Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 642 › Conversation 642-016
Nixon, Warren & Woods on Dan Rather and State of the Union
Monday, January 3, 1972 · 10:05 AM–10:14 AM ET · Oval Office
AI Summary
President Nixon met with Rose Mary Woods, Manolo Sanchez, and others in the Oval Office to discuss administrative tasks, including the location of misplaced papers and the placement of a bust of John Foster Dulles in the Executive Office Building. The conversation prominently featured a review of Nixon's recent television interview with Dan Rather, during which Woods praised the President's composed demeanor despite Rather's aggressive questioning regarding the Vietnam War and the President's use of formal honorifics. Additionally, Nixon briefly consulted Gerald L. Warren regarding the scheduling and announcement of the upcoming State of the Union address.
Audio
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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 03:12:35 into the tape and ends around 03:21:52.
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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.
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· Timestamps are positions within the full tape recording.
3:12:43Because of the very specific nature of the problem.
3:12:48You can point out that Bangladesh, that call, you can say, I know it was Bangladesh.
3:12:58the best of intentions with that call.
3:13:00Why do you interpret it in the United States and in the international community as being the first step toward recognition by the time that other nations are not recognizing it, including the Soviet Union?
3:13:14But they are dealing with the Bangladesh government.
3:13:17But have not recognized it then.
3:13:21How's that?
3:13:22I wouldn't argue with them.
3:13:23I would just tell them that you don't want to.
3:13:25All right.
3:13:27OK. OK. OK. OK.
3:13:33But you see, sometimes I think if they get it directly to me, it's going to shake them up.
3:13:38Anyway, if they get it from you, all it's going to do is they're either going to say that it came from me, or they're going to use it as a pretext to say that Kenji was doing something the president didn't approve.
3:13:49You got my point?
3:13:51I'm approving this goddamn thing.
3:13:53I don't mind it one bit.
3:14:49All right, that is right.
3:14:51Good day.
3:14:52I'm really looking forward to work today.
3:14:55Very lovely day.
3:14:57Gorgeous.
3:15:01Well, when does your project begin?
3:15:06I don't know.
3:15:07I don't know.
3:15:09I might have a project in FYI or something, so I'll take those on the plane.
3:15:14Are you going to be too busy doing that?
3:15:16Oh, no.
3:15:20I have a painting that... Oh, it's a pseudocrat, isn't it?
3:15:31He's from a rich sleuth who comes from the old man in the back.
3:15:46He's running out.
3:15:49A painting was probably very valuable, because the artist died the other day about 90 years ago, so it was a good one.
3:15:57Yeah, but no, I have to paint a paper like that someplace around here.
3:16:01Better go up the room, but the roads are not so aggressive.
3:16:04I know you're sorry.
3:16:05Please, sir.
3:16:05No, no, please, sir.
3:16:06Please, sir.
3:16:20Everybody that I've talked to, from my family, friends, people that I've talked to, like that couple before, every once in a while you would just actually nod and say, it's not bad, it's just not bad.
3:16:32I don't think he stood looking.
3:16:41I don't have thought he stood looking.
3:16:46But last night, they were too low.
3:16:48And you know, the men of film aren't aware that that changed the whole look of his face.
3:16:55I didn't think he was as...
3:16:57It doesn't matter how bad it is.
3:16:59I always thought it was nice and good.
3:17:02They had good camera angles last night.
3:17:06Yes, I think they did.
3:17:07Because I've got to keep after her and keep her back.
3:17:09Well, they had very good, I thought.
3:17:11I don't know, did they have the eyes up and everything?
3:17:13Eyes up, always.
3:17:15And they had one shot, and I was talking.
3:17:17Straight down.
3:17:17I was talking.
3:17:18They were good.
3:17:19And they were on you almost all the time.
3:17:25I thought they were very good.
3:17:27And you were looking, there was no, there was no, yes.
3:17:33You smiled, you were pleasant, and what I, I watched several people, and one of them was Paul Garvey, you know.
3:17:43He just thought it was absolutely magnificent, the way, you never showed any irritation at all.
3:17:50Not one ounce of it.
3:17:52You just...
3:17:55And he was really nasty.
3:17:56And, you know, you promised this and you promised that.
3:17:59And then that dumbness of their news question.
3:18:02That was so stupid.
3:18:03Well, I didn't want him.
3:18:04I called Jim Lee.
3:18:06Chris?
3:18:11I used to go to the crime scene.
3:18:13I never heard about it.
3:18:13But I slipped off of it.
3:18:14All right.
3:18:14I said, well, I'm a little old-fashioned.
3:18:16I'm Mr. and Mrs.
3:18:17They can call me anything.
3:18:18They can call me anything in this office.
3:18:20Yeah.
3:18:20It's weird.
3:18:22It's because it's so pathetic.
3:18:24Who wants to be a midget?
3:18:26I mean, it's negative.
3:18:27Oh, yeah.
3:18:28Oh, yeah.
3:18:30He's just dumb.
3:18:32He was trying every time.
