Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 36 › Conversation 036-089

Nixon, Ziegler & Kissinger on Vietnam War and Paris Peace Accords

Tuesday, January 23, 1973 · 6:38 PM–6:40 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.; Kissinger, Henry A.; Nixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.; Kissinger, Henry A.Conversation036-089 on Tape 36StartTuesday, January 23, 1973 at 6:38 PMEndTuesday, January 23, 1973 at 6:40 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 036-089 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon, Henry Kissinger, and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler coordinated the final revisions and distribution protocol for the President's upcoming speech regarding the Vietnam peace settlement. The participants emphasized strict security for the announcement text, mandating that no media access or 'sneak previews' occur until after the President’s delivery. Nixon and Kissinger finalized specific phrasing edits to ensure the speech's tone and message were accurate before its release.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Ron.
Yes, sir.
They're two very, oh, you don't have the text, do you?
Yes, I do.
Now, let me understand what you're doing with it.
No, we're just... You understand now, this is not one time you give a sneak preview to anybody.
Absolutely not.
Is that clear?
It is to be given to them after I've delivered it.
Or did you have something else in mind?
Absolutely not.
After you deliver it.
After I deliver it, you can give them the text.
Yes, sir.
It will not be given before.
It will not be shown to anyone.
All right.
There are two changes that have to be made, and it will have to be rerun to do this.
We haven't run it yet, so we have no problem.
Henry's got it here.
He'll give you the changes.
All right.
Hello, Ron.
Hi, Henry.
Welcome back.
Thank you.
Do you have the text in front of you?
Yes, sir.
It says, by joined agreement... What page are you on, Henry?
Well, I have a copy that they sent to me, so I don't have your...
It's right after the president mentions the four conditions that have been met.
All right.
It says, the people of South Vietnam have been guaranteed.
It's the second page.
It says, by joined agreement of the parties to the settlement, the full text of the agreement...
yeah leave out of the parties to the settlement just say by joined agreement of the parties to the settlement out now it reads by joined agreement the full text of the agreement and the protocols to carry it out will be released tomorrow right and we take of the parties of this settlement of the parties of the settlement of the parties to the center to the settlement right okay that goes out right what else now
And the President will give you the other one.
All right.
The last line.
The last line in front of you.
Yes, sir.
Rather than that we, say let us.
Instead of that we, let us.
Yes, sir.
Let us consecrate.
Yes, sir.
Right.
And then rather than one, use the word achieved.
Achieved instead of one.
That's all.
That's the only change.
We have achieved a peace.
Right.
Thank you, sir.

NARA Description

On January 23, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:38 pm and 6:40 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 036-089 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 36-89

Date: January 23, 1973
Time: Unknown between 6:38 pm and 6:40 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Ronald L. Ziegler.

[See also Conversation No. 407-18B]

       Text of the President's announcement
             -Vietnam settlement
             -Copies to media
             -Changes

Henry A. Kissinger talked with Ronald L. Ziegler.

       Text of the President's announcement
             -Changes

The President talked with Ronald L. Ziegler.

       Text of the President's announcement
             -Changes

Also recorded on January 23, 1973

  • 407-010 5:29 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:29 pm and 6:19 pm.
  • 407-011 5:29 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:29 pm and 6:19 pm.
  • 036-087 6:19 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 6:19 pm.
  • 407-016 6:19 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 6:19 pm.
  • 407-017 6:19 PM · 33 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:19 pm and 6:22 pm.
  • 407-018 6:22 PM · 1 hr 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, Henry A. Kissinger, Manolo Sanchez, White House operator, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:22 pm and 7:23 pm.
  • 036-088 6:36 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:36 pm and 6:38 pm.
  • 036-090 6:40 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:40 pm and 10:44 pm.

All 94 conversations from January 23, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 036-089, 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/036-089 (accessed October 12, 2026).