{"conversationCode":"462-007","tapeNumber":462,"conversationNumber":7,"identifier":"37-wht-conversation-462-007","startDateTime":"1971-03-05T15:15:00.000Z","endDateTime":"1971-03-05T15:40:00.000Z","startDate":"5-Mar-1971","startTime":"10:15 AM","endDate":"5-Mar-1971","endTime":"10:40 AM","dateCertainty":"certain","timeCertainty":"estimated","participants":"Nixon, Richard M. (President); Butterfield, Alexander P.; Woods, Rose Mary; White House operator; Stennis, John C.;","description":"On March 5, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander P. Butterfield, Rose Mary Woods, White House operator, and John C. Stennis met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:15 am and 10:40 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 462-007 of the White House Tapes.","locationCode":"OVAL","recordingDevice":"Oval Office","latitudeEstimated":38.8974,"longitudeEstimated":-77.0374,"chronCode":1,"chronRelease":"First Chronological Release","chronReleaseDate":"5-Oct-1999","aogpRelease":null,"aogpSegment":null,"lastModified":"2015-07-27T17:04:10.235Z","findingAid":"Conversation No. 462-7\n\nDate: March 5, 1971\nTime: Unknown between 10:15 am and 10:40 am\nLocation: Oval Office\n\nThe President met with Alexander P. Butterfield\n     The President’s schedule\n          -Herbert Stein\n          -Forthcoming meeting with the Quadriad\n\n     Papers for President’s signature\n\nRose Mary Woods entered at 10:20 am\n\nButterfield left at 10:20 am\n\n******************************************************************************\n\nBEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1\n[Personal Returnable]\n\nEND WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1\n\n******************************************************************************\n\n     President’s March 4, 1971 press conference\n          -President’s statement to television audience\n          -Paul W. Keyes\n                -Call to Woods\n\n******************************************************************************\n\nBEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2\n[Personal Returnable]\n[Duration: 9s ]\n\nEND WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2\n\n******************************************************************************\n\n                       -President’s statement about William P. Rogers\n                       -Vice President Spiro T. Agnew\n                       -President’s demeanor\n           -Lillie and Bill Strauther [?]\n                 -Response\n           -Melvin R. Laird\n                 -Call to Woods\n                 -Winton M. (“Red”) Blount’s dinner\n\n          -Rogers, Nelson A. Rockefeller\n               -Call to Woods\n          -Rockefeller\n               -Call to President\n          -John C. Stennis\n\n[The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 10:20 am and\n\n[Conversation No. 462-7A]\n\n     Call to Stennis\n\n[End of telephone conversation]\n\n     [Unintelligible]\n\n     President’s press conference\n          -Call from [Forename unknown] Lockhart\n                -Key Biscayne\n          -[Robert D.?] Bob Murphy\n                -Possible call from President\n                -Note from President\n                      -Wife\n                      -President’s preparation\n          -Call from Laird\n\n******************************************************************************\n\nBEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3\n[Personal Returnable]\n[Duration: 1m 21s ]\n\nEND WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3\n\n******************************************************************************\n\n[The President talked with Stennis between 10:28 am and 10:30 am]\n\n[Conversation No. 462-7B ]\n\n     President’s press conference, March 4, 1971\n          -Stennis’ call to Woods\n\n          -President’s position\n          -Public opinion polls\n                -Withdrawal\n                -Laos\n          -Military situation\n                -Admiral Thomas H. Moorer\n                -Laird\n                -Laos (Lam Son)\n                      -Effect\n\n[End of telephone conversation]\n\n     