{"conversationCode":"028-043","tapeNumber":28,"conversationNumber":43,"identifier":"37-wht-conversation-028-043","startDateTime":"1972-08-02T16:59:00.000Z","endDateTime":"1972-08-02T17:08:00.000Z","startDate":"2-Aug-1972","startTime":"12:59 PM","endDate":"2-Aug-1972","endTime":"1:08 PM","dateCertainty":"certain","timeCertainty":"certain","participants":"Nixon, Richard M. (President); Aiken, George D.; Kissinger, Henry A.;","description":"On August 2, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, George D. Aiken, and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 12:59 pm to 1:08 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 028-043 of the White House Tapes.","locationCode":"WHT","recordingDevice":"White House Telephone","latitudeEstimated":38.89767,"longitudeEstimated":-77.03655,"chronCode":4,"chronRelease":"Fourth Chronological Release","chronReleaseDate":"10-Dec-2003","aogpRelease":null,"aogpSegment":null,"lastModified":"2015-07-27T17:04:10.235Z","findingAid":"Conversation No. 28-43\n\nDate: August 2, 1972\nTime: 12:59 pm - 1:08 pm\nLocation: White House Telephone\n\nThe President talked with George D. Aiken.\n\n[See Conversation No. 759-11E]\n\n     The President's meeting with Henry A. Kissinger\n          -Kissinger's trip to Paris\n\n     Aiken's amendment\n         -The President's gratitude\n         -The President's view\n         -Statement\n               -Difficulties\n\n     Request for confidentiality\n\nKissinger talked with Aiken.\n\n     Greetings\n\n     North Vietnamese\n          -Peace talks\n               -Secrecy until completion\n\n     Confidence in Aiken\n\n     Peace talks\n         -Seriousness\n         -Aiken's Amendment\n                 -Problems\n                      -North Vietnamese delays\n                          -Encouragement\n                 -Support for the President\n         -Seriousness\n         -Aiken's Amendment\n                 -Show of unity for the President\n                 -North Vietnamese interpretation\n         -North Vietnamese actions\n                 -Delays\n         -Edward W. Brooke substitute\n                 -Problems\n                      -No ceasefire\n                      -Deviation from the President\n                          -North Vietnamese delays\n                      -Fund shutoff\n\n           -Congress\n                -Conflicts with the President\n           -May 8, 1972 proposals\n           -An amendment in Congress\n                -Problems\n                -Withdrawal of funds for South Vietnam\n                      -Alan Cranston\n           -US return to Vietnam\n                -Problems\n           -Panama, Jordan\n           -Aiken's Amendment\n                -Kissinger’s view\n           -Administration's comments\n                -Commitments\n                -Possible impression\n                      -Domestic opponents","filename":["028-043.mp3"],"tapeStart":"","tapeEnd":"","participantsList":["Nixon, Richard M. (President)","Aiken, George D.","Kissinger, Henry A."],"prevCode":"028-042","nextCode":"028-044","transcript":[{"start":0.37,"end":4.51,"text":"Senator Aiken, please."},{"start":4.53,"end":5.97,"text":"Thank you."}],"aiSummary":{"text":"President Nixon and Henry Kissinger coordinated with Senator George D. Aiken regarding the tactical implications of his proposed congressional amendment amidst ongoing secret peace negotiations with North Vietnam. The participants discussed the risk that the amendment might inadvertently signal weakness or encourage North Vietnamese stalling tactics, specifically emphasizing the need for a unified front against competing legislative efforts like the Brooke substitute. Ultimately, the administration sought to balance Aiken's support for the President's policy with the necessity of maintaining diplomatic leverage and preventing premature funding cutoffs that could undermine the peace process.","topics":["Vietnam War","Paris Peace Talks","Aiken Amendment","Congressional Relations","Foreign Policy Strategy","North Vietnam"],"generatedAt":"2026-04-06T03:33:21.686Z"},"topicSlugs":["vietnam-war","paris-peace-talks","aiken-amendment","congressional-relations","foreign-policy-strategy","north-vietnam"],"audioDurationSec":7,"audioFiles":[{"file":"028-043.mp3","bytes":171153,"durationSec":7.05,"bitrate":194124,"missing":false}],"audioIsShared":false,"audioProbedAt":"2026-09-18T02:19:28.232Z","findingAidSource":"nixonlibrary.gov subject log (2024-05), reslice-v2","findingAidUpdatedAt":"2026-09-18T08:42:39.452Z","audio":["https://nixon.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/audio/028-043.mp3"],"url":"https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/028-043","nixonLibraryUrl":"https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/white-house-tapes/28/conversation-028-043","license":"Public domain (U.S. Government work). AI-generated fields (transcript, aiSummary) are provided as-is without warranty."}