Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 140 › Conversation 140-026

Nixon, Haldeman & Camp David Operator on American Legion and Pierre Salinger

Thursday, August 17, 1972 · 11:22 AM–11:29 AM ET · Camp David Study Table · 7 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Camp David Operator; Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation140-026 on Tape 140StartThursday, August 17, 1972 at 11:22 AMEndThursday, August 17, 1972 at 11:29 AMRecording deviceCamp David Study TableSourceNixon Library record for 140-026 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman discuss the drafting of an upcoming American Legion speech, specifically requesting the inclusion of a Harry S. Truman quote to highlight a bipartisan commitment to national interests. The conversation then shifts to the administration's response to Pierre Salinger’s unauthorized visit to North Vietnam, which the President views as a dangerous interference in sensitive peace negotiations. Nixon directs Haldeman to coordinate with Alexander Haig and Ron Ziegler to publicly frame the incident as a serious matter that could jeopardize ongoing diplomatic efforts led by Henry Kissinger.

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Mr. Haldeman for you now sir go ahead sir just a note to whoever worked on that legion speech to take the Truman quote don't need to put all of it in but take the Truman quote it can be used high up wherever I strike about the VFW being always I mean the legion always putting Americans America above party or some damn thing I mean just put that in and don't slam anybody else but just say that
it is a great bipartisan tradition i appreciate the support that i have had from the from the american legion i mean from the american legion yeah uh that uh as harry truman said they did or something like that okay but don't put in the business of the briefings and so forth but just you said i mean sure just a nugget sure so i think it'll be the good way to quote it okay yeah let me ask you i was just talking to colson yeah and uh
Their argument on the Ziegler thing is, there is a point here, that you have in this Salinger business of talking with the North Vietnamese a real problem in foreign policy and negotiations.
And his concern and Hague's and Ron's, I guess, I haven't gotten Ron yet, but I'm going to talk to him right now, is that if Ron says no comment today, when he's asked about the thing, it'll look as if something's going on.
well it also it or that we're trying to treat it as insignificant and thus it stops us from later saying that there was a serious mistake yeah and the thought here that they urge is that ron say this is a very serious matter whenever an individual or or this situation when they when when there are when there are when there are
gentlemen, when there are negotiations going on of great sensitivity and of great importance without indicating, I mean I'm not going to indicate how they're going, I'm not going to raise, but when they are going on, when serious negotiations are going on for an individual outside of government to insert himself into this matter is a
can only be said to be detrimental.
Have you got a better word?
That's the line.
It's a very serious matter, and it's something that I'm not going to comment on further, but it could have very serious repercussions.
Yeah.
Why don't you say that they're... Because, gentlemen, as you gentlemen know, without raising false hopes, we have announced, you know, that serious negotiations, serious talks have been taking place
Right?
Yep.
And you see if they can say, see if Hegel agreed to that.
Serious talks have been taking place, both in Paris, Dr. Gisner, and on and on.
Now, I don't raise any hopes of that.
But what we have to recognize is that because the enemy might misinterpret, why don't you put that in?
I think he just says it's serious.
I don't share that that's going to, if you're going to say it, that that's going to, he's going to be driven off that to say, well, why is it serious?
His point was to say simply that because of the possibility of very serious repercussions and then U.S. negotiating positions and so forth, that I am not going to say anything more about it.
at this point but but the position that they want to end up in is that we don't appear to dismiss it lightly that we are worried about it but they won't say anything be sure you indicate the worry a little bit and to lay the foundation for a substance attack on it but you got to lay the now get this uh away from the as again be sure you talk to haig about it rather than this is not a colton operation i want to
got to get him out of this sort of thing right i mean i mean his judgment with regard to how to follow it up is one thing right it's the this is the forward policy judgment of the highest importance okay unfortunately we don't have henry here but hey i'll get alan ron on right now all around and i'd say now look uh why uh why don't we say well because because of the because of the on because ongoing discussions are going on i mean because discussions are going on at the highest levels or something like that
very serious.
This intervention by someone outside of discussions, outside, has very serious, could have very serious repercussions.
I'm not going to comment further on it now, something like that.
I think they've got to say
Anyway, but whatever they want is fine.
They'll work it out.
But be sure you do it not with Olson.
I'm going to get his judgment, but it's a Haig-Sigler decision, and particularly Haig.
Okay.
I don't care for it.
It is true.
You've got to set it up.
I guess he just can't comment on it.
It's a hell of a thing.
Well, it is.
Of course, the point is, I really feel somebody else should take it on.
Well, they will.
They probably are.
Because it's the editorials and so forth.
Jesus Christ.
We'll move that.
We'll move the Congress.
We'll move the Logan Act violations and all that stuff.
But the point of urgent question is...
It's not just serious, Bob, because he did it.
It's serious because of what is going on.
Yeah.
You got the point?
Yes.
And I think that that is the point, to remind them that Kissinger is there.
Right.
We're conducting negotiations.
Then to have this outside intervention could seriously jeopardize
Any possibility of progress in the negotiations, I put it that way.
That sets us up to blame them if it does, too.
That's what I mean.
Could seriously jeopardize.
Could seriously jeopardize.
I would have to say that it could seriously jeopardize because of the situation.
I'm not claiming there is progress or that there will be, but I am saying that discussions are taking place, and I won't go beyond that.
But intervention of this side outside to lob one in like this
uh is uh without uh at a time when the the presidential nominee has declined to be briefed why don't you throw that in okay could seriously jeopardize and uh i won't have anything more to say okay set it up i'd like that perhaps is better than the rest okay yep okay good thank you

NARA Description

On August 17, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Camp David operator, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 11:22 am to 11:29 am. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 140-026 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 140-26

Date: August 17, 1972
Time: 11:22 am - 11:29 am
Location: Camp David Study Table

The Camp David operator talked with the President.

     Call from H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman

The President talked with Haldeman.

     The President’s forthcoming American Legion speech
          -Harry S. Truman's quote
               -Veterans of Foreign Wars [VFW]
               -Bipartisan tradition
               -Briefings

      Negotiations with North Vietnamese
          -Pierre E.G. Salinger's visit to North Vietnam
                 -Reaction by Administration
                      -Haldeman's conversation with Charles W.Colson
                          -Ronald L. Ziegler
                      -Colson’s view
                      -Alexander M. Haig, Jr.’s view
                      -Ziegler's view
                      -Ziegler's possible comments
                          -Repercussions
                                  -Effect on negotiations
                                         -Paris
                                         -Hanoi [Saigon]
                                              -Henry A. Kissinger
                          -Future attacks
                          -Haig
                                  -Colson
                                  -Kissinger
                          -Haig
                          -Ziegler
                      -Further responses
                          -Congressional response
                          -George Logan Act violations
                      -Effect on negotiations
                      -[George S. McGovern]
                          -Briefings

Also recorded on August 17, 1972

  • 140-023 10:16 AM · 12 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Camp David operator, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 10:16 am to 10:54 am.
  • 140-024 10:56 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Camp David operator, and George Meany talked on the telephone at Camp David from 10:56 am to 10:58 am.
  • 203-014 10:56 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and George Meany met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 10:56 am to 10:58 am.
  • 140-025 11:10 AM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at 11:10 am.
  • 203-015 11:10 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at 11:10 am.
  • 203-016 11:10 AM · 24 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 11:10 am and 11:22 am.
  • 203-017 11:22 AM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 11:22 am to 11:29 am.
  • 203-018 11:29 AM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 11:29 am and 1:15 pm.

All 49 conversations from August 17, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 140-026, August 17, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/140-026 (accessed October 12, 2026).