Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 032-027
Date: Tuesday, October 24, 1972 at 7:31 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haig, Alexander M., Jr.
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/032-027

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:01] Yes, sir.
[0:03] I've been thinking about this proposition, and the more I think about it is that you and I have got to work on this together.
[0:14] We've got to
[0:15] Henry off the Hanoi thing.
[0:17] If they want to break, they can break, but we cannot have him go to Hanoi.
[0:20] That's my view.
[0:20] That will have a devastating effect, not only in South Vietnamese, but a devastating effect here at home.
[0:26] I think so.
[0:26] And we'll just say, all right, I'm sorry, he can't go.
[0:29] We'll go right after election.
[0:31] He can't go now.
[0:32] If it's a winner and we've got an agreement, it's fine.
[0:35] No, but we're not going to go to Hanoi hat in hand.
[0:38] The second point is, would you call McGregor and tell him to take a very hard line
[0:43] I noticed that the Star had something that I ordered.
[0:45] It turned down to the bombing and the rest, which I didn't like.
[0:49] But, you know, it was inevitable it came up.
[0:50] But he's picked a hard line with regard to, I already told him, no coalition government.
[0:57] And the only reason we're doing this is because negotiations are in progress.
[1:00] But you see what I mean is right now, take a tough lie, not a soft lie.
[1:04] Absolutely.
[1:05] Why don't you do that?
[1:06] Absolutely.
[1:07] But when Henry gets back, and we'll talk in the morning, in the coolness of the morning, but there's no Hanoi trip under any circumstances at all.
[1:13] It can't be done.
[1:14] Well, I think it's a great security.
[1:16] He had a luncheon today with his son of a bitch, and we got a proposal.
[1:20] Yeah, sure.
[1:22] They say, well, if he'd go to Hanoi.
[1:23] That just plays right into Henry's hands.
[1:25] Now, Henry's just panting to an annoy.
[1:27] He's not going to go.
[1:29] And I'm going to have to tell him and break him on it because he must not go.
[1:33] That could be very devastating to us at home.
[1:36] That's right.
[1:37] Okay.
[1:38] Good.
[1:38] Thank you.