Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 19 › Conversation 019-101
Nixon phone call with Reagan on Vietnam War and Foreign Policy
Wednesday, January 26, 1972 · 12:56 PM–1:02 PM ET · White House Telephone · 6 min
AI Summary
President Nixon and Governor Ronald Reagan discussed the need for national unity regarding U.S. peace proposals in Vietnam, emphasizing that a unified front is essential to force North Vietnam to negotiate. Following this strategic discussion, Reagan advocated for the appointments of William French Smith and Caspar Weinberger to potential roles within the administration, specifically the Supreme Court or Attorney General. Nixon explained his preference to nominate Richard Kleindienst as the immediate successor to John Mitchell due to the logistical challenges of transitioning a new official into the Justice Department, while acknowledging the high qualifications of Reagan's candidates.
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Transcript (AI-generated)
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governor reagan please governor reagan's on the line hello hello yes you're the party calling hello hello how are you are you at a regents meeting hello hello
Hello?
This is Governor Reagan.
Yeah, how are you?
Fine.
Oh, I didn't recognize your voice.
Yeah.
Are you at a regents' meeting, I understand?
I'm at a trustees' meeting at state colleges, but right now I'm out here with about 50 kids waiting from school papers for an interview.
Oh, boy.
Well, good luck.
Good luck.
I thought last night was great.
Well, fine.
I appreciate it.
We called, uh, Henry, I guess, called you in advance, or Hague, or... Yeah, yeah.
Mr. President, speaking of that, I just, it seems to me now...
The whole drive should be, here is a chance, damn it, for the American people, and that includes those jokers in the Senate, with their ambitions, to rally around and mobilize.
And if the United States together said to these guys, all right, here it is, now shoot and get off the pot.
Let me say that I couldn't agree more.
And if the line could be taken, we have gone as far as we can go.
We cannot join our enemy to overthrow our ally.
But beyond that, if we could also say that any chance for negotiation will be destroyed if
go off in all directions again.
But if the American people unite behind this proposal, then the enemy will realize that they can't gain in the United States the victory.
They can't win out there.
And I really think if you could hit that line, let's unite.
Because it's really true, Ron.
you can't speak with a babble of voices and expect the other side to negotiate there's got to be one negotiator now this is of course understood what that is if they don't then they take the consequences and if if they take if they want to go off on their own then they have the responsibility for destroying this fine chance for peace yeah now i understand the first reaction of the enemy will be to turn this down yeah but that's all right we'll just keep proposing it yeah and after they've had their offenses then we'll see what they're going to do yeah
Well, Mr. President, the thing that I wanted to talk to you personally and put in the call yesterday, I've talked to John Mitchell several times, and I'm sure you know that in either the area of the Supreme Court or of the permanent replacement, if John is going to leave his post, I, of course, have been plugging
William French Smith, a great fellow.
Now, at the risk of seeming as if I can't make on a minor, it isn't that at all.
I do feel very strongly about him for either of those two positions, but I couldn't with the friendship that I have
not tell you that whether, I don't know whether it's been brought to your attention or not, for the Attorney General Post, you have a man in there, Cap Weinberger, who would also like to be considered for that.
I don't have to tell you anything about his qualities, but I just felt that I owed it to him on a friendly level to say his name is in there.
Let me say this.
He is top flight.
And he certainly is one who, I mean, he's a fellow that could serve any place in government.
He's that good, in my opinion.
With regard to this situation, Ron, at this point, because of the relatively short time, I feel that at this point, and I've talked to John Mitchell about it, that the best thing probably is going to be to take Kleindienst
and have him serve until the you know the 10 months that are left and then of course he says no ideas i mean no views but i don't think i'm doing enough that i can assure you that that cap
Cap is at the very top of the list, as, of course, Smith would be, Smith particularly for the court, and Cap on the AG thing.
And I know his heart is set on that.
But you can see that at this point, if you moved a new man in who, you know, on top of this whole pile, and that with all the intricate things they've got to operate and all the cases that are up there,
It would just take an awful lot of time for him to learn what the hell was going on.
The Justice Department is the most intricate deal of all because of the cases they have.
But I got your message, and frankly, if you have no objection, I'm going to tell Cap that we talked.
and he'll appreciate it, too.
Well, thanks very much.
Because he's done a fine job, and give my best to the student editors.
Okay, I will.
And I... Oh, incidentally, Bob Finch was in to see me yesterday and said he was coming out to see you, and he has a couple things to pass on to you that I think you'll be very pleased to hear.
Okay.
But he...
I think he left for California.
He said he was going to see you today or tomorrow.
A couple of things we don't need to talk to on the phone, but I think it'll be interesting.
If you want to talk to me after you've seen him, don't hesitate to call, okay?
All right, because I'm not getting involved in California politics.
But it's something you'll be glad to hear, I'm sure.
All right.
All right.
Good luck, and thanks for calling.
You bet.
Bye.
Bye.
NARA Description
On January 26, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald W. Reagan talked on the telephone from 12:56 pm to 1:02 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 019-101 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 19-101
Date: January 26, 1972
Time: 12:56 pm - 1:02 pm
Location: White House Telephone
The President talked with Ronald W. Reagan.
[See Conversation No. 656-18]
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Reagan's schedule
-Trustees meeting
-Interview
The President's previous speech on Vietnam
-Call to Reagan
-Henry A. Kissinger, Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Possible effect
-Negotiations
-Senate
Vietnam negotiations
-Need for unity
-Possible response by North Vietnam to US proposals
William French Smith's possible role with the administration
-Reagan’s conversation with John N. Mitchell
-Supreme Court, Attorney General
Caspar W. (“Cap”) Weinberger
-Possible role with the administration
-Attorney General
Replacement of Mitchell as Attorney General
-Richard G. Kleindienst
-Requirements
Robert H. Finch
-Meeting with the President, January 25, 1972
-Forthcoming meeting with ReaganAlso recorded on January 26, 1972
- 656-018 12:57 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald W. Reagan met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:57 pm to 1:02 pm.
- 019-102 1:02 PM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:02 pm and 1:58 pm.
- 019-103 1:02 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:02 pm and 1:58 pm.
- 656-019 1:02 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:02 pm and 1:58 pm.
- 656-020 1:02 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:02 pm and 1:58 pm.
- 656-021 1:02 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:02 pm and 1:58 pm.
- 656-022 1:02 PM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Peter J. Pitchess met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:02 pm and 1:58 pm.
- 656-023 1:02 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and M. Gene Snyder met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:02 pm and 1:58 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 019-101, 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/019-101 (accessed October 6, 2026).