Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 137 › Conversation 137-018

Nixon phone call with Haig on Henry Kissinger and Vietnam War

Sunday, August 13, 1972 · 10:19 AM–10:22 AM ET · Camp David Study Table · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haig, Alexander M., Jr.Conversation137-018 on Tape 137StartSunday, August 13, 1972 at 10:19 AMEndSunday, August 13, 1972 at 10:22 AMRecording deviceCamp David Study TableSourceNixon Library record for 137-018 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Alexander Haig coordinate the logistics of Henry Kissinger's upcoming diplomatic itinerary, which includes stops in Paris, Saigon, and Tokyo. The conversation also addresses the administration's public relations strategy regarding recent partisan claims about Vietnam peace offers, specifically praising the counter-narratives provided by William Rogers, Melvin Laird, and Henry Cabot Lodge. The two agree that after the scheduled announcements, the administration should remain silent to avoid building public expectations during the opposition's platform hearings.

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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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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.
Good morning, sir.
Hi.
Is Henry on his way?
Yes, sir.
He took off about 9.15.
Fine.
And then let's see, what would his plans be?
He'll be there tomorrow.
He'll be there tomorrow, and then tomorrow evening to Switzerland.
The following day on to Saigon.
When will he announce his going to... We'll announce the... Monday morning we'll announce the meeting in Paris.
Yeah.
And then Tuesday we'll announce the Saigon-Tokyo leg.
Yeah.
Now he will go, Al, to Saigon and then to Tokyo?
Yes, sir.
And he should be back here Saturday afternoon.
Good.
That's good.
He'll be gone a week.
That'll create a little interest.
Oh, I think this is going to stir the pot something awful.
Yeah.
That's good.
And we've got three days, two days left.
you know I was certainly pleased to have been pleased with the way Rogers and Laird have been kicking them a little you know haven't they've been doing well don't you think I think the secretary did a superb job the other night the other morning that was great yeah yeah well the whole point is that uh it was totally right I thought that was a pretty uh I mean that Vance and Harriman saying well that's true uh they didn't they didn't really back
They didn't back this guy on the key point.
The key point was whether or not he had told us of any damn offer, you know what I mean?
That's exactly right, sir.
Hell, everybody was squealing around about whether this or that.
But Vance and Harriman, I think, are just up to their usual partisan tricks, don't you think?
They are, and I think we got out the one-two punch last night.
It was carried.
It was carried in the television?
Yes, sir.
Good.
It had both Lodge and... Did Lodge come on?
Yes.
I heard it on the very late news last night.
And what did he say?
He said this was totally untrue.
Good, good, good.
And that's great.
Well, anyway...
And Mitchell gave him a little whack for Ramsey Clark.
Oh, boy.
Yeah.
That guy.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Well, okay.
We'll just say nothing here.
And you've got the PR panel.
yes sir and i think it's best uh on vietnam now they may come back with a few more licks but we ought to be quiet after tuesday after we get henry's announcement out then we should be mum about everything that's right not say a week they're having their platform hearings and the rest we just don't say nothing anything all week particularly don't build up any expectations no no we're just his driveway is enough for that there's nothing's going to happen and uh just going to come back and that's that yes sir
Okay, I'll thank you.
Bye, Mr. President.
Bye.

NARA Description

On August 13, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone at Camp David from 10:19 am to 10:22 am. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 137-018 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 137-18

Date: August 13, 1972
Time: 10:19 am - 10:22 am
Location: Camp David Study Table

The President talked with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

[See Conversation No. 199-12]

     Henry A. Kissinger
         -Location
         -Schedule
                -Switzerland
                -Saigon
         -Announcement
                -Paris
                -Saigon
                -Tokyo
         -Itinerary

     Vietnam
          -William P. Rogers, Melvin R. Laird
          -Cyrus R. Vance, W[illiam] Averell Harriman
                -Peace offer claim
                     -Television coverage of Administration response
                          -Henry Cabot Lodge
          -W. Ramsey Clark
                -John N. Mitchell
          -Strategy for public statements
                -Haig’s view
                     -Kissinger’s forthcoming announcement
                -The President’s view
                     -Platform hearings
                     -Expectations

Also recorded on August 13, 1972

  • 137-015 10:15 AM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at 10:15 am.
  • 137-016 10:15 AM · 19 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at 10:15 am.
  • 137-017 10:15 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:15 am and 10:19 am.
  • 199-010 10:15 AM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at 10:15 am.
  • 199-012 10:19 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 10:19 am to 10:22 am.
  • 137-019 10:22 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:22 am and 10:45 am.
  • 199-013 10:22 AM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Tricia Nixon Cox met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:22 am and 10:45 am.
  • 199-014 10:22 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:22 am and 10:45 am.

All 29 conversations from August 13, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 137-018, August 13, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/137-018 (accessed October 12, 2026).