Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 668 › Conversation 668-016

Nixon alone in the Oval Office on Vietnam War and Foreign Policy

Wednesday, February 9, 1972 · 11:21 AM–12:05 PM ET · Oval Office · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President)Conversation668-016 on Tape 668 (tape position 03:05:26–03:12:03)StartWednesday, February 9, 1972 at 11:21 AMEndWednesday, February 9, 1972 at 12:05 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 668-016 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon recorded a segment of his radio address concerning the Third Annual Foreign Policy Report to Congress with the assistance of technical staff. The remarks focused on the Vietnam War, emphasizing the necessity of executive authority in peace negotiations and urging presidential candidates to avoid rhetoric that might inadvertently prolong the conflict. Nixon concluded by highlighting the importance of maintaining international trust in U.S. treaty commitments while pursuing an honorable withdrawal from the region.

Audio

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Position in tape: 03:05:26 – 03:12:03

part B, 1:01:44

668a.mp3
668b.mp3
668b_i.mp3

NARA Description

On February 9, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:21 am and 12:05 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 668-016 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 668-16

Date: February 9, 1972
Time: Unknown between 11:21 am and 12:05 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President taped the Vietnam section of the radio address about the Third Annual Foreign
Policy Report to the Congress; unknown technicians are in the Oval Office at the time of taping.

[A transcript of the final version of this speech appear in Public Papers of the Presidents,
Richard M. Nixon, 1972, pp. 192-193]

     The President’s schedule
          -Executive Office Building [EOB]

The President left at an unknown time before 12:05 pm.

Recording was cut off at an unknown time before 12:05 pm.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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

Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).

Let me turn now to Vietnam.
This has been America's longest and most difficult war.
It began long before I became president, and I have been doing everything I can honorably do to end it.
I brought almost 1.5 million men home from Vietnam.
As high as 300 elite were being killed in action when I took office.
This week there were two.
We reduced air surges, bucket cuts, and draft calls.
Let me turn now to Vietnam.
This has been America's longest and most difficult war.
It began long before I became President, and I have been doing everything I can honorably do to end it.
I have brought almost 1.5 million men home from Vietnam.
As high as 300 a week were being killed in action when I took office.
This week there were two.
We have reduced air surges, budget costs, and draft costs.
We have made the most generous peace offer in the history of warfare.
I have no complaint over the fact that during this period, when I have been ending the war, I did not begin.
I have been subjected to vigorous criticism.
And I do not question the patriotism or the sincerity of those who disagree with my policy to bring peace.
But as I said in 1968 when I was a candidate for president, we have only one president at a time.
And only the President can negotiate an end to the war.
There should always be free debate and criticism so that our policy will represent the best thinking of our nation.
A candidate for President has a higher responsibility than the ordinary critic.
A candidate should make any criticism he believes would contribute to bringing an honorable peace.
But I would hope that anyone seeking the presidency would examine his statements carefully to be sure that nothing he says might give the enemy an incentive to prolong the war until after the election.
Trust in the United States among the 45 nations with which we have treaty commitments is essential if peace and freedom are to be preserved in the world.
Let us end our involvement in the war in Vietnam in a way which will not destroy that trust.

Also recorded on February 9, 1972

  • 020-081 10:15 AM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 10:15 am.
  • 668-013 10:40 AM · 20 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:40 am and 11:04 am.
  • 668-014 10:40 AM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:40 am and 11:04 am.
  • 020-083 11:04 AM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:04 am and 2:52 pm.
  • 668-015 11:20 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:20 am to 11:21 am.
  • 321-001 12:08 PM · 52 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:08 pm and 12:16 pm.
  • 321-002 12:08 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:08 pm and 12:16 pm.
  • 321-003 12:16 PM · 45 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 12:16 pm to 1:05 pm.

All 47 conversations from February 9, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 668-016, February 9, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/668-016 (accessed November 2, 2026).