Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 719 › Conversation 719-007

Nixon & Haldeman on Soviet Summit and J. Edgar Hoover

Thursday, May 4, 1972 · 9:59 AM–10:22 AM ET · Oval Office · 23 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation719-007 on Tape 719 (tape position 01:18:32–01:41:25)StartThursday, May 4, 1972 at 9:59 AMEndThursday, May 4, 1972 at 10:22 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 719-007 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and H.R. Haldeman discussed the political implications of the upcoming Soviet summit in light of the ongoing North Vietnam offensive. Nixon rehearsed his eulogy for J. Edgar Hoover before deliberating with Haldeman on whether to cancel or postpone the summit to avoid domestic political fallout from Democrats and election-year critics. They weighed the strategic risks of proceeding with negotiations against the potential for a foreign policy victory, ultimately considering the possibility of a post-election meeting.

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Position in tape: 01:18:32 – 01:41:25

part A, 1:19:53

719a.mp3
719b.mp3

NARA Description

On May 4, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:59 am and 10:22 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 719-007 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 719-7

Date: May 4, 1972
Time: Unknown after 9:59 am and before 10:22 am
Location: Oval Office

The President rehearsed a portion of his "Eulogy Delivered at Funeral Services for J. Edgar
Hoover"

[A transcript of the final eulogy appears in Public Papers of the Presidents, Richard M. Nixon,
1972, pp. 574-575]

[End of transcribed portion]

H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman entered at 10:13 am.

     John B. Connally
          -Departure from administration
               -Timing
               -Support for the President
          -Soviet Summit
          -North Vietnam offensive
               -Conclusion
               -Continuation
                     -Stalemate
          -Meeting with the President
               -Delay
                     -President's speech

     Soviet Summit

         -Possible cancellation
              -Impact
              -Criticism
                    -"Hawks"
                    -Democrats
                          -Hubert H. Humphrey
                          -Effect on forthcoming election
                                -Similarity to 1960 election
                                      -Soviet propaganda
         -North Vietnam offensive
              -US counteraction
                    -Plans
         -Cancellation
         -People's Republic of China [PRC]
Show the rest of the log (29 more lines)
              -President’s previous trip
         -Postponement
              -Duration
         -Domestic reaction
              -Timing with forthcoming election
         -Negotiations with Soviets
              -Humphrey
              -George S. McGovern
              -Edward M. Kennedy
         -Cancellation
              -Risks

**********************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 1m 36s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

**********************************************************************

         -Soviet Summit
              -Postponement
                   -Election issue

                                -Humphrey

The President left at an unknown time before 10:22 am.

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

and to live these virtues ourselves as he lived them for his use, to love the law as he loved it, and to give fullest respect, support, and cooperation to the law enforcement profession when she did so much to advance.
And such a towering figure as this one was.
There was a belief that a change in the guard will also mean a change in the rules.
With J. Edgar Hoover, this is the time.
The FBI will carry on the future true to the finest traditions of the past.
Because regardless of what the snipers and detractors would have us believe, the fact is that Director Hoover built the Bureau totally on principle, not personality.
He built love.
He built class.
That reason, the FBI will remain as a memorial to him, a living memorial continuing to create a climate of protection, security, and partial justice that benefits every American.
The good J. Edgar Hoover's done will not die.
The profound principles associated with his name will not fade away.
Rather, I would predict that in the time ahead,
The American people today are fed up with disorder.
As we come back to the law, remember.
called peace officers.
Today, though that term is passed out of style, the truth is expressed.
All the world yearns for peace, peace among nations, and peace within nations.
But without peace officers, we can never have peace.
Edgar Hoover knew this basic truth.
He shaped his life around it.
He was a peace officer without fear.
Each of us stands forever in his memory.
In the years ahead, let us cherish his memory, be true to his letters.
Let us honor him as he would surely want us to do, by honoring all the men and women who carry on in his noble profession of helping to keep the peace in our society.
In the last book, the book which Dr. Hoover called his guide in today's life, we find the words which best
They are from the Psalms.
Great peace have they which love I love.
J. R. Rupert loved of all his God.
He loved of all his

