Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 281 › Conversation 281-005

Nixon alone in his EOB office on Speech rehearsal and Public speaking

Thursday, October 21, 1971 · 8:30 AM–9:33 AM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 7 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President)Conversation281-005 on Tape 281 (tape position 00:23:11–00:29:58)StartThursday, October 21, 1971 at 8:30 AMEndThursday, October 21, 1971 at 9:33 AMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 281-005 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon utilized time in his Executive Office Building suite to refine and rehearse a forthcoming address. He recorded his practice remarks, reviewing the delivery and content to ensure the speech was prepared for final broadcast. This session focused on polishing the rhetoric intended for a national audience regarding significant policy decisions.

Audio

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This clip was extracted from the full tape recording by Easy Nixon.

Listen to the full tape segment

Position in tape: 00:23:11 – 00:29:58

281a.mp3
281b.mp3
281c.mp3

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Okay.
The fight was made by a friend.
The President of the United States, when he is in office.
The most important appointments.
Before your turn.
The President of the United States makes an average of over 5,000 appointments.
various positions, the various government positions.
By far the most important appointments he makes are those to the Supreme Court of the United States.
For that reason, I would like to share with you tonight my reasons for naming
Selecting two individuals.
Two individuals from the card.
that I will be sending to the Senate tomorrow, where I approve her sentence, these words.
And the president's come and gone, but the court, through its decisions,
gone forever.
But the Supreme Court, through its decision, affects the presidents and all Americans for generations to come.
This has come and gone.
But the Supreme Court, through its decision,
goes on forever.
They will be making decisions that will affect your lives and the lives of your children for generations to come.
I'd like to share with you tonight my reasons for naming the two names, or for naming the two individuals.
My reason is for selecting the two outstanding individuals whose names I will select in Senate law for their approving.
For appointing to the Supreme Court the two outstanding individuals whose names I will select in Senate law for their confirmation law.
to the Senate tomorrow for their confirmation.
That's what I should do.
As you might imagine.
So, there's not just a great majority, but actually presidents and all Americans for generations to come.
And actually, the president said, all Americans, for generations to come.
And actually, we just have these words.
You guys, there's a problem that's gotta go.
This is what goes on forever, right?
and that the Supreme Court, through its decisions, goes on forever.
We will make decisions which will affect your lives and the lives of your children for generations to come.
I should like to share with you tonight my reasons for selecting officials whose names
I am nominated for the basis of the Supreme Court, whose names I will send to the Senate tomorrow for confirmation.
Over the past two months,
scores of outstanding lawyers, the names of scores of outstanding lawyers from all over the country.
Over the past two months, I have received thousands of letters from all over the country urging me to apply.
Exceptional ability.
Exceptional quality.
Over the past two... Over the past two months.

NARA Description

On October 21, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 8:30 am and 9:33 am. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 281-005 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 281-5

Date: October 21, 1971
Time: Unknown between 8:30 am and 9:33 am
Location: Executive Office Building

The President rehearsed a speech.

[A transcript of the final broadcast of this speech appears in Public Papers of the Presidents,
Richard M. Nixon, 1971, pp. 1053-1057]

The President replayed his remarks on a tape recorder.

Also recorded on October 21, 1971

  • 281-001 8:20 AM · 10 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Patrick J. Buchanan met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 8:20 am to 8:30 am.
  • 281-002 8:30 AM · 34 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 8:30 am and 9:33 am.
  • 281-003 8:30 AM · 3 min — 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 8:30 am and 9:33 am.
  • 281-004 8:30 AM · 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 8:30 am and 9:33 am.
  • 281-006 8:30 AM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 8:30 am and 9:33 am.
  • 012-027 9:33 AM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 9:33 am.
  • 012-028 9:33 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John N. Mitchell talked on the telephone from 9:33 am to 9:39 am.
  • 281-007 9:33 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John N. Mitchell met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 9:33 am to 9:39 am.

All 107 conversations from October 21, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 281-005, October 21, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/281-005 (accessed October 12, 2026).