Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 318 › Conversation 318-024

Nixon & Haldeman on Vietnam War and Edmund Muskie

Wednesday, February 2, 1972 · 2:50 PM–3:03 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation318-024 on Tape 318 (tape position 02:32:26–02:35:20)StartWednesday, February 2, 1972 at 2:50 PMEndWednesday, February 2, 1972 at 3:03 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 318-024 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon directed H. R. Haldeman to coordinate with Patrick Buchanan on a strategy to attack Edmund Muskie’s criticisms of the administration’s Vietnam peace proposal. Nixon sought to deflect political pressure by highlighting Muskie’s past support for Lyndon B. Johnson’s war policies, which he argued led to increased casualties and stagnant negotiations. The President tasked Buchanan with drafting talking points that shift blame for the prolonged conflict onto the Democratic Party’s previous leadership.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 2 minutes of this recording (about 73% of it) is represented by only a few words. Listen to the audio rather than relying on the text below; a corrected transcript is queued.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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We're at the Hall of Explorers.

Discussion of the canon.

That must depend on our peace proposal.

For us to nail in hard on a number of fronts.

That's probably the only one we can.

right to the public's point of our speech.

So, among those, I'm going to come to the conclusion that not necessarily an orderly priority, that our development as well as those who got us into this war are sadly not

to get us out.

Muskie got the nomination for Vice President on the basis of a very strong speech to the Democratic National Party in 1968, totally supporting the Johnson War Policy.

That policy was one in which American casualties went up in a group of Americans.

Vietnam went up.

And no peace lines.

Forever.

And no progress has been made.

And the Russian table in Paris has got the shape of the table.

And the progress is fine.

And we can go.

And there's another way to do it.

Hold a moment.

Wait a little bit.

Hold a moment.

Throughout the mission.

And we've got a credit to get to.

And in fact, that was the only option we were given.

I'll use the base test test.

If they want to go shooting in New Orleans next week, they will get a better deal by the end of the month.

The problem with this is that the longer we wait, the more people will be killed in Vietnam, and the longer I feel government is going to be out of the country tonight.

NARA Description

On February 2, 1972, 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 2:50 pm and 3:03 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 318-024 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 318-24

Date: February 2, 1972
Time: Unknown between 2:50 pm and 3:03 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President dictated a memorandum to H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.

     Haldeman's forthcoming discussion with Patrick J. Buchanan

     US peace plan proposal for Vietnam
          -Edmund S. Muskie's statement
               -Administration attack
                     -Buchanan
                           -Talking points or speech
                     -Democrats' responsibility for war
                           -Lyndon B. Johnson's policy
                                 -Muskie's vice presidential nomination in 1968
                                 -US casualties
                                 -Negotiations
                                       -Lack of progress
          -Negotiations
               -Michael J. Mansfield
               -Editorial opinion
               -Muskie's statement
                     -Effect
                           -Casualties
                           -Prisoners of war [POWs]

[Continued as Conversation No. 318-27]

Also recorded on February 2, 1972

020-030 3:03 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 3:03 pm to 3:06 pm.
318-025 3:03 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:03 pm to 3:06 pm.
020-031 3:06 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:06 pm and 3:17 pm.
318-026 3:06 PM · 9 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 3:06 pm and 3:17 pm.
318-027 3:06 PM · 4 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 3:06 pm and 3:17 pm.
318-028 3:06 PM · 7 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 3:06 pm and 3:17 pm.
318-029 3:06 PM · 1 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 3:06 pm and 3:17 pm.
318-030 3:06 PM · 6 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 3:06 pm and 3:17 pm.

All 71 conversations from February 2, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 318-024, February 2, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/318-024 (accessed October 12, 2026).