— 1 min 35 s with no transcribed speech —

Today is a day of sadness for America, but it is also a day of pride.
America's pride has always been its people, a people of good men and women by the millions, of great men and women in remarkable numbers, and once in a long while of giants who stand head and shoulders above their country, setting a high and noble standard for its own.
J. Edgar Hoover was one of the giants.
His long life went over with magnificent achievement
One of the tragedies of life is that at school,
The greatest federal juror remained inseparable from the greatness of the organization he created and gave his whole life to building the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
He made the FBI the finest law enforcement agency on Earth, the invincible and incorruptible defender of every American's precious right to be free from fear.
Yet America has revered this man, not only as the director of an institution,
All other leaders, morals, manners, and opinion rose and fell.
The director stated his post.
He was a love of lies and politics.
I recalled that President Eisenhower, Republican, President Johnson, and Everett both strongly recommended after my election that I keep him as director of the FBI.
He was one of those unique individuals who by all odds was the best man for a highly important job.
and the flesh of freedom in America's soul.
He personified integrity.
He personified precedent.
He personified discipline.
He personified loyalty.
He personified honor.
He personified courage.
He personified dedication.
He personified patriotism.
These are his legacy to the Bureau of Rehabilitation and Service.
We can pay him no higher tribute and believe those virtues ourselves
as he lived in all these years, to love the law as he loved it, to give fullest respect, support, and cooperation to the law enforcement profession, which he did so much to advance.
When such a towering figure, a man who has dominated his field so completely for so long, finally passes from the
There is belief that a change in the dog also means a change in the rules.
But J. Edgar Hoover, this will not happen.
The FBI will carry on the future truly with the Spanish traditions of the past.
Because regardless of what the snipers and detractors would have us believe, the fact is that Edgar Hoover built the Bureau totally on principle, not on personality.
He built it well.
He built it well.
For that reason, the FBI will remain as a memorial to him, a living memorial continuing to create a climate of protection, security, and impartial justice that benefits every American.
The good J. Edgar Hoover is done.
You see, when we thought of the 15th, because we thought of the sun falling, that's right,
It's not the case that they have a bank out now, you know, could be a hell of a depressing thing.
That's right, because not everybody doesn't know that he doesn't support his story on this issue.
What's going to be better by the 1st of June?
What will be better by the 1st of June?
It's over.
When I say over, the point is that the Russian flag would be over.
The Russian flag, that's right.
I think it would be better not to raise it in this session.
No, no, no, but I mean even after this session.
Okay.
To wait a day, I'd wait till tomorrow or even till Monday probably when I do the speech.
Or let's say till you decide, yeah, and move on before you do the speech, but when it's decided you're doing it for sure.
Well, we'll do the speech.
The Democrats will go on the war path.
They supported the Russians.
And, you know, I painted the pictures three years ago.
And so I did what we had to go through.
get more support in there that's the one I could think because they don't have a strong back but nevertheless it will then appear to the Russians that they have a good chance of beating me and and consequently they'll pour it on like they did in 60 but even more so because they hear me like crazy so I took him a little
There's one other side of that, which we have to consider, is that what we do.
They put the boil, bring the goddamn tank on in.
That would be very different situation.
Well, yeah, that's, if you can't plant on that basis, you gotta plant on the other basis.
He knows that.
And he gets the good guns by the year.
That's fine.
And all of you know I'm not a candidate for the summit.
I've never had that many people.
That's why you're quite a fan.
And it goes over there, you know, because I see these dangers.
But I'll tell you that that's where the ban on China thing gets in.
It just created a hell of a depression that talking to people is a good thing.
Well, dig in on one basis, and lay the basis, lay the point that you can do it on the other side, though, too.
And, uh, you do the Russian thing, who knows, maybe things simmer down and you can go back to it later.
In my view, if we cast them now, I wouldn't give any more thought to them.
I really think that, for the conscience, frankly, I'll believe none of them, but also
You couldn't leave the possibility open and just put it off.
In Denver, yes, yes, that's a match.
We will do it that way.
But you know what I mean.
I think we have to realize that's what's going to happen.
Because from a domestic standpoint, we would get one hell of a wall, frankly, from Russia.
Right after the Democratic convention, that was an attack group.
They were coming and couldn't wait.
Not bad, but I'm delusional in some ways.
Yeah, sorry.
It isn't that.
You can see my client.
And all the risks to the summit here might have things to do.

— 2 min 0 s with no transcribed speech —

All right.
And there is some appeal to post-election summit.
And if you love the summit hanging, then you can put your speakers at that point in the summit meeting.
They have to be postponed.
We held the one Hubert Offrey going, the one Richard Nixon going.

— 3 min 14 s with no transcribed speech —

We'll be right back.

Also recorded on May 4, 1972

  • 719-003 8:58 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 8:58 am to 9:02 am.
  • 719-004 9:06 AM · 58 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Ronald L. Ziegler, Stephen B. Bull, Henry A. Kissinger, and John B. Connally met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:06 am to 9:59 am.
  • 023-150 9:30 AM · 38 sec — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, President Richard M. Nixon, and John B. Connally talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:30 am and 9:35 am.
  • 719-005 9:59 AM · 33 sec — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House at 9:59 am.
  • 719-006 9:59 AM · 25 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:59 am and 10:03 am.
  • 719-008 10:22 AM · 8 min — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:22 am to 10:31 am.
  • 719-009 10:31 AM · 10 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:31 am and 10:41 am.
  • 719-010 10:41 AM · 3 min — Stephen B. Bull and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:41 am and 12:01 pm.

All 45 conversations from May 4, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 719-007, May 4, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/719-007 (accessed November 2, 2026).