Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 336 › Conversation 336-057

Nixon alone in his EOB office on Vietnam War and Mining of Haiphong Harbor

Monday, May 8, 1972 · 6:34 PM–7:14 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 8 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President)Conversation336-057 on Tape 336 (tape position 02:49:14–02:56:39)StartMonday, May 8, 1972 at 6:34 PMEndMonday, May 8, 1972 at 7:14 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 336-057 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon rehearsed his televised "Address to the Nation on the Situation in Southeast Asia," during which he planned to announce the mining of North Vietnamese harbors and the interdiction of rail lines. The discussion focused on refining the speech's tone and delivery, particularly addressing concerns about congressional reception and public perception of his war policies. The President articulated the strategic conditions for the cessation of these military actions, including the return of prisoners of war and a ceasefire, while explicitly signaling the move to the Soviet Union.

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Position in tape: 02:49:14 – 02:56:39

part A, 2:01:09

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 6:34 pm and 7:14 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 336-057 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 336-57

Date: May 8, 1972
Time: Unknown between 6:34 and 7:14 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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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That way, too, it's consistent with what you've done previously with that discrepancy.
But I'll be happy to do it after that.
Well, we may have, because time goes on, we may get quite a few murderers.
and go on something live at night or something like that.
That's all we have time for.
We'll go live.
You know, it's an interesting thing.
I think...
of how history repeats itself.
And the DC-151, remember the Campbell-Ross, who made it through to the Captain-Eleven, huh?
You know, in terms of rockets and wires.
But I mean, they put me through.
November 3rd, they put me through.
And of course, the DC-151.
But November 3rd, I don't know.
Well, Cambodia, it was unbelievable.
This time we can't even imagine.
Well, he says,
Well, it's a matter of distinction.
Well, I think these positions would only work if you could get out of here once and for all.
Well, this will be a hard delivery.
The cotton has to go past here.
Well, I will do it.
Cool, and I'll be moving forward.
Throughout the war in Vietnam, the United States has exercised a degree of restraint, an unprecedented amount of war, and our responsibility as a great nation is to introduce America as a whole, and peace, not a conquest.
However, when the enemy abandons all its strength, it throws its whole army into battle on the territory of its neighbor, and it leads to a situation in which it is a loose situation.
In a certain sense,
60,000 iron, 30,000 steel, and that necessity would be created because of the strength of the process.
And therefore, the panel must be denied the right to supply the people with the experience.
The World War II nation republic did not.
I order to follow the measures which are being implemented in my state.
All images from our B&M sports will be mined.
They'll have access to these sports.
Our B&M is a stable operation of these sports.
United States forces have been directed to take further measures to build an internal and long-term forward water to North Vietnam, and to get to the North African supplies.
Rail and all other indicators have been cut off to the maximum extent possible.
There are a number of military targets in North Vietnam over the years.
These actions are not directed against our military.
Countries with ships presently in our military sports and other bodies are scheduled on three day-line journeys to leave the city.
After that time, the lines of combat, enemy ships, and heavy artillery or air elite support will lose all of their openness.
The actions I have ordered will cease in the following conditions of act.
First, all unarmed prisoners of war must be returned.
Second, there must be an intervention to provide ceasefire throughout the entire act.
Once president of the border police wants the intervention to provide ceasefire throughout, we will stop all unarmed prisoners of war throughout the entire act.
And at that time, we will proceed with a complete withdrawal of all American forces from Vietnam before us.
These are terms which do not require us to remember them.
They would prevent the United States from withdrawing them.
They would have to kill them.
They would have to do it every time.
They would have a lot of negotiations with the political center.
They would have to do it every time.
They would permit all the nations which have suffered this long war.
In turn, it would have to urge the working communities
Your people have suffered too much in your pursuit of conquest.
Do not compare any of your continued arrogance to the steadfast path of a peace that redeems your sacrifice and scares the peace to an event that must be definitely run out of reconciliation.
Your people have suffered enough.
We shall continue to have our firm support in the resistance against aggression.
It is your spirit that will be turned down on the island.
It is your will that will shape the future of your country.
Third to other nations, especially those which are allied with North Carolina, the actions I have announced tonight are directed against you.
Their sole purpose is to protect the lives of 60,000 Americans who have been greatly endangered in the event of communist advances between the two of them, and to prevent the utilization of a communist government through aggression upon a nation of 75,000.
I particularly direct my comments to the Soviet Union.
We respect the Soviet Union as a great power.
We recognize the right of the Soviet Union to defend its interests from the outside.
The Soviet Union, in turn, has recognized our right to defend our interests.
We expect you to help your allies.
We cannot expect us to do other things than to help our allies.
But let us, among all brave allies, know our allies, only for the purpose of their demands, not for the purpose of launching a invasion against their enemies.
Otherwise, the cause of peace, the cause of the people to have so great a say, will be served to the end.
Our two nations, our nation and our province, and our negotiations,
We are now in nature of greatness, on nuclear arms, on trade, and on a host of other issues.
Let us not slide back through the dark shadows of our previous age.
You might ask me to sacrifice your president for your life, but neither should you, for many annals and tragedies have allowed the prospects to be together, not so patiently betrayed.

Also recorded on May 8, 1972

  • 336-050 6:14 PM · 48 sec — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:14 pm and 6:22 pm.
  • 336-056 6:22 PM · 10 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 6:22 pm to 6:34 pm.
  • 336-058 6:34 PM · 2 min — 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 6:34 pm and 7:14 pm.
  • 336-059 6:34 PM · 14 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:34 pm and 7:14 pm.
  • 336-060 6:34 PM · 18 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 6:34 pm and 7:14 pm.
  • 336-061 6:34 PM · 28 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 6:34 pm and 7:14 pm.
  • 336-062 6:34 PM · 38 sec — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:34 pm and 7:14 pm.
  • 336-063 6:34 PM · 42 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 6:34 pm and 7:14 pm.

All 118 conversations from May 8, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 336-057, 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/336-057 (accessed November 2, 2026).