President’s call to Stennis\n\n     Vietnam\n          -Public opinion\n               -Media influence\n               -Influence of President’s press conference\n                     -Woods’ view\n\n     [Unintelligible]\n\n     Copies of a letter to Edward R. G. Heath\n          -Dissemination\n                -Henry A. Kissinger\n                -Walter H. Annenberg\n                -Rogers\n\n     Oliver F. (“Ollie”) Atkins\n          -A Sunday church service photo\n                 -Thelma C. (Ryan) (“Pat”) Nixon\n\n******************************************************************************\n\nBEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5\n[Personal Returnable]\n[Duration: 5s ]\n\n******************************************************************************\n\n          -A previous photo\n          -Julie Nixon Eisenhower, Tricia Nixon\n\n     A television appearance\n           -Eisenhower, T. Nixon, President and Mrs. Nixon\n\n******************************************************************************\n\nBEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6\n[Personal Returnable]\n[Duration: 38s ]\n\nEND WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6\n\n******************************************************************************\n\nWoods left at 10:40 am","filename":["462-007.mp3"],"tapeStart":"02:19:44","tapeEnd":"02:38:25","participantsList":["Nixon, Richard M. (President)","Butterfield, Alexander P.","Woods, Rose Mary","White House operator","Stennis, John C."],"prevCode":"462-006","nextCode":"462-008","transcript":[{"start":0.03,"end":1.62,"text":"It's time."},{"start":1.68,"end":4.61,"text":"I want to bring the man down."},{"start":4.63,"end":4.89,"text":"Are you good?"},{"start":4.91,"end":5.86,"text":"Yeah, I think you're good."},{"start":76.24,"end":81.88,"text":"All right."},{"start":103.71,"end":108.47,"text":"All good, man."},{"start":108.49,"end":108.69,"text":"All good."},{"start":108.72,"end":109.42,"text":"All right."},{"start":208.71,"end":221.57,"text":"I could do that for us last night."},{"start":223.35,"end":226.5,"text":"Right over their heads."},{"start":236.52,"end":240.02,"text":"He said he did a very great job."},{"start":240.16,"end":241.4,"text":"He's also very successful."},{"start":241.42,"end":244.93,"text":"He went over the heads of the press and TV and got right to people."},{"start":244.95,"end":248.23,"text":"He loved the way he handled the Rodgers question."},{"start":248.25,"end":252.34,"text":"He thought the cheap shot phrase was exactly right."},{"start":252.96,"end":255.3,"text":"Again, he repeated it."},{"start":255.46,"end":257.9,"text":"He did a marvelous job of zinging the press and TV commentators."},{"start":257.93,"end":259.21,"text":"They did it with a smile."},{"start":259.23,"end":259.81,"text":"It was tremendous."},{"start":260.45,"end":270.73,"text":"It was particularly effective in some instances because you were able to say to your questioner, as you know."},{"start":270.75,"end":273.56,"text":"But he thought your whole manner was right."},{"start":274.77,"end":283.69,"text":"And I told you last night, I watched it with Loya and Bill Stover, and they all thought it was great."},{"start":283.7,"end":284.65,"text":"Loya did it?"},{"start":285.51,"end":286.43,"text":"All right."},{"start":286.45,"end":286.85,"text":"And I think I did."},{"start":286.87,"end":289.69,"text":"I don't know if I talked with Larry when I talked with you."},{"start":289.71,"end":290.91,"text":"No, no, no."},{"start":291.01,"end":291.74,"text":"Larry called before."},{"start":292.24,"end":292.88,"text":"He was over at the block."},{"start":292.9,"end":293.54,"text":"Oh, yeah, he had left."},{"start":293.56,"end":295.3,"text":"And he said he thought things went very, very well."},{"start":295.54,"end":297.74,"text":"And he said, I was over here at Red Line, and we all thought it was great."},{"start":297.76,"end":299.56,"text":"Tell the president I thought it was a damn good job."},{"start":300.37,"end":309.75,"text":"And I had told you about talking to Rocky, and Rocky called me."},{"start":311.47,"end":321.49,"text":"Yeah, Rocky called me, you know."