Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 246-033
Date: Wednesday, April 7, 1971 at 6:01 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.; Goode, Mark I.; Nixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.; Goode, Mark I.
Recording device: Old Executive Office Building
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/246-033

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] The places where I go up, you have the two charts.
[0:15] Yes, sir.
[0:22] focused on it when I say, on this chart, you can see where I'm going to succeed.
[0:45] Yes, I think they are.
[0:46] Pick that up and then keep it on.
[0:47] On down through by the first of next month, we will draw no more than .
[0:48] And then stop.
[0:49] See, stop at the end of that sentence.
[0:50] Then back me, back me, another indication, where I say another indication.
[0:52] Sorry.
[0:58] I have to almost have one reason to be in time when I took office.
[1:08] Yeah.
[1:11] And after that, you turn back to me.
[1:14] Another.
[1:14] Another.
[1:14] You come up on me again.
[1:15] Right.
[1:15] OK. Now, the other second place that we will try to chart is
[1:20] This will break the total number of American troops for a drop of over two thirds of the numbers over there.
[1:38] I will say it, I will say it, that this chart shows the depth when you pick it up.
[1:54] And that, and just for instance, uh, uh, just to bring the photograph in, as you can see from this chart.
[2:04] So just focus on the second chart for that length of time.
[2:07] When I say that, the government itself, Vietnam Police, supports our decision to come back to me for this sentence.
[2:23] Just be on the charge for about three seconds.
[2:25] Yeah, you can be on the charge as a matter of fact.
[2:27] When I say this will break the total numbers of American troops, I withdraw to 365,000.
[2:31] And then when I say over two-thirds, start picking, start flipping the chart.
[2:39] Good, and try to think of who were there.
[2:44] Now, there's one other place where I will go to the chart, which you will not have.
[2:53] All right, well, unless you will.
[2:54] Now, may I just do this for a moment?
[2:55] I don't know.
[2:55] The first one, we go to the first chart, which is the incompleteness chart.
[3:11] And the second one is the second chart.
[3:12] There's a broken mark all on the second chart from now on after the only time we use chart number one.
[3:16] Well, because after that, we're always talking about the second.
[3:17] Yeah.
[3:17] Now.
[3:19] At the last, tonight, I do not ask you to take what I say on faith and find that without faith.
[3:36] I will wait for the end.
[3:39] There you are.
[3:40] All right, fine.
[3:41] Look at the record.
[3:41] And then I'm inserting a sentence there.
[3:42] Look again at this chart.
[3:43] This is chart number two.
[3:43] Every action taken by this administration, every decision made in the Congress, what I've said about Congress, has reduced American involvement.
[3:47] They have threatened to reduce their cash.
[3:48] leave it all, the chart, until you get through the word casualties.
[4:05] And then investigate what you did.
[4:06] And you're on the chart on that one.
[4:10] Yeah.
[4:10] You're all on the chart.
[4:11] Yeah.
[4:11] Just keep right on the chart.
[4:13] They reduced the American bomb.
[4:14] Those three places.
[4:15] And I will not get up and point to it or anything like that sometimes.
[4:16] I think you just look through it.
[4:17] So I don't want to wear this mic around my neck.
[4:29] Well, you don't.
[4:30] I don't plan to get up.
[4:32] It's awkward to get up.
[4:33] The chair doesn't move.
[4:35] And I'll just gesture toward the truck.
[4:40] Just show the truck.
[4:41] I'll gesture toward the truck.
[4:42] All right, now I have this place that you indicated yesterday.
[4:47] Now there are pointers in each chart.
[4:51] I don't want to go in the middle.
[4:55] They're there if you want them.
[5:02] As a matter of fact, the president really doesn't have such a point.
[5:06] No, it seems to me.
[5:08] No, I agree.
[5:08] I just said it.
[5:09] If you look in this chart, and then by the time you've got this chart, you'll just gesture over there.
[5:14] And I'll tell you if you can see from this chart.
[5:16] I will not use that.
[5:17] The reporters will take the reporters away.
[5:18] And I will not move.
[5:18] And I don't want this microphone on me.
[5:20] Do you have any preference which chart is on which side?
[5:35] I have the first chart placed on your right and the second one on your left.
[5:46] We have a couple minutes.
[5:53] First, show the right and the first on the left.
[5:54] I'll show them to you.
[5:55] Well, I'll start.
[5:56] All right.
[5:56] Remember, after the first chart, it's followed by the second.
[6:02] I only show the first chart at the beginning.
[6:03] From there on, I show the second.
[6:04] All right.
[6:05] I will meet you in, uh, Alex Butterfield's office, 840.
[6:15] About 840, maybe a little, around that, a very little 40.
[6:20] All right.
[6:21] 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.
[6:25] Okay, well, I'll have him there, and we'll be there.
[6:26] About 840 is fine.
[6:27] All right, fine.
[6:27] All right, bye.
[6:28] Bye, Mark.
[6:28] See you later, buddy.