Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 596 › Conversation 596-007

Nixon & Bull on United Nations and Vietnam War

Tuesday, October 19, 1971 · 12:17 PM–12:18 PM ET · Oval Office

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Bull, Stephen B.Conversation596-007 on Tape 596 (tape position 02:09:26–02:10:13)StartTuesday, October 19, 1971 at 12:17 PMEndTuesday, October 19, 1971 at 12:18 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 596-007 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Stephen B. Bull discuss scheduling administrative matters regarding the National Multiple Sclerosis Society before shifting to a substantive review of legislative strategy. The President expresses strong opposition to congressional resolutions regarding a troop withdrawal timeline, arguing that such actions undermine his bargaining position regarding POWs and South Vietnam. Nixon confirms his intent to maintain pressure on wavering congressmen to ensure continued support for his foreign policy objectives.

Audio

Download MP3 (part 1) · 167.9 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 124.8 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. It begins about 02:09:26 into the tape and ends around 02:10:13.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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.
2:08:03I don't know what it's going to help with, at least to make the picture.
2:08:22Chinese representation to her, too, so... Well, I can't tell you.
2:08:29Now, the thing that ought to be done there, I don't know the Chinese name, but that point that I make is that kicking a nation out by a majority vote is a bad precedent.
2:08:43It is a bad precedent.
2:08:44It is a hell of a struggle.
2:08:45They understand that.
2:08:46They might be nationalists in the U.S. in their general policy.
2:08:49People can stir up the trail.
2:08:51That's not what I mean.
2:08:56And that's an argumentation that fits any formula.
2:09:01And it also fits, it particularly fits little countries.
2:09:06Yes, sir.
2:09:06I say much of the United Nations.
2:09:08I'm just angry.
2:09:10I'm excited to throw it out on the majority vote.
2:09:17Anything else to do today?
2:09:18No, sir.
2:09:18No, I understand that Bill Rock took a casualty arrest of 10 minutes every five minutes.
2:09:22Jesus Christ.
2:09:23We announced that this morning with these congressmen.
2:09:30Oh, you did?
2:09:31We told them that.
2:09:33Oh, how did that meeting go?
2:09:35I think it went very, very well.
2:09:36Actually, most of them were friendly.
2:09:39I know the list is solid, guys.
2:09:43But there were about five or six that had been wavering.
2:09:47Well, I came over for that reason.
2:09:49I thought to lay it to them.
2:09:51I got them to, you know, I left the implied threat that, look, I'll take responsibility for this, what happens, and it's going to work.
2:10:03But basically, if Congress undercuts it, it's going to be damn tough.
2:10:09And it is.
2:10:09Have you made that point there?
2:10:11Yes, sir.
2:10:11Well, the odd part of it was that your speech this morning just, we led right on up to that point, which only really you could say in terms of the broader picture.
2:10:25And it just came in.
2:10:26It was an ideal argumentation.
2:10:29It was Admiral Moore's side on the military side.
2:10:32I gave him a little bit on the domestic political side in Saigon and the realities of that thing.
2:10:38And pointing out that we were succeeding in it, and we had to see it through.
2:10:41And we were on the verge of success in this.
2:10:44And it's another thing, too, on the POW thing now.
2:10:47Let's face it, if you just pass a congressional resolution, and within six months after we get the prisoners back, what in the Christ...
2:10:55What bargaining position does that give you on the other side?
2:10:59Not a goddamn thing, except if they want you out in nine months, maybe get out soon.
2:11:02You know what I mean?
2:11:03Maybe get a POW sooner.
2:11:05I think that is no damn good of a POW to do.
2:11:08Oh, it's a disaster.
2:11:10It's the worst possible thing you could do.
2:11:12Just tell them, look, we'll be out in nine months after this.
2:11:14Maybe it just simply says that we're a weak crowd.
2:11:18Well, the next thing would be the levels of our support to South Carolina.
2:11:22Right.
2:11:22You know, today we would need something like that.
2:11:26Okay.
2:11:26All right.

NARA Description

On October 19, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:17 pm to 12:18 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 596-007 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 596-7

Date: October 19, 1971
Time: 12:17 pm - 12:18 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Stephen B. Bull.

     The President's schedule
          -Forthcoming meeting with National Multiple Sclerosis Society
               -Oliver F. (“Ollie”) Atkins
               -Press photograph distribution

Bull left at 12:17 pm.

Also recorded on October 19, 1971

  • 596-005 12:14 PM · 1 min — unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:14 pm to 12:15 pm.
  • 596-006 12:15 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:15 pm and 12:17 pm.
  • 596-008 12:23 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at 12:23 pm.
  • 596-009 12:23 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at 12:23 pm.
  • 596-023 12:23 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. V. Meares, Sylvia Lawry, Kenneth R. Cole, Jr., White House photographer, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:23 pm and 12:30 pm.
  • 596-010 12:30 PM · 24 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:30 pm and 12:31 pm.
  • 596-011 12:31 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, Ross Tomkins, Charlton (Rink) ("Rink") Reynders, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:31 pm to 12:33 pm.
  • 080-003 12:33 PM · 11 min — Stephen B. Bull and unknown person(s) met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 12:33 pm and 11:59 pm.

All 93 conversations from October 19, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 596-007, October 19, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/596-007 (accessed September 28, 2026).