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 on Tape 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

part A, 1:41:25

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 players above hold the full tape, shared with neighbouring conversations. By the archivists' log it runs from 01:41:25 to 01:49:42 into the tape; their log often drifts a minute or two from the audio, so listen for the subjects in the finding aid.

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

           -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.

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; click one to play the tape from there.

We'll be right back.
It doesn't make any difference how the poll comes out in about years.
But you'd know what's right or bad.
You'd know how hard it's selling and how much you have to sell.
Probably the polling, I think, on the Fed is they will say, the answer will be you've got 75% yes.
I don't think so.
You'll see the danger, light bulb, light bulb.
Even though this would mean stopping, even though this
Arms.
Good luck.
The boy's gone, you know.
The boy's a friend.
Quite a nice fellow.
You know something?
Everybody 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.
Ever 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?
Provided, Robin, this is the real condition, and folks like you, Colson, and Hurley are acting just like I would act if I were in.
You've got to know the answer to the question.
You've got to stay out of it.
I'm sorry.
He would have been worried about how Sigler handled it.
The announcement there, I said, all right, it's done.
He could have grown up mad and could have eaten common.
I mean, he had grown up and all the rest of us both worked it out in the plantation.
The work of mine didn't come too bad.
Of 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.
We didn't make a strong enough case for Gray.
We'd still do that.
of disqualification.
Yeah.
There's no problem on the acting director thing.
I don't think we're going to have as much problem as I thought we were.
You 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.
And the point is, he's taking the point temporarily.
You and I both know he's considering permanently if the thing worked out.
But that's up to how he builds himself in that drive, how he gets along, how he handles it, where he engages.
I don't think you can do him permanently unless by that time, his general feeling is that he should be quite much right there.
You know, he's a pressure to the left guys.
You know, we know they'd be able to say that all that decision.
a number of people under consideration.
You know what I mean?
That's what Ron said.
He said, well, does he want it permanently after the election?
Ron said, not necessarily, but it is in the rule of law.
You should say one of those would be considered.
One of them would be considered.
There are others as well.
The very important one is one of the best families in the country.
I don't know whether they got a light over there or not.
I think we should take it off.
I think you better take it off.
They said they checked it out.
They worked on it.
I agree.
I agree.
I agree pretty well.
I've been seeing this light under television.
America's pride has always been its people.
People of good men and women, men and demons.
Of great men and women in remarkable numbers.
And once in all, why?
Of giants who stand head and shoulders above their country, setting a high and noble standard for us all.

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.
  • 719-007 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 45 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 November 2, 2026).