Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 44 › Conversation 044-086

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on Vietnam War and Defense Budget

Thursday, March 29, 1973 · 9:39 PM–9:41 PM ET · White House Telephone · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation044-086 on Tape 44StartThursday, March 29, 1973 at 9:39 PMEndThursday, March 29, 1973 at 9:41 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 044-086 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger discuss the public and international reception of Nixon's televised speech delivered earlier that evening. They analyze the political impact of the address, specifically noting the necessity of defending the administration’s stance on Vietnam, defense budget cuts, and executive impoundment. Nixon emphasizes the importance of restoring national spirit and faith, while Kissinger observes that the speech effectively communicated a firm position to foreign powers in Peking, Moscow, and Hanoi despite domestic political opposition.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Mr. President, I have Dr. Kissinger calling.
Oh, yeah, okay.
Thank you.
Hello, Mr. President.
Oh, hello, Henry.
How are you?
I thought it went extremely well.
Very well delivered, and I think it serves its purpose extremely well as far as the domestic opinion is concerned.
the story will be on the meat prices.
Oh, yes, that'll override everything else, you know.
We certainly don't want to debate on Vietnam right now.
No, but the point is, I knew that override, but it's well to remind the people about Vietnam and about the defense budget.
I think it's very good, because if it was only Vietnam, it would have been...
They'd say, what's the whole story?
Well, and you would have had...
Full pride in everybody.
I think we've stuck a lot to them.
And I was going to say, as far as our chief audience is concerned on foreign policy in Peking, Moscow, and Hanoi, this was a very strong speech.
And it will have its effect.
Well, that's the main thing.
The main thing is the effect on the American people, too, just to stiffen their backs on the defense cuts, which I think we did.
I mean, it's very hard.
That was pretty bad.
And also, the first time explained the reason for the impoundment.
Sure.
I mean, I, for example, didn't know that we had increased some of the social welfare expenses.
Doubled.
Doubled.
Doubled, right?
By the amount that we had.
And using that Truman thing, the buck stops here, I thought was pretty good.
Yeah.
But you know, the most important thing in it is something that you would not probably, well, you would feel it, but I would.
was what i said at the last about the spirit i think that believe me what the guy that told me that was reisner you know and he broke down and cried when he told me you know you know i think that it's the key helen and when he said you know it was faith you know and he said i can't it's hard for me to say this and i tried to stop him he says then he just cried and said it was faith and that's that's the thing henry people have got to have a little faith
Without it, it's impossible to do anything that is difficult.
Anyway, you got it done, and your friends won't like it, and the liberals.
Oh, Christ, they're going to die.
You notice how I stuck it to them on amnesty, but that had to be done.
And, you know, I wasn't divisive, though.
I said, let us put aside the divisions that have divided us.
because, go ahead, I was very generous.
It was a good moment to make it, and it was essential.
But I wasn't too rough on the opposition.
What did you think?
Well, as you remember this afternoon, my recommendation was to go further.
But you know, as you noticed, but it was good to remind them of Cambodia, to remind them of the rest.
I think it was just as well you didn't.
Yeah.
Your instinct was right.
Yeah, we'll see.
We'll see.
Okay, Henry.
Congratulations.
Bye-bye.

NARA Description

On March 29, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:39 pm and 9:41 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 044-086 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 044-086

Date: March 29, 1973
Time: 9:39 pm-9:41 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

       Call from Henry A. Kissinger

Kissinger talked with the President.

       President's March 29 speech
             -Press coverage
                   -Price controls
             -Vietnam
                   -National defense
                          -J. William Fulbright
             -International reception
                   -People’s Republic of China [PRC]
                   -Soviet Union
                   -North Vietnam
             -Domestic reception
                   -Budget
                          -Defense cuts
                          -Impoundment

       Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542

                          -Harry S. Truman
             -Statement on national spirit
                   -President’s meeting with Col. Robinson Risner
                   -Faith
             -Amnesty
                   -Reaction of liberals
             -President’s opponents
             -Cambodia

Also recorded on March 30, 1973

  • 044-087 9:41 PM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:41 pm and 9:49 pm.
  • 424-020 9:45 PM · 1 min — 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 9:45 pm and 9:55 pm.
  • 044-088 9:49 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles G. ("Bebe") Rebozo talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:49 pm and 9:50 pm.
  • 044-089 9:51 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 9:51 pm.
  • 044-090 9:51 PM · 15 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at 9:51 pm.
  • 424-021 9:55 PM · 18 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 9:55 pm and 10:43 pm.
  • 424-022 9:55 PM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 9:55 pm and 10:43 pm.
  • 424-023 9:55 PM · 10 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 9:55 pm and 10:43 pm.

All 60 conversations from March 30, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 044-086, March 30, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/044-086 (accessed October 1, 2026).