},{"start":321.5,"end":321.81,"text":"And then, yeah."},{"start":321.83,"end":322.19,"text":"I talked to Rocky."},{"start":322.21,"end":322.31,"text":"Yeah."},{"start":322.33,"end":323.59,"text":"And then, I really think he's the guy you ought to have a call."},{"start":323.61,"end":323.93,"text":"What did he say?"},{"start":323.95,"end":324.43,"text":"He said, Senator Dennis."},{"start":324.45,"end":325.15,"text":"No, I didn't mean it."},{"start":325.17,"end":325.99,"text":"I didn't mean it."},{"start":339.98,"end":344.55,"text":"It's just that he loves her."},{"start":344.67,"end":347.78,"text":"He would die and keep us getting on vacation."},{"start":347.8,"end":348.84,"text":"Other than on vacation or meeting us sometimes."},{"start":351.55,"end":355,"text":"And he isn't the kind of guy you'd ever call unless he's really convinced."},{"start":367.3,"end":378.78,"text":"I'm dead."},{"start":378.8,"end":379,"text":"I saw him."},{"start":379.02,"end":385.19,"text":"When you get ready, you might put a little note in him that goes past mine."},{"start":385.21,"end":385.53,"text":"I was so hungry."},{"start":385.55,"end":386.07,"text":"You can imagine."},{"start":386.09,"end":386.41,"text":"I'm very hungry."},{"start":386.43,"end":386.65,"text":"I'm just..."},{"start":386.67,"end":390.06,"text":"I'm already..."},{"start":390.08,"end":390.2,"text":"I..."},{"start":400.93,"end":429.15,"text":"I had actually prepared to travel four o'clock in order to be able to answer the 16, 16 or so, the 16 or so that were actually ."},{"start":430.39,"end":452.3,"text":"But as I'm happy to get a call back, I was told to be knocking for a player."},{"start":452.32,"end":453.88,"text":"I was told I'm working outside of town."},{"start":453.9,"end":454.25,"text":"It's appreciated."},{"start":454.26,"end":457.63,"text":"And the fact of the matter, when you go out on the court, this would be interesting, and play out on the court as well."},{"start":457.65,"end":458.19,"text":"And I wonder if you would,"},{"start":560.75,"end":567,"text":"So, just wanted you to know that Rose told me you called last night, and I'm most grateful."},{"start":568.24,"end":585.48,"text":"Well, well, you know, these things, you know, I often say around here, you know, I'm wearing this big stamp."},{"start":585.5,"end":588.02,"text":"I say, you know, some of our Republicans, you know, and we just have a few more like John Stanton sitting around here."},{"start":588.04,"end":588.82,"text":"We'd do better."},{"start":589.21,"end":592.89,"text":"I'll tell you, we appreciate it."},{"start":592.91,"end":593.59,"text":"We've got to stand up to them."},{"start":593.61,"end":596.14,"text":"We must not fail now."},{"start":596.16,"end":597.88,"text":"We're not going to fail."},{"start":597.9,"end":608.68,"text":"And you know the fact I see some Harris or Gallup poll or so forth, they show that the majority of the country wants us to get out right now, that Laos is a failure and so forth."},{"start":608.96,"end":612.84,"text":"Well, that is what we're elected to do, to follow the polls."},{"start":612.86,"end":614.59,"text":"If so, they've been elected then."},{"start":614.61,"end":615.67,"text":"Don't you agree?"},{"start":621.05,"end":624.96,"text":"Yeah."},{"start":624.98,"end":626.13,"text":"Where are you?"},{"start":626.15,"end":626.25,"text":"Hey."},{"start":627.58,"end":634.01,"text":"It isn't going to collapse."},{"start":634.03,"end":638.33,"text":"We just had more in here today, more there."},{"start":638.35,"end":645.35,"text":"And all reports now, we've been in three weeks, you know, and it's already a success in that respect."},{"start":645.37,"end":646.59,"text":"For three weeks, they've torn up these supplies."},{"start":646.81,"end":647.91,"text":"They'll stay in another three weeks at least."},{"start":647.93,"end":650.99,"text":"And if they stay in that long, that means that, by golly, we bought that much more time."},{"start":651.01,"end":656.3,"text":"And so we just stick to our guns."},{"start":656.32,"end":656.42,"text":"Yeah."},{"start":660.11,"end":668.73,"text":"Well, yes, that's awfully nice, and I agree."