Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 380 › Conversation 380-010
Nixon alone in his EOB office on Vietnam War and Nicaraguan earthquake relief
Thursday, December 28, 1972 · 12:07 PM–12:35 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 18 min
AI Summary
President Nixon dictated a memorandum for his files, covering a broad array of administrative, foreign policy, and domestic concerns following his 1972 reelection. He reflected on the death of Harry S. Truman, assessed international responses to the bombing campaign in Vietnam, and discussed the logistics of relief efforts for the earthquake in Nicaragua. Additionally, the President reviewed plans for second-term staff reorganizations, domestic policy initiatives, and strategies for managing press relations and public opinion.
- Vietnam War
- Nicaraguan earthquake relief
- Harry S. Truman
- White House staff reorganization
- Domestic policy
- Foreign policy
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 2 minutes of this recording (about 10% 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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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
Each line starts with a timestamp button; press it to play the audio from that point.
NARA Description
On December 28, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:07 pm and 12:35 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 380-010 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 380-10
Date: December 28, 1972
Time: Unknown between 12:07 pm and 12:35 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President dictated a memorandum for the file.
[This is a continuation of Conversation No. 380-008]
*****************************************************************
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift during
chronological review 2007-2013]
Death of Harry S. Truman
-The President’s trip to Truman Library
-Meeting with Truman family
-Margaret Truman Daniel
-19-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 380-10 (cont’d)
-Harry S. Truman
-Age
-Senate, Vice President, President
1972 campaign
-Republican Party
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Previous archivists categorized this section as unintelligible. It has been rereviewed and closed.
The withdrawal is now categorized as a PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) and was reviewed
under deed of gift 10/18/2019.]
[Personal Returnable]
[380-010-w001]
[Duration: 44s]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
*****************************************************************
White House
-Christmas decorations
-The President’s viewing
Second memorandum
Nicaraguan earthquake relief
-The President’s possible trip
-US goodwill
Vietnam
-Bombing
-Negative reaction
Nicaraguan earthquake relief
-State Department
-20-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 380-10 (cont’d)
-Task Force
-Col. Richard T. Kennedy
-Coordination
-Maurice J. Williams
-Richard A. Moore
-[David] Kenneth Rush
-Stephen B. Bull
-Williams
-Kennedy
Vietnam War
-American opinion
-Victory
-Bombing
-Republicans
-People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-Soviet Union
-Europe
-Small nations
Second term reorganization
-White House staff
-Charles W. Colson
-Herbert G. Klein
-Press relations
Domestic policy
-John D. Ehrlichman
-First term summary
-Program development
-National health plan
-Governors
-State revitalization
-Legislation
Vietnam [?]
-Military conflict
The President’s previous conversation with Patrick J. Buchanan
-Book
-21-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 380-10 (cont’d)
-Quality
-News media, party leaders, bureaucrats
Vietnam War
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Charles H. Percy
-Bombing
The President’s previous conversation with Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
-Camp David
*****************************************************************Also recorded on December 28, 1972
- 035-024 11:56 AM · 39 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon talked on the telephone from 11:56 am to 11:57 am.
- 380-007 11:56 AM · 38 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 11:56 am and 11:57 am.
- 380-008 11:57 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 11:57 am and 12:05 pm.
- 380-009 12:05 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 12:05 pm to 12:07 pm.
- 035-025 12:07 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:07 pm and 12:35 pm.
- 380-011 12:07 PM · 5 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 12:07 pm and 12:35 pm.
- 380-012 12:07 PM · 11 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 12:07 pm and 12:35 pm.
- 035-026 12:35 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rex W. Scouten talked on the telephone from 12:35 pm to 12:39 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 380-010, December 28, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/380-010 (accessed October 11, 2026).