Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 158 › Conversation 158-040
Nixon, Colson & Scali on Vietnam War and Press relations
Saturday, December 30, 1972 · 11:06 AM–11:42 AM ET · Camp David Study Table · 37 min
AI Summary
President Nixon, Charles Colson, and John Scali coordinate the administration's public relations strategy following the announcement of a halt to U.S. bombing north of the 20th parallel and the planned resumption of Vietnam peace negotiations. The participants emphasize a message of presidential decisiveness and seriousness, aiming to counter potential criticism from domestic "doves" and the media. Scali details his efforts to brief journalists and manage press coverage to ensure the administration's narrative regarding the bombing halt and negotiation efforts remains unified and controlled.
- Vietnam War
- Press relations
- Bombing of North Vietnam
- Peace negotiations
- Public relations
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
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NARA Description
On December 30, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, and John A. Scali talked on the telephone at Camp David from 11:06 am to 11:42 am. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 158-040 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 158-40
Date: December 30, 1972
Time: 11:06 am - 11:42 am
Location: Camp David Study Table
The President talked with Charles W. Colson.
[See Conversation No. 237-51/238-1]
Vietnam War
-Cessation of US bombing north of 20th Parallel
-Announcement
-Gerald L. Warren’s press conference
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Preparation
-The President’s meeting with Warren and Col. Richard T.
Kennedy
-Questions
-Review
-Press relations
-Reaction
-Number of reporters
-Reaction
-Resumption of negotiations
-Kissinger, Le Duc Tho
-49-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 158-40 (cont’d)
-Timing
-Technical talks
-Timing
-Questions
-William B. Saxbe’s statement
-US bombing of North Vietnam
-Halt
-Resumption of negotiations
-Tone
-Responsibility for initiative
-John A. Scali’s view
-“No comment” response
-US military operations
-“No comment” response
-Kissinger’s view
-Kissinger’s conversation with Colson
-Scali
-Resumption of negotiations
-Responsibility for initiative
-Message
-Kissinger and Le Duc Tho
-Kissinger’s press conference, December
16, 1972
-Kissinger’s “peace is at hand” comment, October 26, 1972
-Warren
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Warren’s performance
-Statement
-Kissinger’s concern
-Avoiding “crowing” about victory
-The President’s conversation with Kissinger
-Warren
-William P. Rogers’s schedule
-Melvin R. Laird’s schedule
-Congressmen and Senators
-Kissinger’s conversation with Colson
-Negotiations
-Statements
-Effect
-50-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 158-40 (cont’d)
-Resumption of negotiations
-Kissinger’s press conference, December 16, 1972
-Exchange of messages
-Warren’s statement
-Kennedy
-Scali
-Announcement
-Scali
-Knowledge, conversations with reporters
-Kissinger’s concerns
-Kissinger’s press relations
-John F. Osborne
-Palm Springs, California article
-Kissinger’s telephone calls from the President
-Announcement
-Wire reports
-Warren audio report
-Ziegler
-Scali
-Radio stories
-Resumption of negotiations
-Kissinger, Le Duc Tho
-Ziegler
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
-John D. Ehrlichman
-Ziegler
-Kissinger’s role
-Warren
-Warren’s performance
-Scali’s conversation with Stewart M Hensley
-Hensley’s article
-Scali’s conversation with Robert Pierpoint
-The President’s demeanor
-Confidence in settlement agreement
-Decisiveness
-Kissinger
-Wire reports
-Resumption of negotiations
-Kissinger
-51-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 158-40 (cont’d)
-Timing
-Warren
-US bombing of North Vietnam
-US policy
-Scali
-The President’s May 8, 1972 decision
-Bombing and mining north of 20th Parallel
-Suspension
-Negotiations
-Tone
-Resumption
-Possible Hensley article
-Scali
-Announcement
-Colson’s conversation with Scali
-Hensley, Pierpoint
-The President’s possible conversation with Scali
-Scali’s view
-Warren’s performance
-Tone
-Congressional relations
-William E. Timmons
-Colson’s conversation with Kissinger
-Kissinger’s telephone calls
-Michael J. Mansfield
-Gerald R. Ford
-Barry M. Goldwater
-Carl B. Albert
-Ronald W. Reagan
-F. Edward Hebert
-Thomas C. Korologos
-Kennedy
-US bombing of North Vietnam
-William B. Saxbe’s statements
-Response
-Request for apology
-[Donald E. Lukens]
-Hugh Scott
-Colson’s conversation with Korologos
-52-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 158-40 (cont’d)
-Appointments
-Keith McNamara
-Effect
-Ohio
-“Doves”
-New York Times
-Washington Post
-New York Times
-Reaction to US bombing of North
Vietnam
-Sweden, Australia
-Britain, France, Italy
-Democrats
-Study group
-Wilbur D. Mills’s
statement
-Hubert H. Humphrey
-The President’s May 8, 1972 decision
-Criticism
-Public relations [PR]
-US bombing of North Vietnam
-PR
-Negotiations
-Build up
-Demonstrations
-Press relations
-The President’s November 3, 1969 speech
-Congressional relations
-Colson’s possible call to an unknown person
-Colson’s conversation with Timmons, Korologos
-Kissinger
-Korologos
-Telephone calls
-Dr. Thomas E. (“Doc”) Morgan
-Robert J. Dole
-Republican National Committee [RNC]
-William S. Mailliard
-George D. Aiken
-Korologos
-53-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 158-40 (cont’d)
-Announcement
-Press relations
-Scali’s note
-Hensley
-Gaylord Shaw, Associated Press [AP]
-William Gill, American Broadcasting Company [ABC]
-Pierpoint
-Richard G. Valeriani
Scali
-Conversation with the President
-Appointment
-Ambassadorship to United Nations [UN]
Vietnam negotiations
-Congressional relations
-Mansfield
-The President’s conversation with Kissinger
-Briefing
-Timing
-J. William Fulbright
The President talked with Scali at an unknown time between 11:06 am and 11:42 am.
