Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 719 › Conversation 719-008

Haldeman & Butterfield on Vietnam War and Naval blockade

Thursday, May 4, 1972 · 10:22 AM–10:31 AM ET · Oval Office

ParticipantsHaldeman, H. R. ("Bob");  Butterfield, Alexander P.Conversation719-008 onTape 719 (tape position 01:41:25–01:49:42)StartThursday, May 4, 1972 at 10:22 AMEndThursday, May 4, 1972 at 10:31 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 719-008 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon, H. R. Haldeman, and Alexander Butterfield discuss the administration's strategic response to the Vietnam War, focusing on public support for a naval blockade and the conditions for a potential ceasefire. The participants deliberate on the political optics of nominating L. Patrick Gray III as FBI director, weighing the risks of appointing a political associate versus an independent candidate. Additionally, they address logistical preparations for J. Edgar Hoover’s upcoming funeral, specifically concerns regarding lighting for television coverage.

Audio

Download MP3 (part 1) · 167.4 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 155.3 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 01:41:25 into the tape and ends around 01:49:42.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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

1:42:48We'll be right back.
1:43:33It doesn't make any difference how the poll comes out in about years.
1:43:37But you'd know what's right or bad.
1:43:38You'd know how hard it's selling and how much you have to sell.
1:43:43Probably the polling, I think, on the Fed is they will say, the answer will be you've got 75% yes.
1:43:47I don't think so.
1:43:52You'll see the danger, light bulb, light bulb.
1:43:58Even though this would mean stopping, even though this
1:44:08Arms.
1:44:09Good luck.
1:44:37The boy's gone, you know.
1:44:40The boy's a friend.
1:44:41Quite a nice fellow.
1:45:08You know something?
1:45:12Everybody who's in government, particularly anybody in this office, is out of his mind, particularly when he has a major, has major decisions to make.
1:45:26Ever to get involved in the fifth squeak, shit ass, comms, the weekly or the news last night, who did this to why, what's that thing?
1:45:36Provided, Robin, this is the real condition, and folks like you, Colson, and Hurley are acting just like I would act if I were in.
1:45:45You've got to know the answer to the question.
1:45:47You've got to stay out of it.
1:45:49I'm sorry.
1:46:00He would have been worried about how Sigler handled it.
1:46:03The announcement there, I said, all right, it's done.
1:46:05He could have grown up mad and could have eaten common.
1:46:09I mean, he had grown up and all the rest of us both worked it out in the plantation.
1:46:15The work of mine didn't come too bad.
1:46:17Of course, okay, it didn't come out the way it should have, but it was a trouble that isn't going to do any harm.
1:46:24We didn't make a strong enough case for Gray.
1:46:27We'd still do that.
1:46:29of disqualification.
1:46:30Yeah.
1:46:32There's no problem on the acting director thing.
1:46:35I don't think we're going to have as much problem as I thought we were.
1:46:41You know, they'll start to plot that for the first time that you've got a political associate in the president's running bureau, which is a dangerous thing.
1:47:10And the point is, he's taking the point temporarily.
1:47:14You and I both know he's considering permanently if the thing worked out.
1:47:18But that's up to how he builds himself in that drive, how he gets along, how he handles it, where he engages.
1:47:24I don't think you can do him permanently unless by that time, his general feeling is that he should be quite much right there.
1:47:31You know, he's a pressure to the left guys.
1:47:33You know, we know they'd be able to say that all that decision.
1:47:38a number of people under consideration.
1:47:40You know what I mean?
1:47:42That's what Ron said.
1:47:43He said, well, does he want it permanently after the election?
1:47:46Ron said, not necessarily, but it is in the rule of law.
1:47:48You should say one of those would be considered.
1:47:53One of them would be considered.
1:47:55There are others as well.
1:47:56The very important one is one of the best families in the country.
1:48:39I don't know whether they got a light over there or not.
1:48:41I think we should take it off.
1:48:44I think you better take it off.
1:48:47They said they checked it out.
1:48:48They worked on it.
1:48:50I agree.
1:48:50I agree.
1:48:50I agree pretty well.
1:48:53I've been seeing this light under television.
1:49:31America's pride has always been its people.
1:49:34People of good men and women, men and demons.
1:49:37Of great men and women in remarkable numbers.
1:49:40And once in all, why?
1:49:41Of giants who stand head and shoulders above their country, setting a high and noble standard for us all.

NARA Description

On May 4, 1972, 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. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 719-008 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 719-8

Date: May 4, 1972
Time: 10:22 am - 10:31 am
Location: Oval Office

H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman met with Alexander P. Butterfield.

     Unknown woman's schedule

The President entered at an unknown time before 10:25 am.

Butterfield left at 10:25 am.

     Vietnam
          -Poll questions
                -Prisoners of war [POWs]
                      -Number
                      -Length of imprisonment
          -Naval blockade
                -Imposition
                -Conditions for cessation
                      -Return of POWs
                      -Ceasefire
                      -Presentation of terms
                      -Public support
                -Results
                -Soviet ships
                      -Interception by US warships

     Decision-making process
          -Effect of press reports
          -Charles W. Colson, John D. Ehrlichman, Haldeman
          -Lyndon B. Johnson
          -Ronald L. Ziegler

                                         (rev. Jan-02)

           -Ehrlichman
           -Richard G. Kleindienst

     Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
          -L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III
               -Nomination as director
                     -Announcement
                           -Problems
               -Confirmation
                     -Political associations
               -Temporary appointment
                     -Conditions
               -Permanent appointment
                     -Ziegler's announcement

     J. Edgar Hoover funeral
          -Lighting
               -Television coverage

Haldeman left at 10:31 am.

Also recorded on May 4, 1972

  • 719-003 8:58 AM · 7 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 · 54 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 · 29 sec — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House at 9:59 am.
  • 719-006 9:59 AM · 22 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.
  • 719-007 9:59 AM · 23 min — 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.
  • 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 48 conversations from May 4, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 719-008, 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/719-008 (accessed September 18, 2026).