Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 1 › Conversation 001-021

Nixon phone call with Kissinger on Vietnam War and Military draft

Wednesday, April 7, 1971 · 10:21 PM–10:27 PM ET · White House Telephone · 5 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.Conversation001-021 on Tape 1 (tape position 00:51:24–00:56:55)StartWednesday, April 7, 1971 at 10:21 PMEndWednesday, April 7, 1971 at 10:27 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 001-021 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Henry Kissinger discuss the positive reception of the President's recent televised speech on the Vietnam War, noting that even skeptical media commentators like Dan Rather recognized the administration's success in meeting troop withdrawal goals. Nixon expresses intense frustration with military leadership regarding the transition to an all-volunteer army, vowing to override their resistance to secure strategic breathing room for the war effort. The conversation also highlights Nixon's desire to promote patriotic narratives, specifically contrasting the heroism of fallen soldiers with the public controversy surrounding Lieutenant William Calley.

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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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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).
Yeah.
Dr. Kissinger, sir.
Mr. President, just wondered if you'd had a chance to get any further reactions or if you're, uh, or if you've just been busy.
Uh, well, I've been talking around here, of course.
Uh, the mood is one of exaltation.
I talked to Phil Buckley, uh, who thought it was absolutely outstanding.
Very moving, very effective, great courage.
And, uh,
Of course, he wants us to end the draft.
We're going to do that.
But we're going to do that, and I... Tell him.
Tell him what we're going to do.
I told him we're going to do it, and I think, Mr. President, I'm going to put the military to the torch.
Yeah, they're screwing around on this.
They're screwing around.
They're worried that it will make the volunteer army not work.
But to hell with that, if we can get ourselves breathing space for Vietnam.
Listen, ending the draft gives us breathing space in Vietnam.
We'll restore the draft later, but goddamn it, the military, they're a bunch of greedy bastards that want more officers' clubs and more men to shine their shoes.
The sons of bitches are not interested in this country.
I mean, ending, going to all-volunteer in Vietnam is what I mean, is what we ought to do.
Mm-hmm.
And we can put them to the torch, get a figure, and then perhaps announce that in June,
Be, uh, fine.
Fine.
I think...
Okay, actions.
All the reactions that I've gotten, uh, which are mostly, uh...
You haven't talked to the Alsops or the rest except... No, I'll give Alsop a call right now.
Give Joe a call.
Let me know what he thinks.
And I'll let you know...
But you should have heard from others.
They would call you if they thought it was well.
Maybe they were too... No, no, I never hear.
Give Joe a call.
It probably shook him a little to have it emotional, but God damn it, you need a little emotion for this.
This, Mr. President, was your greatest speech.
It has the same impact as some of the others.
No, it won't have, but that's all right.
But this was... We shook him.
It...
Everybody, it comes across from everybody that he held his course.
I don't know whether you have seen the news stickers.
I don't look at that.
Well, but he held his course at strong speech.
And I don't know whether anyone has told you about Dan Rather's commentary afterwards.
No.
Now, if we could have written it, it couldn't have been better.
He said he promised a withdrawal of $25,000.
He withdrew $30,000.
He promised a withdrawal of $40,000.
He withdrew $50,000.
shows that you've exceeded every promise you've made.
And now we're promising to draw over 100,000.
And he said, there's no question.
There was no doubt that when he got through that you would keep that too.
We're going to.
And he had a good shot there.
He showed it in terms of men.
A very large man representing what you had there when we came in.
Yeah.
Much smaller man.
And they all apparently were moved by the conclusion, huh?
Oh, the conclusion really gave everyone goose pimples.
It was damn good, actually, if I may say so.
I know what is good and what is not.
That was pretty good.
It was your method of delivery, the sincerity, the strength.
With no support.
With absolutely no support.
No, we won't get any now either.
And everyone... Well, I think this will appeal to the American people, but whatever... Well, you may get some from the people, but I mean from the cabinet and that shit.
If they don't support me for it, I don't give a goddamn what's happening.
Mitchell, of course, has supported me before Agnew's, before I talked to Agnew, and he was ecstatic.
And naturally, I had called up and said he thought it was terrific.
Did he?
Called you?
He called Haldeman.
Yeah, well, I'm not going to call him back.
I didn't like his attitude today.
I'm not going to call him back.
That was a cowardly...
He waited too late.
Yeah.
That was not as strong.
What do you think?
What did you think of him there today?
Oh, that was...
He was coppering his best and he was scared out of his mind.
But he liked it, huh?
Very much.
Mr. President, there was no way not to like it.
It was the best delivered speech, and it was one of those speeches which it read all right, but the way you delivered it was an absolute masterpiece.
That little conclusion, they'll all know who Kevin and Carl are, won't they?
And that's how they're carrying it.
Are they?
Oh, are they?
What do you say?
The UPI are leading with that.
Yeah?
I don't have the text in front of me.
Oh, but Kevin, they'll go back and get their pictures, you know, and I hope the mother goddammit stands up and says, gee, don't just get out.
I'd never check that, you know.
I don't know what she's going to say.
Oh, she'll be all right.
She's the wife of Maureen.
She won't say that.
She'll be very proud, I think, you know, that we're trying to do the right thing for her husband.
That poor bastard, you know what he did?
I checked.
He ran in and threw a grenade into a goddamn machine gun and saved about 30 Marines that were wounded.
Now goddamn, why don't we be proud of that instead of talking about this goddamn Cali?
You know, it really burns me up.
You know, we have no pride, do we, anymore, Henry?
Nobody's got any pride anymore.
They don't care about that.
There's no real patriotism.
I'm glad I put in that.
I think Haig was pleased, wasn't he, with what I defended, that the armed services was here or not.
He moved, and Haig called General Bennett, the director of army intelligence, who said he was choked up and he had to leave the room because he had tears in his eyes.
Good, good.
All right, Henry, thank you.
All right, Mr. President.

NARA Description

On April 7, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 10:21 pm to 10:27 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 001-021 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 1-21

Date: April 7, 1971
Time: 10:21 pm - 10:27 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Henry A. Kissinger.

     Reactions to President's speech on Southeast Asia
          -William F. Buckley, Jr.
                -Military draft

     Military draft
           -Attitude of military
           -Vietnam War
                 -Volunteer army

     Reactions to President's speech
          -Joseph W. and Stewart J.O. Alsop
          -Impact
          -Media
                -Dan Rather
                -Troop withdrawal
          -Cabinet
                -Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
          -Ed [Surname unknown]
          -Kissinger's reaction
          -Kevin Taylor
                -Associated Press [AP], United Press International [UPI]
          -Karl Taylor, Jr.
          -Mrs. Karl Taylor
          -Karl Taylor
                -Exploit
                -Lt. William L. Calley Jr.
                -Patriotism
                -Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
                -Donald V. Bennett
                -Reaction

Also recorded on April 8, 1971

  • 001-017 10:07 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 10:07 pm to 10:16 pm.
  • 001-018 10:16 PM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:16 pm and 10:20 pm.
  • 001-019 10:20 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 10:20 pm.
  • 001-020 10:20 PM · 2 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:20 pm and 10:21 pm.
  • 001-022 10:27 PM · 2 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone from 10:27 pm to 10:28 pm.
  • 001-023 10:28 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods talked on the telephone from 10:28 pm to 10:32 pm.
  • 001-024 10:34 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 10:34 pm.
  • 001-025 10:34 PM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone from 10:34 pm to 10:35 pm.

All 67 conversations from April 8, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 001-021, 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/001-021 (accessed October 12, 2026).