Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 336 › Conversation 336-059
Nixon alone in his EOB office on Vietnam War
Monday, May 8, 1972 · 6:34 PM–7:14 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building
AI Summary
President Richard Nixon met with his staff to rehearse his televised address to the nation regarding the escalation of the Vietnam War. During this session, he reviewed the justification for ordering the mining of North Vietnamese ports and intensified air and naval strikes in response to the communist Easter Offensive. The President emphasized his refusal to abandon South Vietnam and outlined the specific conditions required to end the conflict, including the release of American prisoners of war and an internationally supervised ceasefire.
- Vietnam War
- Mining of North Vietnamese ports
- Easter Offensive
- Prisoners of War
- Public Address
- Foreign Policy
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 02:58:39 into the tape and ends around 03:12:16.
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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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.
2:59:37The guy with the lettering on it, the guy with the silver lettering, he's offered to pay for his shoes.
2:59:49I can't see fire.
2:59:51I agree on all four of them up there.
2:59:57And he doesn't like it because it's just bad.
3:00:06Well, that's the way it is.
3:00:15And frankly, if, under these circumstances, it is wrong, then we just want to get rid of it.
3:00:27That's right.
3:00:35The other thing is that if you got home going on an acid loop and all that stuff, and created all that sort of coverage over there, portions of the food, and I don't know how we'll do that, but I hope it's going to do us well.
3:01:37Good evening.
3:01:38Five weeks ago, on Easter weekend, the Communist Army's North Vietnam launched a massive invasion of South Vietnam, an invasion that was made possible by tanks, artillery, and other advanced defensive weapons deployed at Hanoi by the Soviet Union and other communist nations.
3:01:55South Vietnamese have fought bravely to repel the brutal assault.
3:01:59Casualties on both sides have been high.
3:02:03Most actually, there have been over 20,000 civilian casualties
3:02:07to the women and children of the city, which the North Vietnam needs to show, not disregard for Vietnam.
3:02:12As I announced in my report to the nation 12 days ago, the role of the United States in resisting this invasion has been limited to air and naval strikes and military targets in North and South Vietnam.
3:02:22As I also pointed out in my report, we have responded to North Vietnam's massive military offensive by undertaking wide-ranging new peace efforts aimed at ending the war with negotiation.
3:02:42I sent back to Moscow for four days of meetings with General Secretary Brescian and his Soviet leaders.
3:02:47I instructed him to emphasize our desire for a rapid solution to the war and our willingness to look at all possible approaches.
3:02:53At that time, the Soviet leaders showed an interest in bringing the war to an end and made a suggestion for both sides.
3:02:59They heard presumption of negotiations in Paris and indicated they would use their constructive influence.
3:03:08Based on these assurances,
3:03:09I authorize our prosecutor to meet privately with the top party of police negotiators in October.
3:03:15On Tuesday, May 2nd, the parents, Ambassador Porter Lee Hull, resumed the public peace negotiations with the parents on April 27th and Thursday, May 4th.
3:03:34At those meetings, the public and private
3:03:37All we heard from them was contested reverence and great pleasure for their demand for the ground.
3:03:43For example, at the May 2nd secret meeting, I offered up our opinion to talk about every conceivable avenue toward peace.
3:03:50Anarchy and peace faculty refused to consider any of these proposals.
3:03:54They refused to offer any new approach of their own.
3:03:56Instead, they simply reprobated their previous public demands.
3:03:59Here is where over three years of public and private negotiations with NRIs come down.
3:04:06The United States,
3:04:07We have offered a de-escalation of the fighting.
3:04:11We have offered a de-escalation of the fighting.
3:04:13We have offered a cease-fire to the deadline for withdrawal of all American forces.
3:04:19We have offered a de-escalation of the fighting.
3:04:22We have offered new elections to be international supervised with the Communists participating both in the supervisory bodies and in the elections themselves.
3:04:37President Thieu has offered to resign one month before the elections.
3:04:40We have offered an exchange of prisoners and a ratio of 10 North Vietnamese prisoners for every one American prisoner.
3:04:48North Vietnam has met each of these offers with insolence and insolence.
3:04:53They have flatly and arrogantly refused to negotiate an end to the war on British peace.
3:04:58Their answer to every peace offer we have made has been to escalate the war
3:05:09In two weeks alone, since I offered to resume negotiations, Hanoi has launched three new offensives.
3:05:15In these two weeks, the risk to the communist government may be as low as 70 to 50 feet for South Vietnam has increased.
3:05:21And the communist offensive has now reached the point that it greatly threatens the lives of 60,000 American troops still in Vietnam.
3:05:30There are only two issues left for us in this war.
3:05:33First, to face the massive invasion, we stand by.
3:05:37jeopardize the lives of 60,000 Americans who have been in South Vietnam so long for the term.
3:05:40This will not happen.
3:05:41We should do whatever is required to safeguard American lives and American lives.
3:05:45Second, in the face of continuing transitions in the Congress table, if we join with our enemy to install a communist government in South Vietnam, this too will not happen.
3:05:58We will not cross the line.
3:06:04We now have a clear, hard choice on three courses of action.
3:06:08Immediate withdrawal of all armed forces, continued attempts at negotiation, or decisive military action in the war.
3:06:14I know that many Americans favor the first course of action.
