Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 158 › Conversation 158-028

Nixon phone call with Kennedy on Vietnam War and U.S. bombing campaign

Friday, December 29, 1972 · 6:49 PM–6:52 PM ET · Camp David Study Table · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Kennedy, Richard T. (Col.)Conversation158-028 on Tape 158StartFriday, December 29, 1972 at 6:49 PMEndFriday, December 29, 1972 at 6:52 PMRecording deviceCamp David Study TableSourceNixon Library record for 158-028 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Col. Richard T. Kennedy discuss the tactical and political rationale behind the ongoing U.S. bombing campaign in North Vietnam. The conversation centers on coordinating messaging with U. Alexis Johnson and Kenneth Rush to ensure administration officials present a unified front regarding the necessity of the bombing. Kennedy confirms that logistics and internal communications are prepared for an upcoming announcement, affirming that key stakeholders now understand the strategic intent behind the military actions.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 1 minute of this recording (about 45% of it) is represented by only a few words. Listen to the audio rather than relying on the text below; a corrected transcript is queued.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Well, good evening, sir.

To cover Alex Johnson, yes, sir.

Fine.

And, uh, they're, uh, they're, they, they've got, uh, we've got a, a tremendous plan for you.

I hope you told Alex that there's one thing I want to be sure you're going to get down with.

I know you, you were hurting, but...

Yes, sir.

I made that clear as an alternative.

You understand the purpose of it?

Right.

We're, uh, the base.

Did we talk to the crew, you said?

Oh, yes, sir.

And, uh, Bill, Bill, Mr., um, what we did was precisely the right thing.

The M.D.U.

just brought them around.

Yes, sir.

Oh, well, most of it, most of it.

You know, I think it's going to come around.

I really do.

What other explanation are they going to offer?

They're going to be proud of the thing they're going to offer, right?

It's just basically the thing we were discussing before on the day that they're hitting them up long and wide.

Uh, why did we do it?

Why did we bomb?

And, uh, let's, uh, uh, we're just doing it for you.

We need to talk to you.

Absolutely, yes sir.

And as I mentioned, that's exactly the way, uh, the way, uh, Mr.

Rush said.

He said he's done exactly the right thing, and they understand it perfectly now.

If everybody's here today, why would they, why, what other conceivable reason would there be for him to have come at this point?

What if they waited another week?

They really want to get through it.

That's what it is.

That's what it is, you know.

Okay, fine.

We're going to take off at 10 o'clock in the morning, and you are on music as well, so we're in motion.

Yes, sir, absolutely.

Please be very comfortable, and you've got it.

I'll be speaking to the vice president early in the morning.

Right.

And everything is fine.

Fine.

All right, fine.

Thank you.

Yes, sir.

Thank you.

NARA Description

On December 29, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Col. Richard T. Kennedy talked on the telephone at Camp David from 6:49 pm to 6:52 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 158-028 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 158-28

Date: December 29, 1972
Time: 6:49 pm - 6:52 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table

The President talked with Col. Richard T. Kennedy.

[See Conversation No. 237-36]

       Vietnam War
            -Cessation of US bombing north of 20th Parallel
            -Kennedy’s conversation with U. Alexis Johnson
                 -Notification
                        -Australian ambassador [Sir James Plimsoll]
                        -Prime Minister [Gough Whitlam]
                 -US bombing of North Vietnam
                        -Johnson’s view
            -US bombing of North Vietnam
                 -Press relations
                        -The President’s conversation with Kennedy and Gerald L. Warren
                        -Negotiations
                 -Johnson’s view
                 -[David] Kenneth Rush’s view
                 -North Vietnamese reaction
                        -Timing
                        -Johnson’s view
                 -Cessation
                        -Announcement
                              -Warren
                                            -38-

                  NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                           Conversation No. 158-28 (cont’d)

                  -Kennedy’s conversation with Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
                       -Timing

Also recorded on December 29, 1972

158-027 6:44 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 6:44 pm and 6:49 pm.
237-036 6:49 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Col. Richard T. Kennedy met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 6:49 pm to 6:52 pm.
158-029 6:52 PM · 24 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at 6:52 pm.
158-030 6:52 PM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at 6:52 pm.
158-031 6:52 PM · 22 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 6:52 pm and 7:02 pm.
237-037 6:52 PM · 19 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at 6:52 pm.
237-038 6:52 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at 6:52 pm.
237-039 6:52 PM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 6:52 pm and 7:02 pm.

All 67 conversations from December 29, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 158-028, December 29, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/158-028 (accessed October 9, 2026).