Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 11 › Conversation 011-073

Nixon phone call with Kissinger on John B. Connally and Nguyen Van Thieu

Tuesday, October 12, 1971 · 9:41 PM–9:44 PM ET · White House Telephone · 3 min

ParticipantsKissinger, Henry A.; Nixon, Richard M. (President)Conversation011-073 on Tape 11 (tape position 01:43:39–01:46:32)StartTuesday, October 12, 1971 at 9:41 PMEndTuesday, October 12, 1971 at 9:44 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 011-073 ↗

AI Summary

Henry Kissinger informs President Nixon that Secretary of the Treasury John Connally has readily agreed to represent the administration at the inauguration of South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu. Kissinger praises Connally’s cooperative attitude and willingness to support the policy publicly, contrasting his stance with other cabinet members who prioritize their own schedules. Nixon endorses the plan to send Connally on the presidential plane, noting that the gesture will demonstrate strong American support for a key ally and outshine domestic critics.

Audio

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Hello.
Dr. Kissinger, sir.
Yeah.
Mr. President, Mr. Kissinger.
Oh, Mr. President.
Yeah.
I've just talked to Connolly, and he said if the president wants him to go, of course he'll go.
Good.
And I think it's a tense strike.
Yeah.
He took it all right, did he?
Oh, well, you know, he's a big man.
Yeah.
I told him the truth.
Yeah.
And I said Laird couldn't change his program, even though he'll be there three days later.
And Richardson said it's his domestic program.
He said, hell, my domestic program can't be heard.
And I haven't got a schedule that the president can't change.
I'll be damned.
And he said, and he thinks it's a good idea, too.
Did he?
Yeah.
Well, he sees the big play.
Oh, yeah.
Well, he's a big man.
It'll show, too, Henry, that we're standing by an ally, you know.
Mr. President, if we had thought about it, I'm a little bit embarrassed that I didn't.
Yeah.
He is the best man you could have sent.
Former Secretary of the Navy, and he's known to be the second man in the government.
Above all, he's the strongest man in the Cabinet.
That's right.
He's a guy with guts.
That's right.
I mean, it'll really tear these other people to pieces.
Well, let's...
dad will really put it to them yeah well i think it's an inspired idea i will uh
We'll keep it all closely held, and then we'll talk to him about it Thursday when you get back.
Right.
And work it out.
Don't you think so?
Oh, yeah.
Well, he's all agreed.
We don't have to do any more.
My God, that's good.
Isn't that something?
He said, if the president wants me, I have no schedule problem.
But that's what every cabinet member should say.
They don't say that, though.
They say they always determine what the hell is in their interest.
And he said, I'm not...
I said, you won't have to be identified with the policy because everyone knows that you didn't really...
originated, you're just going there as the president's representative.
He said, hell, I want to be identified with the policy.
I'm in favor of it.
Isn't that something?
Well, that's good.
That's good.
That's really good.
I really think it could be the right thing.
I know it's the right thing.
By God, you know, just show up some of these other clowns.
And that's it.
That's what it will exactly do.
That will put them to shame.
Did you mention coming back via Japan?
Yeah, he likes that idea.
And I told him, of course, he can take his wife, and he said he'd want to do that.
Well, by all means, he should, and we'll send him on the presidential plane, too.
I mean, it'll be a really goddamn good trip.
Right.
Good.
Well, that's a terrific thing.
Good.
Good, Henry.
Well, that's good.
Thank you.

NARA Description

On October 12, 1971, Henry A. Kissinger and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone from 9:41 pm to 9:44 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 011-073 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 011-073

 Date: October 12, 1971
 Time: 9:41 pm - 9:44 pm
 Location: White House Telephone

 Henry A. Kissinger talked with the President.

 [See Conversation No. 291-8]

        Nguyen Van Thieu's inauguration
            -John B. Connally
                 -Kissinger’s previous conversation
                 -Melvin R. Laird

Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542

                    -Elliot L. Richardson
                    -Itinerary
                           -Japan
                           -Wife
                           -Presidential plane

Also recorded on October 13, 1971

  • 011-072 9:12 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods talked on the telephone from 9:12 pm to 9:13 pm.
  • 291-006 9:13 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 9:13 pm and 9:41 pm.
  • 291-007 9:13 PM · 38 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 9:13 pm and 9:41 pm.
  • 291-008 9:41 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 9:41 pm to 9:44 pm.
  • 011-074 9:44 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:44 pm and 10:09 pm.
  • 291-009 9:44 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 9:44 pm and 10:09 pm.
  • 291-010 9:44 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Manolo Sanchez, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 9:44 pm and 10:16 pm.
  • 011-075 10:09 PM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 10:09 pm to 10:16 pm.

All 46 conversations from October 13, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 011-073, October 13, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/011-073 (accessed September 28, 2026).