Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 1 › Conversation 001-010
Nixon phone call with Kissinger on Vietnam War and Media relations
Wednesday, April 7, 1971 · 9:31 PM–9:39 PM ET · White House Telephone · 6 min
AI Summary
President Nixon and Henry Kissinger discuss the positive public and media reception of the President's recent televised speech on Southeast Asia. Kissinger praises the delivery and content of the address, while Nixon expresses frustration with members of Congress and his own cabinet, indicating he will no longer cater to them. The conversation concludes with Nixon affirming his resolve to pursue a more aggressive military strategy in Vietnam should North Vietnam remain intransigent in negotiations.
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Transcript (AI-generated)
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Mr. President, this was the best speech you've delivered since you've been in office.
I don't know.
I think November 3rd was better, but we'll never have a moment like that again.
Well, the November 3rd speech was not well delivered, Mr. President, if you remember.
It was a powerful speech.
This one was really movingly delivered.
I don't know whether you saw the commentary.
Of course, I don't look at the commentary.
I don't care what the bastards say.
Well, but this is so amazing.
First of all, no one was fly-specking it.
John Chancellor was very favorable.
Everyone is saying a strong man sticking to his guns, carrying out his policy, not being driven off.
Dan Rather, very positive.
Marvin Kalf, very positive.
The only guy who was fly-specking it a little bit
is the Pentagon correspondent who had been... How about Howard Smith?
How did he do?
He went on.
At least I didn't see him.
Yeah.
I'd say one thing, this little speech was a work of art.
I mean, I know a little something about speech writing.
And by the time we got it down in that little conclusion, I think that was done.
And it was no act, because no actor could do it.
No actor in Hollywood could have done that that well.
I thought that was done well, didn't you think?
First of all, no actor could have written it.
You couldn't have done it unless you had meant it.
Yeah.
But did that come across?
I mean, it was... Mr. President, I had, after all, heard it before.
I had not...
I had a lump in my throat when I heard it.
Well, you know, it brought a lump to mine, strangely enough.
I always did.
When I saw the little kid, I almost broke up, you know, in the room that day, and I'll never forget.
I watched it with Haig and Lord and Daisy.
What did they think?
Absolutely moved and overwhelmed.
They said this was tremendous.
Hague, Lord too?
Lord too.
He's sort of an intellectual.
But Hague, Hague would... Well, of course, Hague.
Hague liked our defense of the armed forces too, didn't he?
I really stuck up to him on that.
Very much.
And the TV guys who actually had treated me rather roughly in the question period.
Had they?
But gave back exactly what we gave them.
These TV briefings pay off, but above all, you imposed on them a measure, a great deal of respect.
This...
I don't know what others will tell you, but this was the most favorable commentary I've heard, the most respectful one.
But you thought, how did it come off in delivery?
I didn't look up much.
It was by far the best delivery I've heard you give.
It was dignified, strong.
It was not ingratiating.
uh if anything can do it i don't know what the results will be no well we won't do it but if it could be when i met with those leaders were a miserable lot weren't they well that you well albert is all right scott didn't but i meant scott before it's fine but that goddamn scott was then griffin you know sucking around scott
Anything you tell Scott, you might as well tell the New York Times.
No, but I was, but I, but I, after you left, I stuck it to him.
I said, look, you know, on that point, I said, if Congress wants to take over, that's fine, but then they take the responsibility for this going down the drain, and that is clear, gentlemen.
By God, I'm not going to let him get off of this hook.
Well, it is a disgrace, Mr. President.
Yeah.
You are saving this country.
It is... Well, incidentally, let me say...
I screw the cabinet and the rest, though.
As far as I'm concerned, I've made the speech now, and the rest of them, if they like it, fine.
But I'm no more sucking around.
From now on, they come to me.
I'm sick of the whole bunch.
It's a speech that we can all be proud to have had the privilege to be associated with.
Well, I'm glad you feel that way.
It was also magnificently delivered.
It was the best delivery.
The thing at the last was a good idea, wasn't it?
To throw away the text.
And also, the way you put it away was very effective.
You mean move the papers away?
Move the papers away.
Take a little time.
John Chancellor said you gave the whole speech without notes.
Ah, yeah.
At the end.
That's right.
Oh, I had no notes at the end.
No, no.
He commented at the end of the... Yeah, I see.
But he gave an absolutely...
favorable summary of it.
And as I said, rather, and...
They're probably afraid to egg no jump on them.
Well, no, this speech was hard to fly spec, Mr. President.
Well, it's a goddamn good little speech, actually.
Well, deep down, they all know you're right.
That's the hell of it.
And they know the other people are just... That's right.
And the others are a bunch of goddamn cowards.
Cowards and publicity seekers.
That's right.
Well, I'll tell you this, though, Henry.
You've convinced me, the staff, except for Haldeman and one or two others.
Haldeman has been.
Haldeman or Haldeman.
Well, Schultz is fine, but he's in another league.
But the staff generally...
They can do their jobs, but no more, nothing more.
And as far as the cabinet, except for Connolly, the hell with them.
I mean, that's all there is to it.
Well, Mr. President, you've done this one.
And if it doesn't work, I don't care.
I mean, right now, if it doesn't work, then let me say, though, I'm going to find out soon, and then I'm going to turn right so goddamn hard it will make your head spin.
We'll bomb those bastards right off the earth.
I really mean it.
And I think you agree, don't you?
I think, Mr. President, we have to make fundamental decisions.
That's right.
in the next few weeks, seeing what the president brings back.
That's right.
Well, yes.
Well, but I mean, assuming he doesn't bring anything back, assuming they don't negotiate, then we turn right hard, Henry.
I think that's right.
And let's teach him.
Okay.
Right.
Thank you.
Congratulations, Mr. President.
NARA Description
On April 7, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 9:31 pm to 9:39 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 001-010 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 1-10
Date: April 7, 1971
Time: 9:31 pm - 9:39 pm
Location: White House Telephone
The President talked with Henry A. Kissinger.
President's previous speech on Southeast Asia
-November 3, 1969 speech
-Network analysis
-John W. Chancellor
-Dan Rather
-Marvin L. Kalb
-Pentagon correspondent
-Howard K. Smith
-Conclusion of speech
-Reaction of Alexander M. Haig, Jr. and Winston Lord
-Kissinger's reaction
-Analysis of President’s delivery
-Congressional leaders
-Carl B. Albert
-Hugh Scott
-Gerald R. Ford
-Robert P. Griffin
-Cabinet
-Kissinger’s reaction
-Network analysis
-Chancellor, Rather
-White House staff and Cabinet
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
-John D. Ehrlichman
-George P, Shultz
-John B. Connally
-Reaction to possible North Vietnam intransigence
-Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
-Soviet effortsAlso recorded on April 8, 1971
- 001-007 9:25 PM · 2 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:25 pm and 9:27 pm.
- 001-008 9:27 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 9:27 pm to 9:31 pm.
- 001-009 9:31 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, unknown person(s), and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 9:31 pm.
- 001-011 9:39 PM · 2 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:39 pm and 9:42 pm.
- 001-012 9:42 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, and Manolo Sanchez talked on the telephone from 9:42 pm to 9:49 pm.
- 001-013 9:49 PM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, Manolo Sanchez, and unknown person(s) talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:49 pm and 9:52 pm.
- 001-014 9:52 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and William F. ("Billy") Graham talked on the telephone from 9:52 pm to 9:55 pm.
- 001-015 9:56 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Vice President Spiro T. Agnew talked on the telephone from 9:56 pm to 10:00 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 001-010, April 8, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/001-010 (accessed October 12, 2026).