Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 705 › Conversation 705-007

Nixon & Ziegler on Vietnam War and Press Relations

Monday, April 10, 1972 · 11:41 AM–11:44 AM ET · Oval Office · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.Conversation705-007 on Tape 705 (tape position 02:27:45–02:30:58)StartMonday, April 10, 1972 at 11:41 AMEndMonday, April 10, 1972 at 11:44 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 705-007 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler discussed the administration's strategic messaging regarding the North Vietnamese offensive and the role of great powers. Nixon highlighted his recent remarks to an Associated Press reporter, emphasizing the responsibility of nations like the USSR to refrain from encouraging aggression. The President also analyzed the military situation in South Vietnam, expressing confidence that the ongoing North Vietnamese "Sunday punch" would fail while directing Ziegler to monitor media coverage closely.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

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I wanted to make sure that when I was walking up, I wanted to make sure they did, and I said to Gaylord Shaw, the AP, because I thought it was important for the Marshal, I said, and I'm not telling you, I'm not saying that a
Officials were pushing the line.
I said, but just off the record, Chief Daylord, you picked up the significance of that, didn't you?
He said, I should have.
He said, I should have.
I said, the great nations have particular responsibility to, special responsibility, not to encourage directly or indirectly any nation to take the direction of the United States.
He got it.
Very suddenly done, but I think very effectively done.
Well, we want to do it slowly.
Okay.
Put the team right to the east side.
Yes, sir.
We're placing our hands in the direction of that 52 shot last night from the ship.
Henry said I was in Henry's office this morning talking to Beth's mother.
They were bringing a call while I was in there.
Henry said he thought that you had gotten an attention.
Yeah, but that's what they do in the office.
That's all right.
I am frankly just as real life as I can be.
But these guys are throwing their Sunday punch now.
They should have thrown it in about October.
And a peace candidate might have said, oh God, let's stop the war.
We've got 30 minutes now.
And they're not going to win.
So we're going to give it to them.
The House said the morning reports do interfere with the south-eastern ether.
It'll be on the back, back of the Argonaut tree, around Saigon.
That's where we'll be.
That's where we'll be.
That's where we'll be.
That's where we'll be.
That's where we'll be.
That's where we'll be.
That's where we'll be.
That's where we'll be.
Okay, yes sir, they've got a point.
I'm going to watch the wires and the feeling in them.
No, I'm not sorry.
I just want to make sure that it wasn't overlooked.
I felt that if AP got it, then the others got it, and AP would force the arrest.
Sure.
Okay, got it.

NARA Description

On April 10, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:41 am to 11:44 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 705-007 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 705-7

Date: April 10, 1972
Time: 11:41 am - 11:44 am
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Ronald L. Ziegler.

     Press statement
           -Gaylord Shell of Associated Press [AP]
                -Ziegler statement
                                                                      Conv. No.
           -The President’s remarks at signing ceremony of Biological Weapons   705-19 (cont.)
                                                                              Convention
                -Responsibilities of great powers
                -Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]

     Vietnam
          -USSR
               -Anatoliy F. Dobrynin's call to Henry A. Kissinger
          -North Vietnamese offensive
               -Mistakes
                     -1972 election
               -South Vietnam
                     -Gen. Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
                           -Reports
                     -Strengths
                           -Quang Tri
               -US counterforce
                     -Carriers
               -Press reports
                     -AP reports

Ziegler left at 11:44 am.

Also recorded on April 10, 1972

  • 705-004 11:30 AM · 51 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:30 am to 11:33 am.
  • 705-005 11:33 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:33 am and 11:41 am.
  • 705-006 11:33 AM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:33 am and 11:41 am.
  • 705-008 11:44 AM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:44 am and 11:45 am.
  • 705-009 11:45 AM · 38 min — President Richard M. Nixon, William J. Porter, Henry A. Kissinger, Stephen B. Bull, and Oliver F. ("Ollie") Atkins met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:45 am to 12:23 pm.
  • 705-010 12:23 PM · 58 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander P. Butterfield, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:23 pm and 12:25 pm.
  • 705-011 12:25 PM · 13 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Robert W. Barker, Arch N. Booth, William N. Burch, George Champion, Jr., Mary Pillsbury Lord, James P. Low, Leonard H. Marks, Herbert E. Marks, J. Willard Marriott, Alice (Sheets) Marriott, William J. McManus, Charles S. O???Malley, Jr., A. Pollard Simons, Katherine (Merrill) Swim, Walter E. Washington, C. Robert Yeager, John P. Cosgrove, John B. Kelly, Jr., David C. Hoopes, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:25 pm to 12:38 pm.
  • 705-012 12:38 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:38 pm and 12:44 pm.

All 36 conversations from April 10, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 705-007, April 10, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/705-007 (accessed October 1, 2026).