},{"start":668.75,"end":669.91,"text":"I agree."},{"start":669.93,"end":670.53,"text":"Thank you."},{"start":671.21,"end":672.87,"text":"Thank you."},{"start":672.89,"end":673.09,"text":"Thank you."},{"start":673.11,"end":673.61,"text":"He said, take it down."},{"start":673.63,"end":675.41,"text":"Everybody, leave it up, you know."},{"start":676.4,"end":677.06,"text":"Somebody's got to leave it up."},{"start":677.08,"end":684.37,"text":"He said, you just eat wine."},{"start":684.39,"end":684.79,"text":"He said, we're fine."},{"start":684.81,"end":685.09,"text":"He said, beer."},{"start":685.11,"end":687.35,"text":"I guess you might be able to encourage it a little bit."},{"start":687.33,"end":704.31,"text":"Oh, yes, yes, because it was, it really was explained."},{"start":704.29,"end":707.28,"text":"Beautifully."},{"start":707.3,"end":708.12,"text":"And it refuted all the..."},{"start":713.11,"end":720.1,"text":"I haven't given it a smack, I think, but everyone said that, you know, the less of it, the anyway."},{"start":720.12,"end":720.54,"text":"I think it's great."},{"start":720.56,"end":722.32,"text":"It may just only refute it for our own friends, but even them, it's good for them."},{"start":722.34,"end":724.24,"text":"But there are a lot of people out there who are..."},{"start":724.22,"end":726.33,"text":"Not even for just our own trend."},{"start":726.35,"end":731.96,"text":"I think there are a lot of people who genuinely are puzzled by the whole thing."},{"start":732.48,"end":732.98,"text":"They don't understand."},{"start":733,"end":733.28,"text":"No."},{"start":733.4,"end":734.66,"text":"They don't understand why."},{"start":734.68,"end":737.69,"text":"Why going into another country saying it's your own country?"},{"start":737.71,"end":739.21,"text":"Well, you just like it coming down those trails."},{"start":739.39,"end":743.06,"text":"I heard the all-new station this morning, I was in there."},{"start":743.34,"end":758.02,"text":"saying, using that, how you, you explained that they're getting to these channels."},{"start":758.04,"end":761.35,"text":"Now that's, you know, I'm a big fan of that."},{"start":761.37,"end":761.45,"text":"Yes."},{"start":761.47,"end":763.07,"text":"See, those are things that the average Turkish can understand."},{"start":763.09,"end":768.15,"text":"See, that's what they, that's what they really need to hear is something like that."},{"start":768.17,"end":768.58,"text":"I don't know."},{"start":768.6,"end":771.88,"text":"It was, it was very, I thought, excellent stuff."},{"start":793.24,"end":820.06,"text":"We've got people like us that write things."},{"start":820.08,"end":820.82,"text":"And I don't know if they all remember"},{"start":830.5,"end":841.41,"text":"There you go."},{"start":841.6,"end":851.19,"text":"You have a copy of Jane Henry by hand."},{"start":851.21,"end":852.67,"text":"This is the copy that he does not want."},{"start":852.69,"end":854.49,"text":"It just brings on for my private personal personal file."},{"start":854.51,"end":855.31,"text":"I don't want it to go to anybody else."},{"start":855.33,"end":855.72,"text":"We're not together."},{"start":870.65,"end":888.02,"text":"You know, I sent that personal confidential to the ambassador with my name on the outside, y'all."},{"start":888.04,"end":888.49,"text":"Yeah, and that's good."},{"start":888.5,"end":889.03,"text":"So I sent him on the rise."},{"start":889.05,"end":889.43,"text":"I said, this is it."},{"start":889.45,"end":898.2,"text":"He had responded to a personal letter."},{"start":898.22,"end":898.66,"text":"I mentioned it to him."},{"start":898.68,"end":898.92,"text":"He had no..."},{"start":898.94,"end":899.98,"text":"He had no interest in any of our substances."},{"start":901.43,"end":918.75,"text":"I think he was not an MP."},{"start":918.77,"end":919.01,"text":"He was sent."},{"start":919.03,"end":919.73,"text":"He was delivered by the ambassador."},{"start":919.75,"end":920.63,"text":"I want him to have it for his personal file."},{"start":920.65,"end":921.32,"text":"I'll tell you what to do with it."},{"start":921.34,"end":922.44,"text":"View it in person and view it with Scotty Clay in here."