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Conversation 338-017

TapeTape 338StartTuesday, May 9, 1972 at 11:35 AMEndTuesday, May 9, 1972 at 11:42 AMTape start time00:40:14Tape end time00:47:17ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Mitchell, John N.;  Butterfield, Alexander P.;  Buchanan, Patrick J.Recording deviceOld Executive Office Building
AI Summary

President Nixon consulted with John Mitchell and Patrick Buchanan regarding domestic political reactions to the recent naval blockade of North Vietnam. The discussion focused on securing public support from influential figures, including Supreme Court Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr., Secretary of State William P. Rogers, and Kenneth Rush. Nixon also coordinated logistics for an upcoming Duke Law School reunion dinner, emphasizing a controlled press photo opportunity to maintain an appropriate public image during the military escalation.

Vietnam WarNaval BlockadeDuke Law SchoolPublic RelationsLewis F. Powell Jr.William P. Rogers
AudioNARA Description

On May 9, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, John N. Mitchell, Alexander P. Butterfield, and Patrick J. Buchanan met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 11:35 am to 11:42 am. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 338-017 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 338-17

Date: May 9, 1972
Time: 11:35-11:42 am
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with John N. Mitchell.

[Conversation No. 387-17A]

[See Conversation No. 24-45; two items have been withdrawn from this conversation]

Alexander P. Butterfield entered at 11:37 am.

[End of telephone conversation]

     Vietnam

                                        (rev. Dec-01)

           -Blockade
                -Comments
                     -Lewis F. Powell, Jr.
                     -Charles Rhyne
                     -[David] Kenneth Rush
                     -John W. Dean, III [?]
                     -Powell

The President talked with Patrick J. Buchanan between 11:40 and 11:41 am.

[Conversation No. 338-17B]

[See Conversation No. 24-46]

[End of telephone conversation]

     Vietnam
          -Blockade
               -Comments
                    -William P. Rogers
                    -Powell
                    -Rush
                    -Powell
                    -John B. Connally
                    -Rogers
                    -Powell

     Duke Law school reunion dinner
         -Photograph session
              -Weather
              -Participants

Butterfield left at 11:42 am.
Transcript (AI-Generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

Hello?
Hello?
Well, there's an old Haiti man, and I told you that, please, if I may, did something.
You know, I wrote the damn thing over the weekend.
I didn't get the final one.
I don't know what you heard.
Of course the Democrats
Politicians, you know, just what we expect.
They're laying on the bushes.
They're supporting the president.
They ought to be in for that.
We're done.
as and when it's canceled, which you can very well make even.
We're just going to say, well, we expect that to happen at a later time, but we're not going to have the American president go to some Russian tanker running through the streets of the way.
That's the main effect, you know, of this kind of operation.
Nothing's not technically evolving.
It only has an effect for a period of time that I can tell you
It's an offer, but how the hell can anybody say we should do more?
Did you agree with it?
I have a suggestion.
Wouldn't this be a good time for you and Buckley to get Ashbrook in and say, look, John, if the car stays dead behind, we're going to get out of the race.
Ray in the call, I'm asking him to call.
Would you do that?
I'm going to call some of his troops.
Would you do that?
No, I wouldn't do that.
I approve the trip of Ray to Europe.
I'm going to send him a message.
I'm going to send him a message.
You ought to be happy.
They just want to go to Europe.
I don't know.
It's all good.
It's all right.
It's all right.
We, uh, all go and, uh...
I would like to have comments made by you.
I've got three of them right now.
Charlie Ryan, Ken Rush, and the dean, Fred Day.
And then I said Powell.
Well, if you can't get your hawks going now, we can.
Oh, sure, it's going to take months, but it might not.
The main thing is it'll do it.
Maybe Bill Rogers, if you recall, I invited him.
He accepted.
Good.
All right.
I can't say a word.
Powell, too?
Huh?
Powell, as well?
Powell?
Powell.
He's a justice, but he's free of court.
That's fine.
That's all.
We're going to hold here for two minutes.
Two minutes.
Two minutes.
Just say Bill Rogers is a couple.
He's representing.
tell him I'm Patrick Rush, because he was a professor, an associate professor at Duke.
So he'll speak.
And Paul, tell him who else is talking.
I appreciate it.
Yeah, I was glad that you said it.
We weren't sure what we were talking about.
That was very funny, isn't it?
Behind a disaster.
Yeah, that'd be fine.
Do you think we should take the F Rogers?
Well, we're already taking a little bit away from the end, but I think for a good reason.
Now, with that picture, I know the place to take this outside.
Step out the steps, let the press in.
Just the classroom.
No spouses.
No spouses.
No class.
I'll drop that.
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