Vietnam War
-US bombing of North Vietnam
-Reaction
-Appointments
-Letters
-Scali
-Daniel P. (“Pat”) Moynihan
-Cessation north of 20th Parallel
-Announcement
-Warren’s press conference
-Kissinger
-Preparation
-The President’s meeting with Warren, Kennedy
-Warren’s performance
-Scali’s conversation with Kissinger
-54-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 158-40 (cont’d)
-Press relations
-Exchange of messages
-Kissinger’s press conference, December 16,
1972
-Christmas 1972
-Press relations
-Hensley
-Shaw of AP
-The President’s demeanor
-Gill
-Resumption of negotiations
-North Vietnam
-Liberals
-Pierpoint
-Attribution to Scali
-Kissinger’s press conference, December 16, 1972
-Prisoners of War [POWs]
-North Vietnam’s signal
-The President’s demeanor
-Valeriani
-National Broadcasting Company [NBC]
-Meeting with Scali
-Critics
-Statements
-Kissinger’s concern
-Avoiding “crowing” about victory
-The President’s conversation with Kissinger
-Congressional relations
-Commentators
-Negotiations
-North Vietnam
-Power
-The President’s demeanor
-Realism
-Announcement
-Press relations
-Warren’s press conference
-Scali’s conversation with Valeriani
-Surprise
-55-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 158-40 (cont’d)
-Congressional relations
-The President’s decision
-Kissinger
-Necessity
-Negotiations
-North Vietnam’s delays
-Duration
-Effect
-Return of POWs
-Military build up
-Surface to air missiles [SAMs]
-Infiltration rates
-Forthcoming US bombing
-Trucks
th
-Cessation north of 20 Parallel
-Announcement
-The President’s May 8, 1972 decision
-Consistancy
-Explanation
-The President’s May 8, 1972 decision
-Bombing and mining north of 20th Parallel
-Suspension
-Negotiations
-Resumption
-Ziegler
-Possible Hensley article
-North Vietnam’s delays
-Congressional relations
-Cut off of funds
-Cessation north of 20th Parallel
-Warren’s press conference
-Kissinger’s schedule
-Consultation with the President
-Telephone calls
-Telephone calls
-Richard (“Dick”) Wilson
-William S. White
-Crosby S. Noyes
-Washington Star
-56-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 158-40 (cont’d)
-Moynihan
-State Department briefing
-Meeting with scientists
-Washington Post
-Harvard University
-Korologos
-Compared to Timmons
-Morgan, Mailliard, Aiken
-Media relations
-Scali
-The President’s demeanor
-Determination, decisiveness
-Announcement
-Effect
-Walter L. Cronkite, Jr.
-John Chancellor
-David Brinkley
-[Arnold] Eric Sevareid
-New York Times op-ed article
-Demonstration
-Dean Francis Sayre
-Reaction
-Telephone calls
-Washington National Cathedral
-Possible appearance
-Likelihood
-Reaction
-Charles P. Collins, III
-Blind veteran
-John M. O’Neill
-Possible appearance
-Likelihood
-Colson’s possible call to John B. Connally
-Explanation
-The President’s television [TV] appearance
-Advisability
-Press and media relations
-Washington, DC
-North Vietnam
-57-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 158-40 (cont’d)
-Kissinger’s view
-Self-interest
The President’s schedule
-Call to KissingerAlso recorded on December 30, 1972
- 158-039 10:54 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone at Camp David from 10:54 am to 10:56 am.
- 237-050 10:54 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 10:54 am to 10:56 am.
- 237-051 11:06 AM · 21 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, and John A. Scali met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 11:06 am to 11:42 am.
- 238-001 11:06 AM · 12 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 11:06 am and 11:42 am.
- 158-041 11:42 AM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 11:42 am and 11:51 am.
- 238-002 11:42 AM · 27 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 11:42 am and 11:51 am.
- 238-003 11:42 AM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 11:42 am and 11:51 am.
- 158-042 11:51 AM · 59 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Cmdr. Alexander R. Larzelere talked on the telephone at Camp David from 11:51 am to 11:52 am.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 158-040, December 30, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/158-040 (accessed October 11, 2026).