
I'll be very pleased to.
And I'm very happy you invited me.
Okay, Mike.
It'll be great to be there.
So congratulations.
George Meany, please.
Yes, sir.

NARA Description

On May 8, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and [David] Kenneth Rush talked on the telephone from 10:42 pm to 10:45 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 024-026 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 24-26

Date: May 8, 1972
Time: 10:42 pm - 10:45 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with [David] Kenneth Rush.

[See also Conversation No. 336-69K]

     Greetings

     Vietnam
          -Blockade
               -The President's speech
               -Rush's television appearance
                    -President’s position
                           -William P. Rogers
                           -Cessation of seaborne deliveries to North Vietnam
               -Implementation
                    -Further action
                    -Rush's statements
                           -Peace offer
                           -Cease-fire
                           -Prisoners of war [POWs]
                           -The President's Request for a call to Melvin R. Laird
                           -Public stance

     The President's party
          -Rush
               -Attendance
               -Address to attendees

Also recorded on May 9, 1972

  • 024-027 10:45 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:45 pm and 10:47 pm.
  • 024-028 10:47 PM · 41 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and George Meany talked on the telephone from 10:47 pm to 10:48 pm.
  • 024-029 10:49 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Tricia Nixon Cox, and Edward R. F. Cox talked on the telephone from 10:49 pm to 10:52 pm.
  • 024-030 10:52 PM · 8 sec — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:52 pm and 11:22 pm.
  • 024-031 10:52 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:52 pm and 11:22 pm.
  • 024-032 10:52 PM · 20 sec — the White House operator and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:52 pm and 11:22 pm.
  • 024-033 10:52 PM · 4 min — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman and William F. ("Billy") Graham talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:52 pm and 11:22 pm.
  • 024-034 10:52 PM · 4 min — Charles W. Colson and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:52 pm and 11:22 pm.

All 96 conversations from May 9, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 024-026, May 9, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/024-026 (accessed October 9, 2026).