Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 337 › Conversation 337-023

Nixon alone in his EOB office on psychological warfare and propaganda

Wednesday, May 10, 1972 · 1:05 PM–3:35 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 9 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President)Conversation337-023 on Tape 337 (tape position 03:45:46–03:54:37)StartWednesday, May 10, 1972 at 1:05 PMEndWednesday, May 10, 1972 at 3:35 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 337-023 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon dictated a memorandum for Henry Kissinger expressing his dissatisfaction with the CIA's psychological warfare and propaganda efforts. He directed the CIA to urgently develop and implement new programs, including broadcasts and leaflets, targeting the Hanoi area. The proposed propaganda would emphasize North Vietnam's isolation due to international shipping blockades and aim to instill terror in the North Vietnamese population. Additionally, Nixon instructed that domestic South Vietnamese propaganda should focus on boosting morale by highlighting successful military actions and addressing existing morale issues.

Audio

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Position in tape: 03:45:46 – 03:54:37

part B, 1:39:43

337a.mp3
337b.mp3
337c.mp3

NARA Description

On May 10, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:05 pm and 3:35 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 337-023 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 337-23

Date: May 10, 1972
Time: Unknown between 1:02 and 3:35 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President dictated a memorandum for the file.

     [Unintelligible]

Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was made by an AI model listening to the recording (gemini-3.8-flash) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Speaker names are the model's inference from the voices and the participant list. Words and names can still be wrong — verify against the audio and the finding aid before citing.

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Nixonand plans for the wars of the future, rather than those of the past.
NixonThe total resolve of the North Vietnamese to have constant attacks disclose the same capabilities of the North Vietnamese to wage a disturbingly long war, whether or not another weapon system is being used.
NixonNorth Vietnam used against South Vietnamese forces, and South Vietnam [unintelligible] greatest need now is to get modern equipment for the defense establish, the Navy, Army, and Air Force.
NixonThe total resolve of the North Vietnamese to have constant attacks disclose the same capabilities of the North Vietnamese [unintelligible] disturbed [unintelligible] another weapon systems being used or not. South Vietnam used against South Vietnamese forces.
NixonShe [unintelligible]. Our greatest need now is to get [unintelligible] modern defense establish, the Navy, Army, and Air Force [unintelligible] have plans for the wars of future, rather than those of the past. [inaudible]
NixonMemorandum for Kissinger. As you know, I have very little confidence in the CIA, in terms of their psychological warfare programs and propaganda, etcetera.
NixonCertainly in this period, we could be doing a whole lot more on an urgent basis. I want CIA to develop a program to provide broadcasts, leaflets
Nixon[unintelligible] the Hanoi area, [unintelligible] targeting on North Vietnamese [unintelligible] in the Hanoi area.
NixonB, that emphasize the isolation of North Vietnam through the backing out of the of the ships that are would be leaving Hanoi, and are, as well as those that are prevented from going into North Vietnam.
NixonC, that with regard to the aerial activities, that they should find courage in the North Vietnamese leaders and their, and the population, to great terror.
NixonTell the, to tell the North Vietnamese reflections and secretly in this particular period, tell the effect of the airstrikes.
NixonThird, three, our own propaganda, through the whole country, South Vietnam. Here the target is quite different.
NixonWe are to emphasize the need to raise South Vietnamese morale through the, striking hard at, significant morale problems, through, uh,
Nixondisseminating [unintelligible] courage. And third, I want to emphasize that [unintelligible] on projects, and frankly,
Nixonthe fact seems to be that they've uh, done a better job in the media than ever has been before in creating
Nixona feeling of [unintelligible] for CIA. The period must be close to an end, if they're harder to find these days, numbers of hours of broadcasts, numbers of leaflets, and then other words, something, how much
Nixon[unintelligible]
Nixon[unintelligible]
Nixon[unintelligible]
Nixon[unintelligible]
Nixon[unintelligible]

Also recorded on May 10, 1972

  • 337-015 12:35 PM · 35 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 12:35 pm and 12:36 pm.
  • 337-016 12:36 PM · 26 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 12:36 pm to 1:02 pm.
  • 337-017 1:05 PM · 5 min — 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 1:05 pm and 3:35 pm.
  • 337-018 1:05 PM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:05 pm and 3:35 pm.
  • 337-019 1:05 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:05 pm and 3:35 pm.
  • 337-020 1:05 PM · 4 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 1:05 pm and 3:35 pm.
  • 337-021 1:05 PM · 21 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 1:05 pm and 3:35 pm.
  • 337-022 1:05 PM · 17 sec — 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 1:05 pm and 3:35 pm.

All 42 conversations from May 10, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 337-023, May 10, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/337-023 (accessed November 2, 2026).