Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 24 › Conversation 024-056

Nixon phone call with Ziegler on Vietnam War and Henry Kissinger

Tuesday, May 9, 1972 · 12:27 PM–12:29 PM ET · White House Telephone · 1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.Conversation024-056 on Tape 24 (tape position 01:13:02–01:14:09)StartTuesday, May 9, 1972 at 12:27 PMEndTuesday, May 9, 1972 at 12:29 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 024-056 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler discuss the effectiveness of Henry Kissinger’s recent press briefing regarding the administration’s strategy in Vietnam. Ziegler praises Kissinger’s performance as firm and realistic, particularly concerning the Soviet assessment and diplomatic negotiation efforts. The two also touch upon the political reception of the recent blockade policy, specifically noting Senator Frank Church’s surprising support for the administration's stance.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Yeah.
There you are.
Hello.
Briefing finished?
Yes, sir.
How long to go?
Oh, about, I think, just close to an hour, but that was not Q&A.
Henry used about...
Nine minutes, 35 minutes.
You start at 11.15.
Oh, yeah.
Or you start at 11.15.
Right, and he talked until just about quarter till, and then he took questions into account.
Oh, then he's just finished then, is he?
Right.
Fine.
How'd he go?
He did a good job.
He outlined the efforts that had been made at the negotiating table.
He was firm, determined, but also quite realistic in terms of the Soviet assessment.
Right.
He did a good job.
He was, you know, passionate and impassioned and made a good presentation.
Good, good, good.
I think things are in good shape, quite frankly.
Press play's been good, straightforward so far.
Well, are Democrats playing their usual part?
Oh, well, sure.
Oh, I see Church gave us, to my great surprise, he's... Well, Church said right that he'd accept it.
He was the other side.
Okay.
Okay, sir.

NARA Description

On May 9, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 12:27 pm to 12:29 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 024-056 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 24-56

Date: May 9, 1972
Time: 12:27 pm - 12:29 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Ronald L. Ziegler.

[See also Conversation No. 338-27]

     Henry A. Kissinger's briefing
         -Length
         -Statement
         -Length
         -Questions
         -Quality of presentation
               -Ziegler’s view
         -Content
         -Manner
         -Soviet assessment
         -Quality of presentation

     Vietnam
          -Blockade
               -Press play
               -Democrats
                    -Frank F. Church
                           -Statement
                           -The President’s view

Also recorded on May 9, 1972

  • 024-055 12:13 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:13 pm and 12:27 pm.
  • 338-027 12:27 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:27 pm and 12:29 pm.
  • 024-057 12:29 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:29 pm and 12:31 pm.
  • 338-028 12:29 PM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:29 pm and 12:31 pm.
  • 024-058 12:31 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 12:31 pm.
  • 338-029 12:31 PM · 22 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 12:31 pm.
  • 338-030 12:31 PM · 38 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 12:31 pm and 12:37 pm.
  • 338-031 12:37 PM · 31 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and Adm. Thomas H. Moorer met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 12:37 pm to 1:12 pm.

All 96 conversations from May 9, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 024-056, May 9, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/024-056 (accessed October 9, 2026).