Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 341 › Conversation 341-023

Nixon alone in his EOB office on George McGovern and Political ideology

Sunday, June 11, 1972 · 10:54 AM–2:38 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President)Conversation341-023 on Tape 341StartSunday, June 11, 1972 at 10:54 AMEndSunday, June 11, 1972 at 2:38 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 341-023 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon dictated a memorandum and reviewed a recording involving a University of California at Berkeley professor to analyze ideological differences between political wings. The discussion focused on the contrasting tactical approaches of left-wing and right-wing figures regarding the acquisition of power, specifically referencing George McGovern. Additionally, the President touched upon foreign policy themes, including the necessity of US military strength and reflections on his recent diplomatic trip to the Soviet Union.

Audio

Download MP3 (part 1) · 111.3 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 111.8 MB ·Download MP3 (part 3) · 111.8 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.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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.

1:57:36With the right hand, that would be good.

1:57:39Because the right, the right is distinguished from the left.

1:57:43It's a very, very fundamental distinction.

1:57:48Generally speaking, the right wingers, it is certain that what we would rather lose, despite the principle that we have, the left wingers, on the other hand, would always generally be willing

1:58:05to, in order to get power, to compromise, to do what he needs to do.

1:58:12And I think that McGovern, he said his idealists, they were idealists, but they didn't want to be so.

1:58:20And I'll go down the form of a clue.

1:58:29So he moved, though I could never move from his right, because

1:59:03I'm obsessed with the idea of power.

1:59:05The right wing is changing now.

1:59:07It's not.

1:59:08It's not.

1:59:09It's not.

1:59:10It's not.

1:59:11It's not.

NARA Description

On June 11, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 10:54 am and 2:38 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 341-023 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 341-23

Date: June 11, 1972
Time: Unknown between 10:54 am and 2:38 pm.
Location: Old Executive Office Building

The President dictated a memorandum.

*****************************************************************

[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 10/16/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[341-023-w001]
[Duration: 5m 46s]

The President replayed the recorded memorandum.

     A meeting with unknown person

     A professor at the University of California at Berkeley

     Foreign policy
          -Europe
          -US military strength

           -Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
                -The President's trip to Moscow

[End of replay]

*****************************************************************

Also recorded on June 11, 1972

025-039 10:54 AM · 9 sec — unknown person(s) talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:54 am and 2:30 pm.
341-021 10:54 AM · 13 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 10:54 am and 2:38 pm.
341-022 10:54 AM — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 10:54 am and 2:38 pm.
341-024 10:54 AM · 2 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 10:54 am and 2:38 pm.
341-025 10:54 AM · 26 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 10:54 am and 2:38 pm.
341-026 10:54 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 10:54 am and 2:38 pm.
341-027 10:54 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 10:54 am and 2:38 pm.
341-028 10:54 AM · 15 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 10:54 am and 2:38 pm.

All 38 conversations from June 11, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 341-023, June 11, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/341-023 (accessed September 30, 2026).