Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 23 › Conversation 023-086

Nixon, Haldeman & Kissinger on Vietnam War and Senate Democratic Caucus

Wednesday, April 26, 1972 · 4:10 PM–4:31 PM ET · White House Telephone · 1 min

ParticipantsHaldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Kissinger, Henry A.; Nixon, Richard M. (President)Conversation023-086 on Tape 23StartWednesday, April 26, 1972 at 4:10 PMEndWednesday, April 26, 1972 at 4:31 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 023-086 ↗

AI Summary

H. R. Haldeman, Henry Kissinger, and President Nixon coordinated regarding the scheduling of a Senate Democratic caucus, which had been a point of concern for the administration's Vietnam policy strategy. Kissinger reported that Senator Robert C. Byrd successfully delayed the caucus from the following day until the next Wednesday by requiring a formal written request. The group expressed satisfaction with this development, concluding that the delay had been effectively secured through Byrd's intervention.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

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Hello.
Oh, it's Mr. Haldeman wants to see you.
Henry?
Bob.
I talked to Bird and he says the caucus is next Wednesday, not tomorrow.
No caucus tomorrow?
That's what he says.
The Senate caucus?
That's what he says.
Great.
I mean, you can check it, but just don't... Bird was very goofy about that being caught.
talking to us.
Yeah.
But he said it was next Wednesday.
Okay.
Maybe they've changed it then on their own initiative.
Yeah.
That's great.
He said the way he changed is to make them put the request in writing and that he only received today, so he put it for next Wednesday.
Oh, so he did change it.
That's what he says.
I see.
I thought you meant it had already been changed.
No, no.
It is changed now.
You've got it changed.
No, no.
It had been changed.
He had already gotten it changed.
I see.
Excellent.
Okay.
If you want to confirm it.
No, that's fine.
But we can rely on him, can't we?
Oh, sure.
Our original information was still right, that they were planning to have it tomorrow.
They were planning to have it this week.
I don't know.
But then he screwed it up.
Yeah.
Good.
Good.
Perfect.
Right.
Okay, thanks.
Right.

NARA Description

On April 26, 1972, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Henry A. Kissinger, and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:10 pm and 4:31 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 023-086 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 23-86

Date: April 26, 1972
Time: Unknown between 4:10 and 4:31 pm
Location: White House Telephone

H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman talked with Henry A. Kissinger.

[See also Conversation No. 333-21F]

     Vietnam
          -Democratic caucus
              -Kissinger's call to Robert C. Byrd
                    -Time

Kissinger conferred with the President at an unknown time.

     Verification of Senate Democratic caucus meeting time

[End of conferral]

     Vietnam
          -Democratic caucus
              -Kissinger's conversation with Byrd
                    -Byrd's reaction
              -Change of time
                    -Method
              -Byrd

Also recorded on April 26, 1972

  • 333-021 3:43 PM · 41 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, unknown person(s), White House operator, Robert C. Byrd, unknown person(s), and Rose Mary Woods met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:43 pm to 4:31 pm.
  • 023-084 4:10 PM · 8 sec — Henry A. Kissinger and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:10 pm and 4:31 pm.
  • 023-085 4:10 PM · 4 min — Henry A. Kissinger and Robert C. Byrd talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:10 pm and 4:31 pm.
  • 333-022 4:31 PM · 48 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:31 pm and 4:34 pm.
  • 023-087 4:34 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 4:34 pm to 4:37 pm.
  • 333-023 4:34 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:34 pm to 4:37 pm.
  • 333-024 4:37 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:37 pm and 5:01 pm.
  • 333-025 4:37 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:37 pm and 5:01 pm.

All 57 conversations from April 26, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 023-086, April 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/023-086 (accessed October 27, 2026).