3:06:20They believe that the way to end the war is for the United States to get out and remove the threat of our remaining troops by simply withdrawing them.
3:06:25The political spectrum of this would be an easy choice for me to accept.
3:06:31I did not send over one half, over one half,
3:06:35I have about 500,000 homes in Vietnam, as I can promise.
3:06:40But abandoning our commitment to Vietnam here and now would mean turning 17 million South Vietnamese over to communist territory.
3:06:47It would mean leaving hundreds of American prisoners in communist hands with no bargaining language to get their release.
3:06:54An America that beat Vietnam would encourage this kind of aggression all over the world.
3:06:58Aggression in which small nations, armed by their neighbor allies, could be tempted to attack neighboring nations as well.
3:07:05World peace would be raved up.
3:07:07The second course of action is to keep on trying to negotiate a 7-7.
3:07:10This is the course we have preferred to begin.
3:07:12We shall continue to pursue it.
3:07:13We shall continue to pursue it.
3:07:17This is the course we have
3:07:27We have made every reason of the law and tried every possible path for ending this war with the Congress of Vietnam.
3:07:34The problem is that it takes two to negotiate.
3:07:38And now, and throughout the past four years, that our Vietnamese arrogantly refuse to negotiate anything but an imposition by the United States of a continent regime on 70 million people in South Vietnam who do not want a Congress of Vietnam.
3:07:52It is plain what appears to be a choice among three persons of action in the United States, but really no choice at all.
3:07:58The killing in this tragic war must stop.
3:08:00By simply getting out, we will only worsen the plunge.
3:08:04Our armed soldier negotiations will give an intransigent enemy the time he needs to suppress aggression in the battlefield.
3:08:09Only one way to stop the killing, that is to keep the weapons of war out of the hands of the international outlaws in our people.
3:08:20Throughout the war, the United States has exercised a degree of restraint unprecedented in the hours of war.
3:08:26That was our responsibility as a great nation, a nation which is interested, as America is always, in peace, not in conflict.
3:08:42However, when the enemy abandons all the strength, throws its whole army into battle, and refuses to negotiate, we face a new situation.
3:08:52These circumstances
3:08:54With the 60,000 iron truck, any president who failed to act precisely would have betrayed the trust of his country and the cause of peace.
3:09:02I have therefore concluded that Hamlet must be denied the weapon, supplies, and needs to continue the aggression.
3:09:07Full constant coordination with the Republic of Vietnam, I have ordered to follow the measures which are being implemented as I am speaking to you.
3:09:17All entrances to North Vietnam and its ports will be monitored to prevent access to these ports and North Vietnam and these naval operations from these ports.
3:09:27United States forces have been directed to take appropriate measures within the internal and plain territorial waters of North Vietnam to litigate and deliver this alarm.
3:09:35Rail and all other communications will be cut off to the maximum extent possible.
3:09:44air and naval strikes against military targets in North Vietnam.
3:09:47These actions are not directed against any other nation.
3:09:52Countries with ships presently in North Vietnam's ports have been notified that their ships will have three daylight periods to leave for phase eight.
3:09:58After that, the mines will become active and any ships that have to leave or enter these ports will resort to no arrests.
3:10:13The war will cease.
3:10:14following conditions for that.
3:10:17First, all American prisoners of war must be returned.
3:10:20Second, there must be an international supervised ceasefire throughout the country.
3:10:25Once the prisoners of war are released, and once the international supervised ceasefire has begun, we will stop all acts of military force throughout the country.
3:10:35At that time, we will proceed with a complete withdrawal of all American forces to Vietnam within four months.
3:10:42These are terms which would not require the surrender and humiliation of more than any other.
3:10:46They would permit the United States to withdraw the honor.
3:10:49They would end the killing and bring our POWs home.
3:10:52They would allow negotiations on a political settlement between the Vietnamese themselves.
3:10:56They would permit all the nations which have suffered in this long war, Cambodia, Laos, North Vietnam, South Vietnam, to turn at last to the urgent works of healing and peace.
3:11:06They deserve immediate acceptance by North Vietnam.
3:11:11Your people have already suffered too much in your pursuit of confidence.
3:11:24Do not compound their agony with continued arrogance.
3:11:35Choose instead the path of a
3:11:37that redeems your sacrifices, guarantees true independence, and pushes you into the era of reconciliation.
3:11:44To the people of South Vietnam, you shall continue to have our firm support in your resistance against aggression.
3:11:49It is your spirit that will determine the outcome of the battle.
3:11:52It is your will that will shape the future of Vietnam.
3:11:58To other nations, especially those which are allied with North Vietnam, the actions I have announced tonight are not directed against you.
3:12:05Their sole purpose is to protect the lives of 60,000 Americans who would be gravely endangered in the event that the communist offensive continues to rule over them under the empty imposition of a communist government by brutal aggression among nations of the United States.
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 336-059 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 336-59 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”. [See Public Papers of the Presidents, Richard M. Nixon, 1972, pp. 583-587]
Also recorded on May 8, 1972
- 336-050 6:14 PM · 45 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.
- 336-057 6:34 PM · 7 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.
- 336-058 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.
- 336-060 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 · 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 6:34 pm and 7:14 pm.
- 336-062 6:34 PM · 35 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.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 336-059, 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/336-059 (accessed September 18, 2026).