← 019-061019-063 →

Conversation 019-062

TapeTape 19StartTuesday, January 25, 1972 at 6:41 PMEndTuesday, January 25, 1972 at 6:44 PMParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Recording deviceWhite House Telephone
AI Summary

President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman coordinated final preparations for an upcoming nationally televised speech on Vietnam. They confirmed that key political figures and Cabinet members had been briefed to ensure unified support, while also reviewing the strategic tone of the address. The discussion specifically addressed concerns over Henry Kissinger’s original draft, which was deemed too defensive, favoring the President’s preference for a more positive and dramatic presentation of the secret negotiations.

Vietnam WarPublic RelationsSpeechwritingHenry KissingerWhite House StrategyNegotiations
AudioNARA Description

On January 25, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 6:41 pm to 6:44 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 019-062 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 19-62

Date: January 25, 1972
Time: 6:41 pm - 6:44 pm
Location: White House Telephone

H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman talked with the President.

     The President's forthcoming speech on Vietnam
          -Informing people
                -Robert J. Dole, Henry Cabot Lodge, David K.E. Bruce
                      -Henry A. Kissinger
                -Cabinet
          -Clark MacGregor
                -Handling of Republican leaders
          -Kissinger's previous meeting
                -Marshall Green, Robert J. McCloskey, Dan Hankin, G. Warren Nutter
                -Value
                      -Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
          -Content and phraseology
                -Chronology of negotiations
                      -Kissinger’s draft
                            -Tone
                                 -Compared to the President’s draft
          -White House staff's reaction
                -Ronald L. Ziegler
                -Elliot L. Richardson
          -Possible reaction
                -Nguyen Van Thieu's actions
                -Secret negotiations
Transcript (AI-Generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

yeah mr haldeman mr christian yeah thank you yeah on the information side i forgot to be sure you i don't know i suppose you covered him be sure you covered dole tonight right was that done yep and uh how about cabot lodge yep he was covered yes sir and bruce was covered bruce was covered right both will be asked yes sir david bruce and lodge are both on henry's list and uh
And the other cabinet people, I just assume, will be called.
They're being called and just told, you know, that you particularly want to be sure they listen.
That's good.
Called with a message from you.
Right.
And McGregor's going to hang on to the Republican leaders after the briefing and have dinner here and then watch the thing so that he can ride herd on them.
Okay.
On statements, you know, post-speech statements.
Let's all get behind the president.
We had a very good session with Marshall Green and Bob McCloskey and Dan Hankin and Warren Nutter.
Yeah, yeah.
And with Henry, and we got... Hank said it was very good that he...
It went very well.
...got Henry away from the nitpicking and all the positive things.
The first time around, he was a little on the wrong track.
Well, he was on the track.
I'll bet you that his original draft was not.
And it became kind of a negative sort of defensive approach instead of the...
I just wonder, as I look at my draft, if it's got too much of the crap on the negotiations on September blank, on November blank, and all that crap.
But we can't do anything about it now.
Thank you.
Probably okay.
But we...
He just started that way and finally got to the other, and by then, you know, it kind of set the tone in the wrong direction.
He realized that we had a good session afterwards.
It worked damn well.
Well, you see, the way I've done this, though, I think the way that my draft has come to think about it does answer that, because I start right out on the positive note.
That's right.
And that's the key.
And Henry doesn't do that in his draft, you see.
That was the difference.
Okay.
What is the, I think, what is our own staff?
Do they see the importance of it or most probably don't realize it?
Nope, very much so.
They do?
Oh, hell yes.
Well, I knew fellows like Ziegler would because he's pretty sophisticated, but what about the, what about the, you know, the... No, no, they very much do.
They have?
Very much do.
And we had, Henry had Elliot Richardson in the staff.
I think Elliot did a hell of a good job of putting, you know, putting...
putting it in the positive context and where it fits, and I'll step right up to it.
Because he knew.
That's it.
That's what I meant.
A fellow that knows about it, but the one thing I'm concerned about this is that it's so boring and so complicated that a lot of people just don't, you know, say, for Christ's sakes, I mean, here we go again, Vietnam, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
Well, except that you got the drama of the...
You know, the twos moving and the secret meetings, secret talks.
Do you think that's drama?
Hell yes.
Well, I hope so.
Okay.
All right.
Fine.
Right on.
← 019-061019-063 →