Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 336 › Conversation 336-045

Nixon alone in his EOB office on Southeast Asia and Public relations

Monday, May 8, 1972 · 5:55 PM–6:09 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 5 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President)Conversation336-045 on Tape 336 (tape position 02:22:08–02:26:48)StartMonday, May 8, 1972 at 5:55 PMEndMonday, May 8, 1972 at 6:09 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 336-045 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon held a working session to rehearse his upcoming televised address regarding the escalating situation in Southeast Asia. The conversation focused on managing the President's schedule and physical exhaustion leading up to the speech and surrounding public engagements. Nixon decided to limit his involvement in cabinet meetings and conventions to brief appearances to conserve energy for his national broadcast.

Audio

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Position in tape: 02:22:08 – 02:26:48

part B, 18:47

336a.mp3

336b.mp3

336c.mp3

NARA Description

On May 8, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:55 pm and 6:09 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 336-045 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 336-45

Date: May 8, 1972
Time: Unknown between 5:55 and 6:09 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President rehearsed his “Address to the Nation on the Situation in Southeast Asia”.

[This is a continuation of Conversation No. 336-34]

[See Public Papers of the Presidents, Richard M. Nixon, 1972, pp. 583-587]

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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You know, on the cabinet meeting and the convention, I don't think I ought to do it any much more than to come in and sit down there and put up somebody else's brief.

You know, for me to sit around and react as though I'd be rather tired as if I don't have any issues going on.

So it's all spent, and I'll just turn over to more other briefs, and I'll leave.

That's what it should look like.

All right.

Come on, Kurt.

— 1 min 10 s with no transcribed speech —

Also recorded on May 8, 1972

336-040 5:54 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 5:54 pm to 5:55 pm.
336-041 5:55 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:55 pm and 6:09 pm.
336-042 5:55 PM · 2 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 5:55 pm and 6:09 pm.
336-043 5:55 PM · 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 5:55 pm and 6:09 pm.
336-044 5:55 PM · 59 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 5:55 pm and 6:09 pm.
336-046 5:55 PM · 48 sec — 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 5:55 pm and 6:09 pm.
336-047 5:55 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:55 pm and 6:09 pm.
336-048 5:55 PM · 25 sec — 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 5:55 pm and 6:09 pm.

All 118 conversations from May 8, 1972 →

Nixon alone in his EOB office on Speech rehearsal and Political strategy April 7, 1971 · 2 min
Nixon alone in his EOB office on Vietnam War and Vietnamization April 7, 1971 · 4 min
Nixon alone in his EOB office on Economic policy and Speech rehearsal August 15, 1971 · 1 min
Nixon alone in his EOB office on Speech rehearsal and Public speaking October 21, 1971 · 7 min
Nixon alone in his EOB office on Speech rehearsal and Public policy October 21, 1971 · 8 min
Nixon alone in his EOB office on Speech rehearsal and Public relations October 21, 1971 · 2 min

Cite this conversation

Conversation 336-045, May 8, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/336-045 (accessed November 2, 2026).