Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 36 › Conversation 036-083

Nixon phone call with Ziegler on Vietnam peace settlement and Media relations

Tuesday, January 23, 1973 · 1:43 PM–1:46 PM ET · White House Telephone · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.Conversation036-083 on Tape 36StartTuesday, January 23, 1973 at 1:43 PMEndTuesday, January 23, 1973 at 1:46 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 036-083 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler coordinated media and public relations strategy regarding the upcoming announcement of the Vietnam peace settlement. Nixon instructed Ziegler to restrict media access to a photographic pool, explicitly barring reporters to avoid unauthorized questioning. The President also rejected a joint session of Congress as a backdrop for the address, opting instead for a simpler presentation to minimize the platform provided to political opponents.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Yeah.
Yes, sir, Mr. President.
For reasons that I won't go into, I want only a photographic pool tonight in the office afterwards.
I don't want any questions asked.
I don't want any comments.
And just say there'll be a photographic pool.
No reporters.
It's perfectly all right, don't you think?
We've done it before.
Yeah.
Just say there'll be just a photographic pool that allows more of them to come in.
any reporters in the room, because they'll say, well, how do you feel?
Sure, I understand.
And I just don't want them in there.
Okay.
Okay, Mr. President.
Yeah.
On Henry's briefing for tomorrow, I will not mention that, of course, until after your address.
That's correct.
Then after your address, I will indicate that he will brief tomorrow at 11 and get into the details of what would be available and when.
Yeah, you can explain that...
The basic reason for everything being slept till tomorrow is that the agreement cannot be made public tomorrow.
He will brief on the agreement tomorrow.
That's correct.
Now, do you think we should have a picture with you and Henry tonight when he arrives back?
No.
Okay.
I don't think so.
I think we don't want to build the Henry thing up all that much.
I understand.
No, not for him.
He's going to get plenty of building.
Sure.
I don't think we should have a picture.
No.
All right.
But we should of the bipartisan leadership of the cabinet.
Yes.
I think so.
Yes, yes, yes.
Of the cabinet and the bipartisan leadership.
Well, do you think I should then put the bipartisan leaders in?
Well, they can come in here and take... No, that's fine.
They can do it in the EOB.
That's a good setting.
Right, right.
The announcement of the TV time tonight, the request for TV time, of course, is bulletin, and all the networks interrupted their programs and announced the fact on television and so forth.
I hope so.
Oh, absolutely.
We've made the right decision on the Congress.
I know it's a great temptation, but...
think of the announcement is so powerful powerful it doesn't need any damn backdrop i think i could do it in the men's room really it doesn't yeah i just think that and i think to go up there and and all that uh fanfare the rest it's only going to give a few of these television people a chance to hypo not me i can't be hypo much hypo those uh
those people sitting on their hands, like the Kennedys and others and the rest.
Did you see me fine?
I think it was worth considering, but I think this is the right way to do it.
All right, fine.

NARA Description

On January 23, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 1:43 pm to 1:46 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 036-083 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 36-83

Date: January 23, 1973
Time: Between 1:43 pm and 1:46 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Ronald L. Ziegler.

[See also Conversation No. 404-18]

       Vietnam settlement announcement
            -Press arrangements
            -Photographers
                                              -52-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

             -Henry A. Kissinger’s press briefing
                   -Timing
             -Photographs
                   -Kissinger
                   -Bipartisan leadership and Cabinet
             -Television [TV] reports
                   -Joint session of Congress
                   -Edward M. Kennedy
                   -Edmund S. Muskie
                   -George S. McGovern

Also recorded on January 23, 1973

  • 036-082 1:40 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:40 pm and 1:43 pm.
  • 404-016 1:40 PM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:40 pm and 1:43 pm.
  • 404-017 1:43 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:43 pm and 1:46 pm.
  • 404-018 1:46 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:46 pm and 1:53 pm.
  • 404-019 1:46 PM · 22 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 1:46 pm and 1:53 pm.
  • 404-020 1:46 PM · 8 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 1:46 pm and 1:53 pm.
  • 404-021 1:46 PM · 20 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 1:46 pm and 1:53 pm.
  • 404-022 1:46 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:46 pm and 1:53 pm.

All 94 conversations from January 23, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 036-083, 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/036-083 (accessed October 9, 2026).