Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 336 › Conversation 336-047

Nixon alone in his EOB office on Vietnam War and Public relations

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

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President)Conversation336-047 onTape 336 (tape position 02:27:33–02:29:28)StartMonday, May 8, 1972 at 5:55 PMEndMonday, May 8, 1972 at 6:09 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 336-047 ↗

AI Summary

President Richard Nixon rehearsed his upcoming television address regarding the situation in Southeast Asia to refine the delivery of his policy message. He emphasized the necessity of maintaining American commitments in Vietnam, focusing on the potential consequences of withdrawal, including the risks to remaining American service members and prisoners of war. The discussion functioned as a final preparation session to ensure the gravity and clarity of his public explanation for the administration's strategic decisions.

Audio

Download MP3 (part 1) · 112.6 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 112.3 MB ·Download MP3 (part 3) · 49.5 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 02:27:33 into the tape and ends around 02:29:28.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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

2:27:33But abandoning our commitment to Vietnam here now would mean turning over to some people in South Korea to be able to come and share it with the Kurds.
2:27:36We would risk the lives of 60,000 Americans who risked going to Vietnam.
2:27:39It would mean leaving hundreds of American prisoners.
2:27:40It's not the same.
2:27:41We've all worried about it.
2:27:42We've got to do this.
2:27:43And the American people of Vietnam would encourage this kind of progression all over again.
2:28:29And now, let's go back to what we were talking about.
2:28:36And now, let's go back to what we were talking about.
2:29:33You're not doing well.
2:29:35There's one thing on my rating page, and I have driven out.
2:29:50You may not have driven out.
2:29:57You're not doing well.
2:30:04No, not until after it's over.
2:30:05I didn't have a deal with the guy who was going to close it, so it's fine.

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 336-047 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 336-47

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]

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 · 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 5:55 pm and 6:09 pm.
  • 336-044 5:55 PM · 56 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.
  • 336-045 5:55 PM · 5 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.
  • 336-046 5:55 PM · 45 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.
  • 336-048 5:55 PM · 22 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 94 conversations from May 8, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 336-047, 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/336-047 (accessed September 18, 2026).