3:18:34The worst, the most horrible suggestion was that I had delayed the end of the war so that I could have landed much better.
3:18:43That was a terrible thing to say.
3:18:45Well, he implied that everything we were doing was...
3:18:48I should have had it then.
3:18:49Why didn't I put it off until after?
3:18:51But I put it in there.
3:18:52I said, this is too important for... You did.
3:18:54You said the very right things and that was...
3:18:58about the number of Americans who had been dying and this and that.
3:19:03Oh, it was, it was just, you handled it so beautifully.
3:19:06And he was so, really, then it's when, I thought he was a pig, but he was terrible.
3:19:12Oh, he was just, I didn't think he'd show himself.
3:19:21I think now he's not half as bright as he actually is, because when he did that, that was showing himself up pretty badly, I think.
3:19:32The thing we have out here is a little head of John Foster Dulles.
3:19:37And sometimes, you know, I look at it and see if he wandered over anywhere and he'll be here.
3:19:53Nothing matters for television, though.
3:19:56It's got them.
3:19:57People scream.
3:19:59and spend all their time reading newspapers and magazines and the rest.
3:20:03Nobody reads newspapers or magazines anymore.
3:20:05They read them.
3:20:06I'm the only one who reads newspapers.
3:20:09Well, I think they do.
3:20:10I wish they would sell them more than they read newspapers.
3:20:13They sell them now.
3:20:16They sell them now.
3:20:17They sell them now.
3:20:18They sell them now.
3:20:18They sell them now.
3:20:19They sell them now.
3:20:21They sell them now.
3:20:22They sell them now.
3:20:22They sell them now.
3:20:24They sell them now.
3:20:25They sell them now.
3:20:25They sell them now.
3:20:26They sell them now.
3:20:26They sell them now.
3:20:27They sell them now.
3:20:31Mr. Warren, please.
3:21:20Yeah.
3:21:20With regard to the announcement of the State of Union, I was wondering if that had been done, or...
NARA Description
On January 3, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, Manolo Sanchez, White House operator, Gerald L. Warren, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:05 am and 10:14 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 642-016 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 642-16
Date: January 3, 1972
Time: 10:05 am - unknown before 10:14 am
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Rose Mary Woods.
Woods's schedule
Weather
Woods’s schedule
-Trip to California
-Unknown items
-Plane
Painting
Misplaced papers
Painting
-Owner
-Fred Sutter
-Value
-Artist
-Death
Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 10:05 am.
Misplaced papers
-Roosevelt Room
-The President's name
Sanchez left at an unknown time before 10:10 am.
The President's previous interview with Dan Rather, January 2, 1972
-Woods's friends' opinions
-Rather
-Rather
-Appearance
-Camera angles
-Shot from outside of Oval Office
-Focus on the President
-The President's demeanor
-The President's performance
-Paul Garvey's views
-Rather's performance
-Question on use of "Ms."
-The President's subsequent calls to Julie Nixon Eisenhower and Tricia Nixon
Cox
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 3s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
*****************************************************************
-The President's response
-Rather's performance
-Accusation concerning the President's possible delay tactics regarding Vietnam and
reelection
-The President's response
-Peace
-US casualties
-Rather's performance
-Woods’s view
John Foster Dulles
-Bust
-Possible location
-Executive Office Building [EOB]
News
-Television
-Newspapers and newsmagazines
-Readership
-"Man of the Year" award
-Readership
[The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 10:05 am and
10:10 am.]
[Conversation No. 642-16A]
[See Conversation No. 18-3]
[End of telephone conversation]
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 21s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
*****************************************************************
Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 10:05 am.
Misplaced papers
-Possible location
Sanchez left at 10:10 am.
[The President talked with Gerald L. Warren between 10:10 am and 10:11 am.]
[Conversation No. 642-16B]
The President's State of the Union message
-Announcement
-Date
[End of telephone conversation]
Misplaced papers
-Out box
-Alexander P. Butterfield
-Briefcase
-Roosevelt Room
-Notes
-"Little room"
-Woods's search
Bust of Dulles
-The President's inspection
-Decision on display
-EOB
Stephen B. Bull entered and Woods left at 10:13 am.
Sanchez
-Location
-Previous instructions from the President
Bull left at an unknown time before 10:14 am.Also recorded on January 3, 1972
- 642-015 9:25 AM · 39 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, Rose Mary Woods, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:25 am to 10:04 am.
- 018-003 10:05 AM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:05 am and 10:10 am.
- 018-109 10:10 AM · 34 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Gerald L. Warren talked on the telephone from 10:10 am to 10:11 am.
- 018-110 10:11 AM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:11 am and 11:08 am.
- 642-017 10:14 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:14 am to 10:15 am.
- 642-018 10:15 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:15 am and 10:23 am.
- 642-019 10:15 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:15 am and 10:23 am.
- 642-020 10:23 AM · 34 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Gerard C. Smith, William P. Rogers, Henry A. Kissinger, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:23 am to 10:56 am.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 642-016, 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/642-016 (accessed October 22, 2026).