Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 246 › Conversation 246-031

Nixon & Ziegler on Vietnam War and Television Address

Wednesday, April 7, 1971 · 5:50 PM–5:55 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 4 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.Conversation246-031 on Tape 246 (tape position 05:14:50–05:16:47)StartWednesday, April 7, 1971 at 5:50 PMEndWednesday, April 7, 1971 at 5:55 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 246-031 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 417183315 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler met to finalize preparations for a nationally televised address concerning the Vietnam War. The discussion focused on the logistics of the speech, including the strategic integration of charts to support the President's messaging and the timing of the broadcast. Nixon instructed Ziegler to coordinate with Mark I. Goode to ensure the technical aspects of the television presentation were ready for the scheduled evening delivery.

Audio

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NARA Description

On April 7, 1971, 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. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 246-031 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 246-031

Date: April 7, 1971

Time: 5:50 pm - 5:55 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Ronald L. Ziegler

     President’s schedule
           -President’s forthcoming speech, April 7, 1971
           -[Thomas] Hale Boggs

     Vietnam
          -Congress
          -President’s forthcoming speech, April 7, 1971
               -Evaluation

     President’s schedule
           -Mark I. Goode

     President’s forthcoming speech, April 7, 1971
           -Television
           -Charts
                -Press copy
                -Goode
                -Timing

Ziegler left at 5:55 pm

Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 2 minutes of this recording (about 47% 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

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It's going to be quite a breeze.
But it's always good for me to be there always.
If they do say anything, I don't care.
I don't care.
I don't care.
I don't care.
We definitely have four of them.
Each?
Yes, sir.
Right down the line, I was very worried when I read the question.
But I think that is consistent.
I think that this is consistent here.
Well, they keep backing up, though.
They keep backing up.
They say something.
They try to put their heads in that position.
This is a course of action that they run us out.
And they sponsor us.
They pass it to the Congress.
I head to the situation where we have to disarm the Congress and have you for my court.
Uh, let's see, uh... Oh, uh...
Bring me a copy that brings a good over the demand of the television.
I've got the television, I've got the intent to know when I'm going to interpret the chart, and I've added three places where I interpret the chart.
You look through this.
Well, let me show you the third place.
I'll just go over to you and I can do my own.
Uh, you know, I'll tell you, why don't you get your, get your press copy, so that you can work directly from that.
And let Good come in, too.
It'll be okay.
Would you like me to do that now, Mr. President, or closer to 7 o'clock?
What?
Closer to 7 o'clock, so we don't re-interrupt you again.
Why don't we do it about 10 to 7?
Well, it's only going to take a couple of minutes.
I think you might get it ready so that they can get their television.
You just call them over, and I'll show you the three different places.

Also recorded on April 7, 1971

  • 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.
  • 246-032 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.
  • 246-033 6:01 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, and Mark I. Goode met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 6:01 pm to 6:10 pm.
  • 246-034 6:10 PM · 12 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:10 pm and 7:09 pm.
  • 246-035 6:10 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:10 pm and 7:09 pm.
  • 246-036 6:10 PM · 39 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:10 pm and 7:09 pm.

All 79 conversations from April 7, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 246-031, April 7, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417183315). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/246-031 (accessed November 2, 2026).