Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 246 › Conversation 246-027

Nixon alone in his EOB office on Speech rehearsal and Political strategy

Wednesday, April 7, 1971 · 5:05 PM–5:22 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President)Conversation246-027 on Tape 246 (tape position 04:45:08–04:48:49)StartWednesday, April 7, 1971 at 5:05 PMEndWednesday, April 7, 1971 at 5:22 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 246-027 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 417183307 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon utilized this session to rehearse an upcoming speech, reflecting on the personal and professional burdens of the presidency. He articulated concerns regarding political strategy, life goals, and his public legacy while preparing for a major address. The rehearsal served as a moment of introspection and refinement for the President's public messaging.

Speech rehearsal
Political strategy
Presidential legacy
Public communication
Self-reflection

Audio

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NARA Description

On April 7, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:05 pm and 5:22 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 246-027 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 246-027
Date: April 7, 1971
Time: Unknown between 5:05 pm and 5:22 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President rehearsed a speech
[A transcript of the final version of this speech appears in Public Papers of the Presidents,
Richard M. Nixon, 1971, pp. 522-27]

Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 2 minutes of this recording (about 88% of it) is represented by only a few words. Listen to the audio rather than relying on the text below; a corrected transcript is queued.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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

I often have to come up with new accomplishments, new plans, new goals, new dreams.

I have to worry about my goals, and worry about my political tactics, and worry about my faith.

There is, of course, the political science.

I'm worried about what I'm going to do in life.

I'm worried about my current career, and what's highest in the world.

I'm worried about my father.

uh oh

I want to get this water.

I don't want any of that.

It's the head of the car.

Number one.

Also recorded on April 7, 1971

246-021 4:10 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:10 pm and 4:30 pm.
246-022 4:10 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:10 pm and 4:30 pm.
246-026 4:30 PM · 29 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, unknown person(s), White House operator, and John W. Dean, III met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:30 pm to 5:05 pm.
246-028 5:05 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:05 pm and 5:22 pm.
246-029 5:22 PM · 13 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 5:22 pm to 5:40 pm.
246-030 5:40 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:40 pm and 5:50 pm.
246-031 5:50 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 5:50 pm to 5:55 pm.
246-032 5:55 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:55 pm and 6:01 pm.

All 79 conversations from April 7, 1971 →

Nixon, Rumsfeld & Sanchez on Foreign Policy and Special Trade Representative March 8, 1971 · 59 min
Nixon phone call with White on Lyndon B. Johnson and Vietnam War January 23, 1973 · 9 min
Nixon alone in his EOB office on Harry S. Truman and Presidential legacy December 28, 1972 · 3 min
Nixon & Haldeman on Presidential legacy and White House tapes May 11, 1973 · 1 min
Nixon, Corcoran & Bull on John B. Connally and Democratic Party politics March 6, 1973 · 39 min
Nixon phone call with Andrews on Presidential speeches and Bicentennial July 2, 1971 · 7 min

Cite this conversation

Conversation 246-027, April 7, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417183307). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/246-027 (accessed November 2, 2026).