Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 336 › Conversation 336-068
Nixon alone in his EOB office on Vietnam War and Public Speaking
Monday, May 8, 1972 · 7:25 PM–8:04 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building
AI Summary
President Richard Nixon utilized this time to rehearse his televised "Address to the Nation on the Situation in Southeast Asia." The speech draft outlined the ongoing conflict, criticizing North Vietnam's invasion and their refusal to negotiate in good faith despite American peace proposals. Nixon articulated the necessity of his decision to continue military efforts to protect remaining U.S. troops and prevent a communist takeover of South Vietnam.
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 03:25:31 into the tape and ends around 03:38:21.
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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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.
3:26:57Yeah, good, good.
3:26:57Well, that's all we need.
3:27:26They're not relevant to their problem.
3:27:30Okay, fine.
3:27:31Good evening.
3:27:33My name is...
3:27:56Tell him that he is the Lord.
3:27:58And he called me as all of these people are in place.
3:28:07Not a lot, but they are.
3:28:10You understand what I'm talking about?
3:28:12Yeah.
3:28:12And they're all in place.
3:28:14And they want me to call them.
3:28:16And they're all going to send me right over now.
3:28:30Five weeks ago on this weekend, the Communist Party was in North Vietnam launching a massive invasion of South Vietnam.
3:28:35The invasion was made possible by a tag for a total of 100 advanced domestic weapons, a lie down on Minnesota's border, and other communist nations.
3:28:39South Vietnam needs a more brave group to repel this brutal assault.
3:28:42The Japanese on both sides have been armed.
3:28:43Most traction has occurred in over 20,000 civilian conditions, including for children.
3:28:58As I also pointed out in my report, we have responded to our re-announcement as a military offensive by undertaking wide-ranging retreat centers aimed at ending the war from initiation.
3:29:31We have decided our desire for a rapid solution to the water problem with all possible approaches.
3:29:37At that time, it was only the ratio of energy between the water and the tank.
3:29:41Without a basis just for science, there was resumption of negotiations in Ireland.
3:29:46They indicated they could use their construction.
3:29:49Based on all the chances, Dr. Arndt and Mr. Schroeder privately found more of the evidence of the issue in October.
3:29:56On Tuesday, May 2nd, Mr. Arndt and Mr. Schroeder proposed
3:30:00April 9th, 7th, and April 8th.
3:30:01And that notes me.
3:30:02It's both public and private.
3:30:04All we heard from them was about nasty gravity, and we played with their good hands this morning.
3:30:09For example, the May 7th Super Bowl game, I know I brought it up, and I should give you.
3:30:13Well, about every conceivable matter in the world is, well, the only thing is, by the review, it's here and there.
3:30:21They review for all they can do, according to their own.
3:30:24Instead, they seem to be ready to create in their grievance public good hands.
3:30:29Here's what we're three years on the United States.
3:30:31We have offered two elections.
3:30:32We have offered two elections.
3:31:00We have offered an exchange of prisoners for a ratio of 10 yards of these prisoners for every one of their answers.
3:31:05The argument is that each of these officers is a prisoner.
3:31:08They have flatly and narrowly used the negotiation as a warning to the police.
3:31:12Their answer to every peace offer they've made has been to escalate the law.
3:31:15For two weeks, the law has been set up to defend the negotiations.
3:31:18Now it has launched three new amends.
3:31:27In those two weeks, the risk of an economy disrupting the community of folks is at a greater side than it now is in groups.
3:31:32An economy that hasn't even now reached the point of any greater threat to the lives of 60,000 American troops, we're still going to be about.
3:31:37Only two issues left for us in this war.
3:31:38First, in the face of a massive invasion, we need to stratify and jeopardize the lives of 60,000 Americans, and we need to stop them, and we need to prolong their journey.
3:31:45This is why we should be able to require the same crime after long.
3:31:59Second, the basis between the transition to the Communist Union, where we join with our enemy for the struggle against the government of South Vietnam.
3:32:08This truth is what I have for you.
3:32:11We will not cross the line of generosity and compassion.
3:32:13We now have a clear hearted choice among three courses of action to be given to all the war and enforcement, continued attempts at negotiation, or precisely military action.
3:32:23I know that in America, the state of the world is most powerful.
3:32:28They believe that the way to end the war is to get out.
3:32:32But a bad thing about the day.
3:32:50I would encourage 70 million solidators to vote for Congress, charity, and purity.
3:32:52It would mean that hundreds would have the privilege to be in Congress' hands, with no barricade for them to have a place.
