Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 023-017
Date: Tuesday, April 18, 1972 at 9:55 AM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Laird, Melvin R.
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/023-017

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] Mr. President, I have Secretary Laird for you.
[0:03] Yeah.
[0:03] Right.
[0:05] Oh, hello.
[0:05] Mr. President.
[0:06] Hi, Mel.
[0:06] I didn't want to bother you before testimony, but there was a story which you will probably be asked about that I just read in the Times this morning out of Saigon to the effect that we were cutting down on the bombing and so forth and waiting for a political reaction.
[0:24] As we were talking yesterday, I want you to take a line that, you know, knocking that down and saying, look, this is a, we are...
[0:32] we're going to do what is necessary and so forth.
[0:34] You know what I mean?
[0:35] I think the main thing I want you to keep everybody guessing because it's very important in terms of our diplomatic game right now.
[0:44] Mr. President, I'll hit him very hard.
[0:45] I've already been before the Senate Armed Services Committee and they made a film clip which will be used very soon in which I said that there was absolutely no truth to the story.
[0:54] Great.
[0:54] All right.
[0:55] All right.
[0:55] Fine.
[0:55] All right.
[0:55] I won't bother you anymore.
[0:56] Bye.