Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 372 › Conversation 372-015

Nixon & Ziegler on Vietnam War and Public relations

Wednesday, October 25, 1972 · 10:11 AM–10:14 AM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 4 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.Conversation372-015 on Tape 372StartWednesday, October 25, 1972 at 10:11 AMEndWednesday, October 25, 1972 at 10:14 AMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 372-015 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler coordinate media messaging strategy regarding the Vietnam War. Nixon instructs Ziegler to emphasize a contrast between his pursuit of "peace with honor" and the "surrender" advocated by his political opponents. The discussion focuses on crafting a sharp, binary narrative to shape public perception of the administration’s foreign policy.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 1 minute of this recording (about 16% of it) is represented by only a few words. Listen to the audio rather than relying on the text below; a corrected transcript is queued.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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

Yeah, you might point out that I had an hour earlier this morning, discussing the various bills that were in my mind.
We presently now are going to have the box office right after, I don't remember, that we had to check the urgent call on Saturday.
In other words, my original friend, who I haven't heard of in a while,
Okay.
Well, my own view is that, yes, I think that this makes me submissive, but I would say, you could say this, that the President is a, that there are two vectors, a very simple one, that the President is for peace and honor, and that his opponents for peace would surrender.
I'm going to write a quote.
Is that clear to you there?
Yes.
Try to use the word surrender if you can, if you can't do that.
Well, anyway.
Yeah, .
All right, all the others?
He has made so many.

NARA Description

On October 25, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 10:11 am to 10:14 am. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 372-015 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 372-15

Date: October 25, 1972
Time: 10:11 am - 10:14 am
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with Ronald L. Ziegler.

[See Conversation No. 32-36]

Also recorded on October 25, 1972

  • 372-012 10:08 AM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 10:08 am and 10:09 am.
  • 032-034 10:09 AM · 42 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone from 10:09 am to 10:10 am.
  • 372-013 10:09 AM · 39 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 10:09 am to 10:10 am.
  • 032-035 10:10 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:10 am and 10:11 am.
  • 372-014 10:10 AM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 10:10 am and 10:11 am.
  • 032-036 10:11 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 10:11 am to 10:14 am.
  • 372-016 10:14 AM · 1 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 10:14 am and 11:18 am.
  • 372-017 10:14 AM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 10:14 am and 11:18 am.

All 59 conversations from October 25, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 372-015, October 25, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/372-015 (accessed October 9, 2026).