Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 246 › Conversation 246-028

Nixon alone in his EOB office on Vietnam War and Vietnamization

Wednesday, April 7, 1971 · 5:05 PM–5:22 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 4 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President)Conversation246-028 on Tape 246 (tape position 04:48:49–04:53:15)StartWednesday, April 7, 1971 at 5:05 PMEndWednesday, April 7, 1971 at 5:22 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 246-028 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 417183309 ↗

AI Summary

President Richard M. Nixon practiced a televised address aimed at updating the American public on the status of the Vietnam War. He reviewed progress regarding troop withdrawals and the success of military operations in Cambodia and South Vietnam. The President utilized the rehearsal to refine his defense of his Vietnamization policy, emphasizing that recent military actions had weakened enemy supply lines and successfully transitioned combat responsibilities to South Vietnamese forces.

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 246-028 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 246-028

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. 522-527]

Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 2 minutes of this recording (about 49% 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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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I've called Americans over the past several weeks and heard a number of reports on TV, radio, and in your newspapers about situations on the station.
The time has come for me as President to sit down with the Chief of our Armed Forces and put you in a different perspective.
I've heard the thanking for you, to let you judge yourself for the excessive faith in my policy.
I'm able to end my report by announcing that I have decided to increase the rate of American crew controls in the state of May 1, 2021.
Before going into details, I would like to review briefly what I saw when I came to the office, the progress we had made the day we produced the American Forces.
From what I may know, the Mountsie stepped up in withdrawal without jeopardizing our main employment in the United States.
The issue is not always to go with any American involvement in a way that should increase the chances
... ... ... ...
Shot, you will see, 11-5-6-7.
In 1969, I had an Austrian withdrawal of $25,000 and $140,000.
December, $50,000.
April, 1917, $150,000.
In the next month, we will draw home more than 265,000 Americans, all the United States troops in Vietnam.
And the other indications of the progress of the United States in terms of the identification of the enemy were five times greater than the previous ones, and the United States won't hold them back.
The Vietnamese captives have also dropped to the United States in the last few days, and the current design of combat is one that we've met as far as I can see.
I know that there is no American fighting and dying any place in the world.
The decision I made in the past and every decision I made in the future will have the purpose of achieving the goal I want.
I look back at the years of decisions I've made which contributed to the achievement of our goals and did not obstruct the expectations of our government.
At that decision, many expressed fears that we would widen the war and our categories would increase and our troop control program would be delayed.
I'm not touching the sincerity of those who expressed their concerns.
No, they were wrong.
The troops were out of Cambodia in 90 days, I can tell you that much.
The casualties did not rise after Cambodia.
They were cut in half.
The correct recruitment crawls were not hauled into the bay, and they continued to accelerate the rig.
Another group of Malay-Ocean operations, which we know was on hold by South Cuba, were not released from the National Guard against the crime of killing these troops.
It's been a great deal of understandable speculation as to whether, as there was at Cambodian, whether it was successful or not.
At Cambodian, what is important is not the instant analysis of the moment, but what happens in the future.
It has completely declined, possessing the operation.
South Vietnamese demonstrated that without American advice, they could fight effectively against the best troops in North Vietnam.
Second, South Vietnamese suffered heavy casualties.
By the most conservative estimates, the casualties suffered by the enemy were far heavier.
Third, and this is most important,
The enemy supply line, consumption of ammunition and arms in battle, has been even more damaging to the capability of the North Vietnamese, sustained major offensives in South Vietnam by the operations in Cambodia ten months ago.
Tonight I have reported that Vietnam's position has succeeded.
We have increased South Vietnamese morale.
because of the success of the Cambodian operation, because of the achievements at South Hill,

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.
  • 246-027 5:05 PM · 2 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 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 246-028, April 7, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417183309). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/246-028 (accessed November 2, 2026).