Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 034-099
Date: Saturday, December 16, 1972 at 3:25 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/034-099
National Archives Catalog: https://catalog.archives.gov/id/647841802 (NAID 647841802)

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] This is Ziegler.
[0:02] Yes, sir.
[0:03] Oh, uh, give me a little, a little ramp up on, uh...
[0:08] Another thing today, was Henry in good psychological form?
[0:13] Yes, he was very good.
[0:14] I'm watching him now.
[0:15] He's on Channel 9.
[0:17] But I did not ask you when he was here.
[0:19] He came over well.
[0:20] He was in good foot.
[0:21] Did he come off the wayward?
[0:23] Because we really worked him this time.
[0:25] Yes, sir.
[0:25] He was not defensive?
[0:27] Not at all.
[0:28] As a matter of fact, when we were going over stuff, he started to use words, you know, in this whole habit pattern of saying...
[0:34] At one point he was embarrassed or something because of the fact that people standing outside were expecting something to be happening inside.
[0:42] I said, Henry, don't use those words.
[0:44] He agreed.
[0:45] He said, you know, Ron, for the first time in the last month or so, he said, I really feel good about things and at peace with myself and so forth.
[0:54] But he was really positive, came over well today.
[0:59] they're playing about, as you indicated.
[1:01] Sir, the fact that we expect it's going to be, and as a matter of fact, let the people get solved it down a little in terms of this.
[1:11] You know, I don't think most people expect the damn thing to be worked out so soon anyway, from what I've heard.
[1:15] I think the main thing is to get their hopes up, but the main thing is that you have to keep in mind, Mr. President, there are only 24,000 troops there.
[1:26] and the impact of this zero casualties right and the impact of this war across this country now um but not the war itself i mean it's just how are we going to settle the damn thing that's right i mean there's
[1:54] how it's settled, and I think my overriding thing is it's settled in the right way, and that's what's coming over.
[1:59] Henry said that party is making, well, the short piece and the long war and so forth, that sort of thing.
[2:05] That's the kind of thing we want to get through.
[2:07] Yeah, that's the type thing I think we want to hit again, just a general summary form on the day if we do something, if we have to say something about the other thing.
[2:18] What is your view on the other?
[2:21] Well, we'll see.
[2:22] It'll make a...
[2:23] Henry is, of course, much more concerned about that than I am, but they're going to wake up the fact that we're hitting the north again, because Hanoi will yell about it.
[2:34] Well, as we discussed, Mr. President.
[2:35] I'm not sure that makes that much difference.
[2:37] As we discussed, we should expect that.
[2:40] Hanoi's going to scream, of course, and it's going to be, you know, played on the news and so forth.
[2:45] What's your reaction about it here?
[2:48] My feeling is that we just cannot react to that and proceed.
[2:53] I agree.
[2:54] That's what we'll do.
[2:55] But the public reaction, I don't think it's going to be too damn exciting.
[3:00] The public reaction out in the country will not be anything close at all to...
[3:07] You know, the Brinkley's have been, the reaction will get on television and in the columns.
[3:12] I think the public reaction will be, well, he's moving in a way he thinks he has to to get it over with.
[3:18] Right.
[3:19] Okay, got that, sir.