Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 332 › Conversation 332-034

Nixon with unidentified visitors in his EOB office on Vietnam War

Tuesday, April 25, 1972 · 10:45 AM–10:50 AM ET · Old Executive Office Building

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); [Unknown person(s)]Conversation332-034 on Tape 332 (tape position 03:07:49–03:08:57)StartTuesday, April 25, 1972 at 10:45 AMEndTuesday, April 25, 1972 at 10:50 AMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 332-034 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and an unidentified associate review draft remarks for a speech concerning the Vietnam War. The discussion focuses on refining the rhetoric surrounding the necessity of avoiding a humiliating American withdrawal to maintain the global standing and prestige of the presidency. Nixon emphasizes the strategic importance of his upcoming diplomatic travel to Moscow and the necessity of preventing actions that would irreparably weaken the nation's influence in global peace negotiations.

Audio

Download MP3 (part 1) · 111.9 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 111.7 MB ·Download MP3 (part 3) · 111.8 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 03:07:49 into the tape and ends around 03:08:57.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

· Timestamps are positions within the full tape recording.
3:06:46The cost of winning an election is much too high.
3:06:53The cost of winning an election is much too high if the price is that America loses.
3:07:01No man who sits in this office can act in a way that weakens the presidency of the United States.
3:07:08The United States is the most powerful nation in the great world.
3:07:15We made our mistakes in foreign policy.
3:07:17But to our eternal credit, in this century, we have never started a war.
3:07:21We have always used our power, freedom, not to destroy it.
3:07:38America, if the United States leaves Vietnam defeated and humiliated,
3:07:44The power we have exerted for peace on so many occasions would be irreparably weak.
3:07:48I agree.
3:07:50Later this year, I travel to be king on a historic journey for peace.
3:07:57Next month, I shall travel to Moscow on what I hope will also be a journey for peace.
3:08:04In all the countries I have visited,
3:08:09I have found great respect for the office of President of the United States.
3:08:18I do not know who will be in this office years ahead.
3:08:35That is a decision that you, the American people, must make, will make.
3:08:42But I do know that future presidents will travel the nations abroad and transfer peace, as I have.
3:08:51If the United States leaves Vietnam humiliated and defeated, the President of the United States
3:09:03...will not preserve or receive the respect which is essential for the United States to play the great role we are destined to play in helping to build a new structure of peace in the world for generations to come.

NARA Description

On April 25, 1972, 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. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 332-034 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 332-34

Date: April 25, 1972
Time: Unknown between 10:45 am and 10:50 am
Location: Old Executive Office Building

The President talked with an unknown person.

     Vietnam
          -The President's speech
               -Deletions
               -Troop withdrawals
                     -Previous troop levels
               -Passage
                     -Insertion

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.
  • 332-029 10:40 AM · 1 min — 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.
  • 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 · 12 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.
  • 332-035 10:50 AM · 1 hr 47 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.
  • 023-059 11:20 AM · 2 min — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, President Richard M. Nixon, and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:20 am and 12:00 pm.

All 54 conversations from April 25, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 332-034, 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/332-034 (accessed October 12, 2026).