Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 332 › Conversation 332-029

Nixon & Butterfield on Congressional relations and Vietnam War policy

Tuesday, April 25, 1972 · 10:40 AM–10:45 AM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Butterfield, Alexander P.Conversation332-029 on Tape 332 (tape position 03:03:03–03:04:12)StartTuesday, April 25, 1972 at 10:40 AMEndTuesday, April 25, 1972 at 10:45 AMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 332-029 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with Alexander P. Butterfield to coordinate logistics for an upcoming dinner with congressmen. The discussion focused on finalizing the guest list, specifically addressing invitations for Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird, Donald Rumsfeld, and former representative Clark MacGregor. The participants also reviewed drafting edits for a speech regarding Vietnam policy, emphasizing the administration's stance against communist aggression and the necessity of preventing future conflicts.

Audio

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Position in tape: 03:03:03 – 03:04:12

part B, 1:03:41

332a.mp3

332b.mp3

332c.mp3

NARA Description

On April 25, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 10:40 am to 10:45 am. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 332-029 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 332-29

Date: April 25, 1972
Time: 10:40 am - 10:45 am
Location: Old Executive Office Building

The President met with Alexander P. Butterfield.

     The President's schedule
          -Dinner for congressmen
               -Melvin R. Laird
                      -Invitation
               -Guest list
               -Donald H. Rumsfeld
               -Former congressmen
                      -Clark MacGregor

Butterfield left at 10:45 am.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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I would include layers.

The former congressman should come.

All right.

Can I ask him to come after?

Russ Bell, no.

Russ Bell should come as the former congressman.

All right, good.

Former congressman that are on the line.

McGregor, maybe both of you.

Thank you.

The cost of winning an election is much too high.

The cost of winning an election is much too high if the price is that America loses.

No man who sits in this office can act in a way that weakens the presidency of the United States.

The United States is the most powerful nation in the great world.

We made our mistakes in foreign policy.

But through our eternal credit in this century, we have never started a war.

We have always used our power.

Also recorded on April 25, 1972

332-023 10:05 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 10:05 am and 10:40 am.
332-024 10:05 AM · 38 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 10:05 am and 10:40 am.
332-030 10:45 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 10:45 am and 10:50 am.
332-031 10:45 AM · 12 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 10:45 am and 10:50 am.
332-032 10:45 AM · 15 sec — 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 10:45 am and 10:50 am.
332-033 10:45 AM · 30 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 10:45 am and 10:50 am.
332-034 10:45 AM · 1 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 10:45 am and 10:50 am.
332-035 10:50 AM · 1 hr 46 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Ronald L. Ziegler, Manolo Sanchez, unknown person(s), White House operator, Henry A. Kissinger, and John K. Andrews, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 10:50 am to 12:50 pm.

All 56 conversations from April 25, 1972 →

Nixon phone call with Colson on Economic indicators and Vietnam War policy April 14, 1971 · 13 min
Nixon phone call with Gubser on Paul J. McCloskey Jr. and Laos bombing June 23, 1971 · 2 min
Nixon, Dent & Scott on Drug abuse prevention and Vietnam War policy June 15, 1971 · 1 hr 52 min
Nixon, Colson & Kissinger on White House strategy and Congressional relations January 4, 1973 · 34 min
Nixon, Casselman & Timmons on Vietnam War policy and Congressional relations June 28, 1971 · 3 min
Nixon, Kissinger & Scott on Budgetary legislation and Vietnam War policy November 12, 1971 · 16 min

Cite this conversation

Conversation 332-029, April 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/332-029 (accessed November 3, 2026).