Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 718 › Conversation 718-010

Nixon & Bull on Speechwriting and Military strategy

Wednesday, May 3, 1972 · 12:14 PM–12:18 PM ET · Oval Office

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Bull, Stephen B.Conversation718-010 onTape 718 (tape position 02:19:19–02:21:28)StartWednesday, May 3, 1972 at 12:14 PMEndWednesday, May 3, 1972 at 12:18 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 718-010 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Stephen B. Bull discuss the urgent preparation of a high-stakes speech, with Nixon demanding a draft by the following evening to clarify his strategic thinking. The conversation touches upon the necessity of decisive action, weighing the risks and perceptions of a potential military strike. Nixon emphasizes the limited options available to the administration and mandates a final decision to avoid the appearance of hesitation.

Audio

Download MP3 (part 1) · 167.5 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 60.1 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 02:19:19 into the tape and ends around 02:21:28.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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

2:19:20I want the speech, or I haven't prepared the speech, because getting the speech and writing it will help me get my own thinking in the right time of day.
2:19:20And so I want the speech or copy of it by, uh, well, Monday, Monday, Monday, Monday, Monday, Monday, Monday, Monday, Monday, Monday, Monday, Monday, Monday.
2:19:33Well, let us say, let us say, could we have a copy of the speech rather than tomorrow?
2:19:39Could we have it tomorrow at 7, after dinner, 7 o'clock?
2:19:42That gets all day tomorrow.
2:19:44Fair enough.
2:19:45And you just put it in there, and we'll, we'll, we'll, we'll do it.
2:19:50I'm sorry, we'll do it.
2:19:56This will be one real surprise.
2:19:58On the edge of that, there will be absolutely no reason.
2:20:02It will make you look very strong.
2:20:05For a moment.
2:20:07For a while.
2:20:08But on the other hand, on the other hand, we will definitely serve.
2:20:14And frankly, it's the only choice we have.
2:20:18See, that's the way we have to look at it.
2:20:19If we had a better choice, we'd make it, wouldn't we?
2:20:22Well, you can do the two-day strike.
2:20:24I think if we wait with that too long, if we wait just, they'll think we're flanking.
2:20:29I mean, we can't be any mad.
2:20:30Well, the two-day strike, it could still go.
2:20:33If it went by Tuesday, we wouldn't be waiting too long.
2:20:37No, but... No, but...
2:20:41That's about it.
2:20:42Partially, we've got to go one way or the other.
2:20:45That's what I meant.
2:20:47So that's why you've got to decide.
2:20:49I've got to decide to go, uh, on this thing.
2:20:53If you can't do this on it, you can do it on the two-day strike for a while.
2:20:58Well, I can hold that.
2:21:01Okay, I'll, I'll get that done.
2:21:04But I agree you can't hold up the decision until, uh, the weekend at play.

NARA Description

On May 3, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:14 pm and 12:18 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 718-010 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 718-10

Date: May 3, 1972
Time: 12:14-unknown before 12:18 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Stephen B. Bull.

                                        (rev. Dec-01)

     President's schedule
          -Forthcoming meeting
          -Barber
                 -Time
                 -Arrangements
                 -Time

Bull left at an unknown time before 12:18 pm.

Also recorded on May 3, 1972

  • 718-011 12:14 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:14 pm and 12:18 pm.
  • 718-012 12:18 PM · 17 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Manolo Sanchez, and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:18 pm and 12:35 pm.
  • 718-014 12:35 PM · 43 sec — United States Secret Service agents and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:35 pm and 12:59 pm.
  • 023-130 12:36 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:36 pm and 12:40 pm.
  • 335-004 12:36 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:36 pm and 12:40 pm.
  • 023-131 12:40 PM · 28 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield talked on the telephone from 12:40 pm to 12:41 pm.
  • 335-005 12:40 PM · 37 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:40 pm and 12:41 pm.
  • 023-132 12:41 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 12:41 pm.

All 63 conversations from May 3, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 718-010, May 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/718-010 (accessed September 18, 2026).