},{"start":922.46,"end":922.88,"text":"That's how I want it."},{"start":922.9,"end":923,"text":"Okay."},{"start":923.02,"end":923.84,"text":"I'll distribute it to you in your office."},{"start":925.49,"end":940.01,"text":"The President wants you to be aware of the fact that he has written to the Prime Minister in person."},{"start":940.03,"end":941.6,"text":"The Prime Minister is in person and giving him a long report on his character."},{"start":941.62,"end":942.22,"text":"The Congress is in solidation."},{"start":953.27,"end":958.43,"text":"Oh, he asked me if, uh... Picture."},{"start":958.45,"end":973.23,"text":"Yes, since you're thinking about a picture, whether, because you have to come back Sunday for church annual, whether this Sunday would be a time to go back to..."},{"start":973.25,"end":973.61,"text":"He wants to do it."},{"start":973.63,"end":978.38,"text":"He'd like to have 15 months."},{"start":978.4,"end":978.9,"text":"If he knows how to do it."},{"start":978.92,"end":979.34,"text":"For me, for me alone?"},{"start":979.36,"end":979.56,"text":"All right."},{"start":979.58,"end":979.78,"text":"All right."},{"start":979.8,"end":980.58,"text":"Do you want to do it this Sunday, then?"},{"start":980.6,"end":980.7,"text":"Sure."},{"start":980.72,"end":980.96,"text":"After lunch."},{"start":985.09,"end":1015.05,"text":"I do, I do."},{"start":1021.24,"end":1026.85,"text":"That was a great family picture."},{"start":1026.87,"end":1026.97,"text":"Yeah."},{"start":1026.99,"end":1034.87,"text":"It was a great picture, but we need another one because now time is a-wastin' and it's a-passin' all of a sudden."},{"start":1034.88,"end":1038.89,"text":"So he grows up, or she grows up."},{"start":1038.91,"end":1039.27,"text":"Actually, yeah."},{"start":1039.29,"end":1039.89,"text":"And see her grow up."},{"start":1039.91,"end":1040.02,"text":"Yeah."},{"start":1040.04,"end":1040.28,"text":"That's nice."},{"start":1040.3,"end":1040.4,"text":"Yeah."},{"start":1040.42,"end":1042.44,"text":"They both look so pretty in that television."},{"start":1042.46,"end":1043.06,"text":"Do they?"},{"start":1043.73,"end":1049.34,"text":"You and Pat, it really was very good."},{"start":1049.36,"end":1063.4,"text":"You came off particularly well because you were so gracious and pleasant, mild, warm, very good."},{"start":1063.42,"end":1066.57,"text":"I think it was a show to the country, a good thing, you know, the dinner and everything."},{"start":1109.28,"end":1111.42,"text":"Yeah."},{"start":1111.44,"end":1119.1,"text":"You see if, uh... See if..."}],"aiSummary":{"text":"President Nixon met with Alexander P. Butterfield and later spoke by phone with Senator John C. Stennis to discuss the public and political reception of the President's March 4, 1971, press conference. The participants focused on the effectiveness of the President's performance in defending the military operation in Laos and managing negative media coverage. They agreed on the importance of maintaining a firm stance regarding the Vietnam War despite unfavorable public opinion polls. Additionally, the President arranged for the dissemination of a private letter to British Prime Minister Edward Heath and discussed scheduling a family portrait session.","topics":["Vietnam War","Press Relations","Public Opinion","Laos","John C. Stennis","Richard Nixon"],"generatedAt":"2026-04-06T21:10:31.933Z"},"topicSlugs":["vietnam-war","press-relations","public-opinion","laos","john-c-stennis","richard-nixon"],"audioDurationSec":1119,"audioFiles":[{"file":"462-007.mp3","bytes":26859310,"durationSec":1119.07,"bitrate":192011,"missing":false}],"audioIsShared":false,"audioProbedAt":"2026-09-18T02:19:47.662Z","audio":["https://nixon.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/audio/462-007.mp3"],"url":"https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/462-007","nixonLibraryUrl":"https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/white-house-tapes/462/conversation-462-007","license":"Public domain (U.S. Government work). AI-generated fields (transcript, aiSummary) are provided as-is without warranty."}