Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 301 › Conversation 301-020

Nixon & Kissinger on Vietnam War and Presidential speech

Wednesday, November 3, 1971 · 2:45 PM–3:00 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.Conversation301-020 on Tape 301 (tape position 04:19:49–04:21:46)StartWednesday, November 3, 1971 at 2:45 PMEndWednesday, November 3, 1971 at 3:00 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 301-020 ↗

President Nixon and Henry Kissinger reflect on the second anniversary of Nixon’s November 3, 1969, speech regarding the Vietnam War, assessing its long-term political significance and role in stabilizing a deteriorating situation. The discussion touches upon the endurance required during their tenure and briefly incorporates a favorable perspective from Clare Boothe Luce concerning the administration's current trajectory. No formal policy decisions were made during this brief retrospective exchange.

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I should finish.
Fine, how'd it go?
Yeah.
Okay, fine, fine.
Anything else of interest at the moment?
Just looking at the date.
Reminded me it was two years ago we did the November 3rd speech.
Sir?
Hasn't the time gone?
We've sweated out a lot since then.
Oh, boy.
They will anyway, but nevertheless, it's a little hard.
But the November 3rd thing, I must say, in terms of the presidential election, that had to be done.
And it saved the church.
deteriorating situation.
Yeah, probably, yeah.
Yeah, she's... Sure, so is I.
She's thrilled, doesn't she, Henry?
Yeah, I do.
Yeah.
And she sees that we have to do something to move things along.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Well, that's fine.
That's fine.
Okay.
Thank you.

On November 3, 1971, 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 2:45 pm and 3:00 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 301-020 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 301-20

Date: November 3, 1971
Time: Unknown between 2:45 pm and 3:00 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with Henry A. Kissinger.
     Kissinger's schedule

     The President's November 3, 1969 speech
          -Value

     Clare Boothe Luce
  • 013-101 2:39 PM · 22 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 2:39 pm.
  • 301-017 2:39 PM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 2:39 pm.
  • 301-018 2:39 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:39 pm and 2:44 pm.
  • 013-102 2:44 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Frank S. Farley talked on the telephone from 2:44 pm to 2:45 pm.
  • 301-019 2:44 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Frank S. Farley met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:44 pm to 2:45 pm.
  • 013-103 2:45 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:45 pm and 3:00 pm.
  • 301-021 2:45 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:45 pm and 3:00 pm.
  • 301-022 2:45 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:45 pm and 3:00 pm.

Conversation 301-020, November 3, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/301-020 (accessed September 30, 2026).