Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 246 › Conversation 246-033

Nixon, Ziegler & Goode on Vietnam War and Public Relations

Wednesday, April 7, 1971 · 6:01 PM–6:10 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building ·6 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Ziegler, Ronald L.;  Goode, Mark I.;  Nixon, Richard M. (President);  Ziegler, Ronald L.;  Goode, Mark I.Conversation246-033 onTape 246 (tape position 05:17:53–05:24:20)StartWednesday, April 7, 1971 at 6:01 PMEndWednesday, April 7, 1971 at 6:10 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 246-033 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with Ronald Ziegler and Mark Goode to rehearse and block the visual presentation for his upcoming televised address on Vietnam troop withdrawals. The discussion focused on the precise timing of camera switches between the President and two specific charts, as well as staging details such as microphone placement and the use of pointers. Nixon finalized his preference to remain seated during the presentation, instructing the team to focus on gestures rather than physical movement to ensure a smooth broadcast.

Audio

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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The places where I go up, you have the two charts.
Yes, sir.
focused on it when I say, on this chart, you can see where I'm going to succeed.
Yes, I think they are.
Pick that up and then keep it on.
On down through by the first of next month, we will draw no more than .
And then stop.
See, stop at the end of that sentence.
Then back me, back me, another indication, where I say another indication.
Sorry.
I have to almost have one reason to be in time when I took office.
Yeah.
And after that, you turn back to me.
Another.
Another.
You come up on me again.
Right.
OK. Now, the other second place that we will try to chart is
This will break the total number of American troops for a drop of over two thirds of the numbers over there.
I will say it, I will say it, that this chart shows the depth when you pick it up.
And that, and just for instance, uh, uh, just to bring the photograph in, as you can see from this chart.
So just focus on the second chart for that length of time.
When I say that, the government itself, Vietnam Police, supports our decision to come back to me for this sentence.
Just be on the charge for about three seconds.
Yeah, you can be on the charge as a matter of fact.
When I say this will break the total numbers of American troops, I withdraw to 365,000.
And then when I say over two-thirds, start picking, start flipping the chart.
Good, and try to think of who were there.
Now, there's one other place where I will go to the chart, which you will not have.
All right, well, unless you will.
Now, may I just do this for a moment?
I don't know.
The first one, we go to the first chart, which is the incompleteness chart.
And the second one is the second chart.
There's a broken mark all on the second chart from now on after the only time we use chart number one.
Well, because after that, we're always talking about the second.
Yeah.
Now.
At the last, tonight, I do not ask you to take what I say on faith and find that without faith.
I will wait for the end.
There you are.
All right, fine.
Look at the record.
And then I'm inserting a sentence there.
Look again at this chart.
This is chart number two.
Every action taken by this administration, every decision made in the Congress, what I've said about Congress, has reduced American involvement.
They have threatened to reduce their cash.
leave it all, the chart, until you get through the word casualties.
And then investigate what you did.
And you're on the chart on that one.
Yeah.
You're all on the chart.
Yeah.
Just keep right on the chart.
They reduced the American bomb.
Those three places.
And I will not get up and point to it or anything like that sometimes.
I think you just look through it.
So I don't want to wear this mic around my neck.
Well, you don't.
I don't plan to get up.
It's awkward to get up.
The chair doesn't move.
And I'll just gesture toward the truck.
Just show the truck.
I'll gesture toward the truck.
All right, now I have this place that you indicated yesterday.
Now there are pointers in each chart.
I don't want to go in the middle.
They're there if you want them.
As a matter of fact, the president really doesn't have such a point.
No, it seems to me.
No, I agree.
I just said it.
If you look in this chart, and then by the time you've got this chart, you'll just gesture over there.
And I'll tell you if you can see from this chart.
I will not use that.
The reporters will take the reporters away.
And I will not move.
And I don't want this microphone on me.
Do you have any preference which chart is on which side?
I have the first chart placed on your right and the second one on your left.
We have a couple minutes.
First, show the right and the first on the left.
I'll show them to you.
Well, I'll start.
All right.
Remember, after the first chart, it's followed by the second.
I only show the first chart at the beginning.
From there on, I show the second.
All right.
I will meet you in, uh, Alex Butterfield's office, 840.
About 840, maybe a little, around that, a very little 40.
All right.
But it'd be funny to tell him, I don't want him to know, I want him to be rushed, so, uh, he can do it 15 minutes, get to 15 minutes, sir.
Okay, well, I'll have him there, and we'll be there.
About 840 is fine.
All right, fine.
All right, bye.
Bye, Mark.
See you later, buddy.

NARA Description

On April 7, 1971, 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. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 246-033 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 246-033
Date: April 7, 1971
Time: 6:01 pm - 6:10 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with Ronald L. Ziegler and Mark I. Goode
President’s forthcoming speech, April 7, 1971
-Charts
-Use
-Television coverage
-Microphone
-Pointers
-Lights
-Position
-Alexander P. Butterfield’s office
-President’s schedule
Ziegler and Goode left at 6:10 pm

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.
  • 246-031 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.
  • 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 42 conversations from April 7, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 246-033, April 7, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/246-033 (accessed September 18, 2026).