Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 316 › Conversation 316-015

Nixon & Cox on Vietnam War and Public relations

Tuesday, January 25, 1972 · 5:30 PM–5:32 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Cox, Tricia NixonConversation316-015 on Tape 316 (tape position 02:37:37–02:38:43)StartTuesday, January 25, 1972 at 5:30 PMEndTuesday, January 25, 1972 at 5:32 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 316-015 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon practices a speech with his daughter, Tricia Nixon Cox, regarding his administration's peace proposals for the Vietnam War. The discussion focuses on articulating the President's commitment to protecting U.S. forces while justifying his pursuit of a negotiated end to the conflict. Nixon emphasizes the need for national unity in support of his peace plan, explicitly addressing skepticism toward the government's credibility.

Audio

Download MP3 (part 1) · 111.7 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 61.0 MB

This conversation has not yet been cut into its own clip, so the player above contains the full tape segment shared with neighbouring conversations. It begins about 02:37:37 into the tape and ends around 02:38:43.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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2:37:37If the enemy's answer to our peaceful plan is to step up, step up their attacks, I shall be my, step up their attacks.
2:37:40I shall fully meet my responsibility as commander-in-chief of our armed forces to protect our remaining forces.
2:37:50If our peace offer is to step up their military attacks, I shall fully take my responsibility as commander-in-chief of our armed forces to protect our remaining forces.
2:38:01We do not prefer this course of action.
2:38:03We want to end the war, not only for America, but for all people under the China.
2:38:08The plan I have proposed tonight accomplishes that goal.
2:38:11Some of our citizens have become impressed with the thinking that whatever our government says must be false and whatever our enemies say must be true.
2:38:18The record I reveal tonight reveals the contrary.
2:38:21We can now demonstrate publicly what we have long been demonstrated prior.
2:38:26And America has taken the initiative, not only to end our participation in the war, but to end the war itself.
2:38:35This has been the longest, most difficult war in our history.
2:38:38Honest and patriotic Americans have disagreed as to whether we should have become involved at all nine years ago, and there has been disagreement on the content of the war.
2:38:48The proposal I have made tonight is one on which we can all agree.
2:38:52Let us unite now in our search for peace, a peace that is fair to both sides, a peace that can last.

NARA Description

On January 25, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Tricia Nixon Cox met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 5:30 pm to 5:32 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 316-015 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 316-15

Date: January 25, 1972
Time: 5:30 pm - 5:32 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with Tricia Nixon Cox.

[See Conversation No. 19-60; one item has been withdrawn from the conversation]

Also recorded on January 25, 1972

  • 019-059 4:36 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:36 pm and 5:30 pm.
  • 316-011 4:36 PM · 53 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 4:36 pm and 5:30 pm.
  • 316-012 4:36 PM · 16 min — President Richard M. Nixon, unknown person(s), and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:36 pm and 5:30 pm.
  • 316-013 4:36 PM · 15 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:36 pm and 5:30 pm.
  • 019-060 5:30 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Tricia Nixon Cox talked on the telephone from 5:30 pm to 5:32 pm.
  • 316-016 5:32 PM · 16 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:32 pm and 6:32 pm.
  • 316-017 5:32 PM · 27 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 5:32 pm and 6:32 pm.
  • 316-018 5:32 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, Marjorie P. Acker, White House operator, and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:32 pm and 6:32 pm.

All 29 conversations from January 25, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 316-015, January 25, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/316-015 (accessed September 26, 2026).