Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 36 › Conversation 036-058

Nixon phone call with Ziegler on Vietnam Peace Settlement and Press relations

Monday, January 22, 1973 · 7:29 PM–7:31 PM ET · White House Telephone ·2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Ziegler, Ronald L.Conversation036-058 onTape 36StartMonday, January 22, 1973 at 7:29 PMEndMonday, January 22, 1973 at 7:31 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 036-058 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler discussed the difficulty of controlling the narrative regarding the Vietnam peace settlement due to extensive media coverage and public comments from South Vietnamese Foreign Minister Tran Van Lam. Ziegler explained that press plants with The Washington Post and CBS were complicated by the Foreign Minister’s optimistic but unauthorized interviews. The two concluded the call with arrangements for Ziegler to deliver a prepared statement regarding the death of former President Lyndon B. Johnson to the Lincoln Room.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

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Yeah.
Yes, sir.
Were you able to get that story out with the Post and CBS that Friday is the day?
We made an effort.
It was very difficult for it to take with CBS because they had a very extensive interview with Tram Van Lam, who had his mouth open all the way from Saigon on the airplane.
But Ken attempted to
the plant with the post, and he doesn't know if it took.
It was impossible for it to take with CBS because the South Vietnamese foreign minister is just talking everywhere he turns.
What's he saying?
Well, he's just talking about initialing and in the next day or two and should be wrapped up and the whole thing.
It's not, you know, it's part of the overall speculation, basically.
He's not talking negatively?
No, he's talking very positively.
As a matter of fact, he was on an interview with the fact that he intended, the questioner asked him if he could sign a document with the
Viet Cong mentioned in the document, he said, no, but there are ways to work that out by having separate documents and could work it out to make everyone happy, he said.
So he's talking very positively and a lot.
I see.
The post thing may take.
We did it in a way that we think it will take.
But we have all of this other type of thing.
Mr. President, the statement just came in on LBJ, and I'd like to bring that right over.
All right.
You bring it over to the Lincoln Room.
Yes, sir.

NARA Description

On January 22, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 7:29 pm to 7:31 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 036-058 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 36-58 (cont’d)

                                                                    Conversation No. 36-58

Date: January 22, 1973
Time: 7:29 pm - 7:31 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Ronald L. Ziegler.

       Vietnam settlement announcement
            -Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
            -Washington Post
            -Kenneth W. Clawson
            -Tran Van Lam
                  -Television [TV] appearance
                        -Comments

       Lyndon B. Johnson’s death
            -The President’s statement

Also recorded on January 23, 1973

  • 036-055 7:14 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 7:14 pm to 7:20 pm.
  • 036-056 7:26 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 7:26 pm.
  • 036-057 7:26 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:26 pm and 7:29 pm.
  • 036-059 7:38 PM · 58 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles G. ("Bebe") Rebozo talked on the telephone from 7:38 pm to 7:40 pm.
  • 398-016 7:56 PM · 35 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 7:56 pm and 8:15 pm.
  • 398-017 7:56 PM · 19 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 7:56 pm and 8:15 pm.
  • 036-060 8:03 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 8:03 pm to 8:05 pm.
  • 402-012 8:22 PM · 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 8:22 pm and 8:47 pm.

All 94 conversations from January 23, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 036-058, January 23, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/036-058 (accessed September 18, 2026).