Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 40 › Conversation 040-031

Nixon phone call with Scowcroft on Vietnam negotiations and Nguyen Van Thieu

Tuesday, June 12, 1973 · 1:15 PM–1:16 PM ET · White House Telephone · 51 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Scowcroft, Brent G. (Gen.)Conversation040-031 on Tape 40StartTuesday, June 12, 1973 at 1:15 PMEndTuesday, June 12, 1973 at 1:16 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 040-031 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon instructed General Brent Scowcroft to relay a personal message to South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu regarding ongoing Vietnam negotiations. Nixon promised to issue a unilateral public statement—separate from the Joint Communiqué—reaffirming specific commitments on elections to address Thieu’s concerns. Scowcroft was directed to ensure Thieu understands this commitment will be personally delivered by Nixon and emphasized during an upcoming meeting with congressional leaders.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Yes, Mr. President.
Put in that message, that 2-2, a personal message for me, that President 2 has the President Nixon's personal assurance that President Nixon will make a personal, unilateral statement.
regard to the two points he's concerned about, reaffirming the election things and the other point.
You see what I mean?
I certainly do.
And that I will do that and that I will clear the statement with him in advance to be sure that it's satisfactory.
I think that would be very useful.
Fine.
Tell him that I want him to know that I personally will do it apart from the communique, apart from the briefing.
The President wants him to know because he personally will do it and he will also emphasize that to the congressional leaders when he meets them tomorrow.
Okay.
Very good.
Fine.
Yes, Mr. President.
Very good.

NARA Description

On June 12, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft talked on the telephone from 1:15 pm to 1:16 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 040-031 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 40-31

Date: June 12, 1973
Time: 1:15 pm - 1:16 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft.

[See also Conversation No. 444-16]

     Vietnam negotiations
          -Cable to Saigon
               -Nguyen Van Thieu
               -President’s statement
                      -South Vietnam [?] elections
                      -Thieu’s views
                      -Compared to Joint Communique, briefing
                      -Meeting with congressional leaders

Also recorded on June 12, 1973

  • 040-030 1:15 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at 1:15 pm.
  • 444-015 1:15 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:15 pm and 1:16 pm.
  • 444-016 1:15 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:15 pm to 1:16 pm.
  • 040-032 1:16 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:16 pm and 1:24 pm.
  • 444-017 1:16 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:16 pm and 1:24 pm.
  • 444-018 1:16 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:16 pm and 1:24 pm.
  • 040-033 1:24 PM · 17 min — President Richard M. Nixon and J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr. talked on the telephone from 1:24 pm to 1:41 pm.
  • 444-019 1:24 PM · 21 min — President Richard M. Nixon and J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:24 pm to 1:41 pm.

All 70 conversations from June 12, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 040-031, June 12, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/040-031 (accessed October 9, 2026).