Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 397 › Conversation 397-025

Nixon & Price on Speechwriting and Political Strategy

Friday, January 19, 1973 · 3:07 PM–4:10 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 16 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Price, Raymond K., Jr.Conversation397-025 on Tape 397StartFriday, January 19, 1973 at 3:07 PMEndFriday, January 19, 1973 at 4:10 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 397-025 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with speechwriter Raymond K. Price, Jr. to discuss the tone and direction of upcoming communications, emphasizing a desire to avoid overly grandiose or major declarations. The President expressed a preference for maintaining a restrained perspective, acknowledging the underlying political reality of the situation. The conversation concluded with Nixon affirming his readiness to move forward with these strategic adjustments.

Audio

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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

Okay.
Thank you.
Thank you.
No, I don't want to major or great as the same.
See, I don't want to.
And we know what the hell it's all about.
I think I can say that.
Okay.
I mean, I'll take off at any time.

NARA Description

On January 19, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Raymond K. Price, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:07 pm and 4:10 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 397-025 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

None

Also recorded on January 19, 1973

  • 398-001 3:07 PM · 41 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Raymond K. Price, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:07 pm and 4:10 pm.
  • 036-007 4:12 PM · 24 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 4:12 pm.
  • 036-010 4:12 PM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:12 pm and 7:29 pm.
  • 036-011 4:12 PM · 29 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:12 pm and 7:29 pm.
  • 036-012 4:12 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:12 pm and 7:29 pm.
  • 036-013 4:12 PM · 30 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:12 pm and 7:29 pm.
  • 398-002 4:12 PM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 4:12 pm.
  • 398-003 4:12 PM · 15 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:12 pm to 4:29 pm.

All 53 conversations from January 19, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 397-025, January 19, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/397-025 (accessed October 11, 2026).