Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 642 › Conversation 642-010

Nixon & Moore on Dan Rather and Howard K. Smith

Monday, January 3, 1972 · 9:07 AM–9:14 AM ET · Oval Office

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Moore, Richard A.Conversation642-010 onTape 642 (tape position 02:15:29–02:23:11)StartMonday, January 3, 1972 at 9:07 AMEndMonday, January 3, 1972 at 9:14 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 642-010 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Richard A. Moore reviewed the President's recent television interview with Dan Rather, comparing it unfavorably to his previous appearance with Howard K. Smith. They discussed specific inquiries Rather raised regarding the administration's political timing on Vietnam, foreign summits, and economic policy, as well as the President’s traditional views on social nomenclature like the term "Ms." The two concluded the meeting by assessing the strategic value of such televised interviews versus traditional press conferences for the administration's public image.

Audio

Download MP3 (part 1) · 167.6 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 168.6 MB ·Download MP3 (part 3) · 148.0 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 02:15:29 into the tape and ends around 02:23:11.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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

2:15:37Okay.
2:15:38All right.
2:15:39All right.
2:16:08All right, here we go.
2:17:35So, yeah, yeah, how are you?
2:17:45You feel good?
2:17:47Yeah, yeah.
2:17:49Yeah, you're, uh, you aren't doing, uh, all these old things out there, yeah?
2:18:01Yeah, he's a rather interesting artist.
2:18:05He's an active, frequent student.
2:18:33You know, I had a call with him this morning.
2:18:43I said, really, the Smith thing is better.
2:18:47He said, yes, the Smith thing is better, but no, not the Stanford thing.
2:18:53I told him, you agree with me?
2:18:58Thank you very much.
2:19:23Well, I guess it's the case that it was in the 1930s, I don't know, that I delayed the war and delayed the economic progress.
2:19:37You do sound injured.
2:19:38I was trying to get a hold of my mom across the...
2:19:52Yeah, well, I don't know.
2:19:54You prefer this?
2:20:20I know what the Christ is talking about.
2:20:22My daughter's related, but his is quite the greatest man.
2:20:26I said, well, I'm a fair guy, though, to the right answer.
2:20:29Because I said, well, I was old-fashioned.
2:20:30I thought Mr. and Mrs. was OK. That's that.
2:21:15That's right.
2:21:17Well, that's true.
2:21:18That's part of it.
2:21:19But it had to do with, would you do it now?
2:21:21Yeah.
2:21:23But it also pointed out that the police didn't do it in the morning, okay?
2:21:27Which is a question we'll see with all things.
2:21:29We saw a president who was in the hot tub, so I think they were in his office.
2:21:33Yeah.
2:21:35But do you think these things are worthwhile?
2:21:37Well, we've got the courage, so there's no more to do.
2:21:46Yes, of course.
2:21:47No, they can't.
2:21:48They don't do it.
2:21:49They don't do it because they do not have any LPS.
2:21:59On the other hand, there are certifiers.
2:22:50Yes, sir.

NARA Description

On January 3, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Richard A. Moore met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:07 am to 9:14 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 642-010 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 642-10

Date: January 3, 1972
Time: 9:07 am - 9:14 am
Location: Oval Office

The President talked with Richard A. Moore.

     Greeting

     Unknown man
         -Speechwriting

     The President's interview with Rather, January 2, 1972
          -Compared to Howard K. Smith interview
               -The President's previous conversation with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
               -Smith's questions
          -Rather
               -The President’s handling
          -Question on the President's possible delay tactics for sake of reelection
               -Vietnam
               -Moscow and Peking summit
               -US economic program
               -Vietnam
                      -Bombing pause
          -Question on use of "Ms."
               -The President's conversation with daughter
                      -Gloria Steinem's comment
               -The President's response

          -Question on ending Vietnam war
               -Timing
               -Lyndon B. Johnson
               -Presidential responsibility
          -Value
               -Compared with press conferences
                     -Value for administration
          -Question on Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
               -Republican National Convention
          -Popular opinion
          -Rather

     Asa V. Call
          -Health

     Donald I. Goodenow
         -Political life
                -1956
         -Stanford University

Also recorded on January 3, 1972

  • 642-006 9:02 AM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:02 am and 9:07 am.
  • 642-007 9:02 AM · 32 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:02 am and 9:07 am.
  • 642-008 9:02 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:02 am and 9:07 am.
  • 642-009 9:02 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:02 am and 9:07 am.
  • 642-011 9:15 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Gerald L. Warren, unknown person(s), and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:15 am to 9:19 am.
  • 018-001 9:19 AM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 9:19 am.
  • 018-002 9:19 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and William P. Rogers talked on the telephone from 9:19 am to 9:23 am.
  • 642-012 9:19 AM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House at 9:19 am.

All 105 conversations from January 3, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 642-010, January 3, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/642-010 (accessed September 18, 2026).