Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 34 › Conversation 034-005

Nixon phone call with Haig on Vietnam War and Peace negotiations

Wednesday, November 29, 1972 · 7:53 PM–7:55 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haig, Alexander M., Jr.Conversation034-005 on Tape 34StartWednesday, November 29, 1972 at 7:53 PMEndWednesday, November 29, 1972 at 7:55 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 034-005 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Alexander Haig coordinated an upcoming meeting involving General Robert E. Cushman, Jr. and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The pair discussed the ongoing, difficult Vietnam peace negotiations, emphasizing the necessity of maintaining a firm stance against South Vietnamese resistance to ensure progress before the January 3 deadline. Nixon instructed Haig to monitor Henry Kissinger’s efforts during their forthcoming mission to Paris to ensure the negotiations remained on track.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Hello.
We have General Haig, Mr. President.
The President, sir.
Hello, Al.
Yes, sir.
I want to be sure that at that meeting tomorrow that Cushman is present with the others of the Joint Chiefs.
Right, sir.
He's included.
Fine, fine.
Good.
Okay.
Fine.
Now on the matter today, we've got that I think is...
I don't know what more we can do with these clowns, but we'll...
Yeah, I think we've got a couple of tough nuts to get over here between now and the time they leave.
They're still pretty strong on a couple of points, and that's what we're working on.
They're tough on the points that are almost insoluble.
That's right.
But we've got to stand firm, you see.
I mean, they've just got to realize that it's really true that January 3rd is too late.
That's right.
Well, I think that you agree.
Yes, sir.
They're just hoping that they can get some changes, some of which are impossible to get.
But don't you think we should stand firm?
We have to.
Yeah.
All right.
That's what we'll do then.
Right.
And it's going to take some work.
Are you going to be with Henry in Paris?
Yes, sir.
Good.
Well, you just have to see that he stays right on track and he'll do everything he can.
Yes, sir.
But in the meantime, with these people, there's really nothing more we can do, you know.
They just got to realize it.
Oh, that's right.
Exactly.
It's coming through.
It's just a traumatic thing for them.
I know.
They're just not... Well, I couldn't have given the message to them stronger today than I did, you know, I think.
Oh, no.
God, there wasn't any doubt about it.
They know.
They know.
And I think tomorrow we'll have it sorted down to the manageable two or three pieces.
All right.
And we'll just put the frosting on the cake.
Fine.
Okay, Gal.
Fine.
Good, sir.

NARA Description

On November 29, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone from 7:53 pm to 7:55 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 034-005 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 34-5

Date: November 29, 1972
Time: 7:53 pm - 7:55 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

       The President’s schedule
            -Meeting attendance
                  -Gen. Robert E. Cushman, Jr.
                         -Joint Chiefs of Staff [JCS]
            -Recent meeting [with Nguyen Phu Duc and Tran Kim Phuong]

       Vietnam negotiations
            -South Vietnamese stance
                 -US stance
                        -Firmness
                 -January 3, 1973 deadline
                 -US stance
            -Henry A. Kissinger
                 -Haig’s role in Paris
            -The President's meeting with South Vietnamese leaders
            -Upcoming meeting

Also recorded on November 30, 1972

  • 034-002 7:37 PM · 11 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:37 pm and 7:49 pm.
  • 034-003 7:49 PM · 24 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:49 pm and 7:53 pm.
  • 034-004 7:49 PM · 22 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:49 pm and 7:53 pm.
  • 034-006 7:57 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 7:57 pm.
  • 034-007 7:57 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:57 pm and 7:58 pm.
  • 034-146 7:57 PM · 16 sec — the White House operator and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone at 7:57 pm.
  • 034-008 7:58 PM · 40 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 7:58 pm to 7:59 pm.
  • 034-009 8:12 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 8:12 pm to 8:20 pm.

All 28 conversations from November 30, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 034-005, November 30, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/034-005 (accessed October 12, 2026).