Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 19 › Conversation 019-069
Nixon, Kissinger & Haig on Vietnam War and Foreign Policy
Tuesday, January 25, 1972 · 8:55 PM–10:03 PM ET · White House Telephone · 3 min
AI Summary
Henry Kissinger coordinated with Alexander Haig to gauge the domestic and international reactions to President Nixon’s recent speech on Vietnam. The pair discussed positive feedback from various officials, including George H.W. Bush, and noted Soviet Ambassador Anatoliy Dobrynin's distress over the administration's actions. Kissinger concluded the call by instructing Haig to have Winston Lord draft two urgent cables regarding the situation.
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 1 minute of this recording (about 37% 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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.
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NARA Description
On January 25, 1972, Henry A. Kissinger, White House operator, President Richard M. Nixon, Michael M. Marshall, and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:55 pm and 10:03 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 019-069 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 19-69
Date: January 25, 1972
Time: Unknown between 8:55 pm and 10:03 pm
Location: White House Telephone
Henry A. Kissinger talked with the White House operator; the President can be heard in the
background.
Request for a call to his office
Kissinger talked with Mildred M. Marshall.
Alexander M. Haig, Jr.’s location
Telephone calls
-Martin Schram, H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
Haig
Kissinger talked with Haig.
The President's previous speech on Vietnam
-Reaction
-George H.W. Bush's call to Haig
-United Nations [UN]
-Anatoliy F. Dobrynin's call to Kissinger
-Press
-John A. Scali's view
-Networks
-Leslie H. Gelb on Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
Cables
-Winston LordAlso recorded on January 26, 1972
- 019-064 8:55 PM · 15 sec — Henry A. Kissinger, President Richard M. Nixon, and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:55 pm and 9:21 pm.
- 019-065 8:55 PM · 8 min — Henry A. Kissinger and Anatoliy F. Dobrynin talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:55 pm and 10:03 pm.
- 019-066 8:55 PM · 9 sec — the White House operator and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:55 pm and 10:03 pm.
- 019-067 8:55 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:55 pm and 10:03 pm.
- 019-068 8:55 PM · 18 sec — the White House operator and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:55 pm and 10:03 pm.
- 019-070 8:55 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:55 pm and 10:03 pm.
- 019-071 8:55 PM · 2 min — Henry A. Kissinger and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:55 pm and 10:03 pm.
- 019-072 8:55 PM · 9 sec — Henry A. Kissinger and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:55 pm and 10:03 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 019-069, January 26, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/019-069 (accessed October 12, 2026).