Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 23 › Conversation 023-098

Nixon phone call with Kissinger on Vietnam War and Diplomatic negotiations

Monday, May 1, 1972 · 7:07 PM–7:08 PM ET · White House Telephone ·2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Kissinger, Henry A.Conversation023-098 onTape 23StartMonday, May 1, 1972 at 7:07 PMEndMonday, May 1, 1972 at 7:08 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 023-098 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon directs Henry Kissinger to adopt a specific strategic posture during ongoing Vietnam negotiations by projecting an image of the President as being unpredictable and beyond control. By conveying a sense of despair regarding his own lack of influence over Nixon's future actions, Kissinger is instructed to pressure the North Vietnamese negotiators into offering substantive concessions. This tactical maneuver aims to leverage the threat of unspecified presidential retaliation to force a breakthrough in the diplomatic deadlock.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Yeah, one final point.
I think you ought to do a little action.
now.
I cannot control it.
And that he has never said, he always understates what he will do.
And he has public support now that's full of
as you give him the impression that he's out of control, and then you sort of despair at it.
Do you see my point?
Absolutely.
Lay it that way.
You're rather despairing, but that's the way it is.
I'm sorry, but that's the way it is.
And unless I come back with something positive, I cannot, frankly, be held accountable for what happened to me.
Put it right that way.
Okay.

NARA Description

On May 1, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 7:07 pm to 7:08 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 023-098 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 23-98
Date: May 1, 1972
Time: 7:07-7:08 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Henry A. Kissinger.

     Vietnam
          -Negotiations

**************************************************************************

[Previous archivists categorized this section as unintelligible. It has been rereviewed and
released 03/22/2019.]
[Unintelligible]
[023-098-w001]
[Duration: 31s]

     Vietnam
          -Negotiations with Vietnam
               -President’s advice to Henry A. Kissinger

**************************************************************************

     Vietnam
          -Negotiations with Vietnam
               -The President's position
               -Public support for the President

Also recorded on May 1, 1972

  • 023-095 6:49 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:49 pm and 6:53 pm.
  • 716-006 6:49 PM · 1 min — United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at 6:49 pm.
  • 023-096 6:53 PM · 12 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and Manolo Sanchez talked on the telephone from 6:53 pm to 7:06 pm.
  • 023-097 7:06 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:06 pm and 7:07 pm.
  • 023-099 7:09 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:09 pm and 7:11 pm.
  • 023-100 7:11 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 7:11 pm to 7:13 pm.
  • 023-101 7:13 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:13 pm and 7:18 pm.
  • 023-102 7:18 PM · 49 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 7:18 pm to 7:19 pm.

All 19 conversations from May 1, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 023-098, May 1, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/023-098 (accessed September 18, 2026).