Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 22 › Conversation 022-101
Nixon phone call with Cox on Vietnam War and Ping-Pong diplomacy
Monday, April 10, 1972 · 8:23 PM–8:32 PM ET · White House Telephone · 5 min
AI Summary
President Nixon and his daughter, Tricia Nixon Cox, discussed her upcoming public schedule, including her attendance at a Ping-Pong tournament and a potential appearance on the Mike Douglas show. They also coordinated talking points regarding the Vietnam War, with the President advising her to maintain a discreet, confident posture while emphasizing that the conflict was an invasion of South Vietnam by Communist forces. The President ultimately instructed her to keep comments minimal and refer inquiries back to official White House spokesmen.
- Tricia Nixon Cox
- Vietnam War
- Ping-Pong diplomacy
- Public relations
- Media appearances
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
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Thank you.
I'm going to be there Monday because I'm going out to see the ping pong players.
Are they going to be here Monday?
Yeah, they're coming Monday and then they're going to meet you Tuesday.
Oh, great.
But they wanted me to go out for a nap, you know.
Where's it going to be at?
University of Maryland?
Yeah.
So I'm going to go out there.
I don't know if that's a good thing to do, but I guess it is.
And so they have a lot of interesting things.
Sunday and Monday, yeah.
Well, they're awfully good.
Are you going to join?
Yeah.
I think I'm going to do the Mike Douglas show soon.
You are.
Good.
That's a good thing to do.
He's a nice man.
He always is.
In fact, I watched one of his shows today.
I think the ping-pong thing is all right.
You've got the good things to do.
Yeah.
Well, I think it is.
That tennis crowd is sort of a lousy crowd.
Oh, yeah.
That's true.
But it may be a different kind of crowd.
Actually, the crowd doesn't really matter.
Nah.
If you want them to have a warm welcome or something.
I get your point.
That's right.
But if not, then I won't go.
Yeah, that's right.
We do.
We do.
What else is there to do?
No.
Right.
Right.
All right.
You know, I was wondering, you know, when I'm going around, if there's anything that's in Vietnam, because I'll probably be asked, if there's anything you want me to do.
No, I would...
I think the thing to do is to maintain a very discreet, confident silence, because...
This is going to go on for about two to three weeks, and then we'll be at that.
And I would simply say, no, I'm not going to have any comment on that.
I'm just not going to comment about this time.
I think that's...
I think the comment was just being sure or something like that.
Well, yeah, I think... Or no, maybe I shouldn't say that, because...
I'd simply say that, no, that I'm not going to comment on that subject that...
Any comment on that?
It should come from... From the White House?
Yeah, from Mr. Yeah, yeah.
Any, any, no, I just, let me see, let me see.
I don't want to put you on the spot, but... No, no, no, I'm just trying to think of what to say.
I just simply say that the best thing is not to just get involved in it right now.
I mean, nobody's, we're not saying anything here.
And just...
It's a little hard to know what to say, because you don't want to sound down-to-the-mouth.
No, no, no, no, no, no.
No, it isn't either.
I just simply say that we are... Well, I... Well, just say that I...
I would simply say that I'm not...
I'll just say I don't have any comments.
Well, I'm not going to comment on that.
That...
I think at this particular point, all comments should be made from the... No, just as...
I don't know.
I don't want to say that.
I just say, no, I don't... No, because I don't want you to... Yeah, I would simply say, no, I haven't any comment on this.
We're all following it closely.
I think the one thing I could say was this.
We're all following it closely.
And I could say something about the South being invaded.
And we know that all Americans are hopeful that the South Vietnamese will be able to, against the attempt of the Communists to invade their land.
To invade them, that's right.
And to conquer them by invasion.
And to conquer them by invasion.
And that they say, well, what about bombing and the rest?
You can say that's retaliation.
I would simply say that all we're doing is just...
I don't want to go... Don't you think it's a good point to bring in the invasion part?
That's a very good point to make, yes.
I have no comment beyond that.
When will you have to say something and what time?
Well, you see, this is...
I mean, I haven't seen the trailer, but at the end of the week.
Well, let me see what I can do.
Of course, it could change five minutes, but still.
Well, it's just play it real cool.
Let's play it real cool.
NARA Description
On April 10, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Tricia Nixon Cox talked on the telephone from 8:23 pm to 8:32 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 022-101 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 22-101
Date: April 10, 1972
Time: 8:23 pm - 8:32 pm
Location: White House Telephone
Tricia Nixon Cox talked with the President.
******************************************************************************
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 03/05/2018.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[022-101-w001]
[Duration: 49s]
The President's April 10, 1972 television appearance
The President's trip to Canada
Edward R.F. and Tricia Nixon Cox's visit to the White House
-Apollo launch
******************************************************************************
Tricia Nixon Cox’s schedule
-Ping Pong tournament between US and People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-University of Maryland
-Mike Douglas show
-The President’s view
-Ping Pong tournament
-Tennis crowd
-Tricia Nixon Cox to welcome players
Vietnam
-Tricia Nixon Cox’s public comments
-Instructions
-Phraseology
-Invasion of South Vietnam
-Bombing
-Date of comments
-Invasion of South Vietnam
-Bombing
-US air power
-Defense against Communist invasion
-US defense of South Vietnam
-Administration spokesmen’s talking points
-Delivery to Tricia Nixon Cox
-South Vietnam
-American role
-Positive attitude
-Defense
-Treaties
The President’s forthcoming trip to Canada
-Date
-Draft dodgers
-Demonstrators
-Soviet Union
-Pierre E. Trudeau
-Schedule
-Dinner
-Governor General [Roland Michener]
-Parliament address
-State affair
-Trudeau
-Signing of agreement
Vietnam
-Tricia Nixon Cox’s public comments
-Invasion of South Vietnam
-Defense
-American pilots
-Use of word “Communist”
******************************************************************************
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 03/05/2018.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[022-101-w004]
[Duration: 21s]
The President's schedule
Tricia Nixon Cox's schedule
-Florida
-Apollo launch
******************************************************************************Also recorded on April 11, 1972
- 706-001 9:41 AM · 30 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:41 am to 10:09 am.
- 022-102 10:10 AM · 7 sec — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:10 am and 10:49 am.
- 022-103 10:10 AM · 4 min — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman and Vernon A. Walters talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:10 am and 10:49 am.
- 022-104 10:10 AM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:10 am and 10:49 am.
- 706-002 10:10 AM · 2 hr 23 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, unknown person(s), White House operator, Vernon A. Walters, Henry A. Kissinger, Ronald L. Ziegler, and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:10 am to 12:35 pm.
- 329-014 10:31 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander P. Butterfield, and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 10:31 am to 10:34 am.
- 022-105 10:49 AM · 5 min — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Henry A. Kissinger, and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:49 am and 10:54 am.
- 329-015 12:35 PM · 18 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 12:35 pm and 12:37 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 022-101, April 11, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/022-101 (accessed October 12, 2026).