3:32:56I would encourage this kind of aggression all over the world.
3:32:58Aggression of smaller nations, armed by their major elements, to attempt to do the best they can with nations as well.
3:33:01World peace would be a great job.
3:33:02The second cross of action is to keep on trying to do what you're selling.
3:33:18This is the course we've been burdened with in the past.
3:33:21We should continue to pursue it.
3:33:22But we have made every reasonable offer, tried every possible path for him to support the promise.
3:33:26The problem is that it takes two to negotiate.
3:33:27And now, as throughout the past four years, North Vietnam needs arrogant reviewers to negotiate any kind of an imposition on the United States of a common interest regime of 70 million people in South Vietnam.
3:33:33We do not want a common interest regime.
3:33:46that is to keep the weapons of war out of the hands of the international community.
3:34:14about the war in Vietnam.
3:34:14In his case, he said he tried to agree to restrain the president of the Vietnam War.
3:34:17That was our responsibility as a great nation, a nation which is interested in our involvement in peace and non-conflict.
3:34:22We have the advantage of all the strength, but we're sore about what we've heard from his neighbors, the Jews, the Bushes.
3:34:27We face a good situation.
3:34:27I'm sure that's not the case.
3:34:29I'm sure that's not the case.
3:34:48and were involved in the lead-in program for Northeastern Northeastern Northeastern Northeastern Northeastern Northeastern Northeastern Northeastern Northeastern Northeastern
3:35:45They must be in it.
3:35:46If they're anxious, they're going to cease firing.
3:35:48Once they're in the order of release, once they're in an anguish, they're going to cease firing.
3:35:53Again, we will stop all acts of force throughout the program.
3:35:58At that time, we will proceed with a complete withdrawal of all acts of force to be acknowledged and forewarned.
3:36:03Each of those should be out of fire strength, and they are not.
3:36:06If they're in the United States, these are all gone.
3:36:10They would have been killed if they were not in the United States now.
3:36:15and a lot of those who were from the middle of the South were from the middle of the South.
3:36:17They were going to all the nations to be accepted into the South, both of them.
3:36:19The last group of people who were from the Middle East, they were being accepted into the South.
3:36:22There's a book in the Middle East about this.
3:36:23It comes directly from the Middle East.
3:36:25The Three Changing Parties are called it, and they're trying to do the economy of the South.
3:36:28First, you're looking at that.
3:36:29You're looking for all these other people who are from the middle of the South.
3:36:32They all come from out there, and they're looking for their own.
3:36:45We choose instead to have peace.
3:36:46We deem it your sacrifice to stand in the history of the land, the country, and the people, and the reconciliation of the peoples of the land.
3:36:50We should do so continually in light of your support and your justice and your discretion.
3:36:54It is your spirit that gives us the honor to do that.
3:36:56It is your will that gives us the honor to do that.
3:36:58To other nations, especially those which are held in the country of God, and the actions of God, and also God, I direct you and ask you, first to open your lives to God.
3:37:48of our allies, not for the purpose of launching nations against our neighbors, otherwise we would have lost the peace.
3:37:51The cause of the revolt in our Soviet state will be seriously dejected.
3:37:52Our two nations have been sitting in front of us, and we are here to make you agree.
3:37:55We are our nation, our church, and our nation.
3:37:56Let us not slide back, but our challenge is to be safe.
3:38:16I asked to decide upon a few of the principles of the contract.
3:38:18The issue was that I had all these passages.
3:38:19A lot of them cost me money, and I didn't know what to do with them.
3:38:22We were on the threshold of a new relationship.
3:38:24We considered all the differences around the premise of what caused the illness.
3:38:27We were prepared to continue to build the relationship with her.
3:38:29I also wanted to show her some of the benefits of it.
3:38:30After the agreement, I asked her to sign a contract to work with me on the state of her family for a long time.
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 7:25 pm and 8:04 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 336-068 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 336-68 Date: May 8, 1972 Time: Unknown after 7:25 - 8:05 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] H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman talked with the President between 8:04 and 8:05 pm. [Conversation No. 336-68A] [See Conversation No. 24-17] [End of telephone conversation]
Also recorded on May 8, 1972
- 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.
- 336-059 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.
- 336-064 7:14 PM · 10 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 7:14 pm to 7:25 pm.
- 336-065 7:25 PM · 50 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 7:25 pm and 8:04 pm.
- 336-066 7:25 PM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 7:25 pm and 8:04 pm.
- 336-067 7:25 PM · 23 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 7:25 pm and 8:04 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 336-068, 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/336-068 (accessed September 18, 2026).