Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 190 › Conversation 190-018

Nixon phone call with Kissinger on Vietnam War and Propaganda

Wednesday, May 17, 1972 · 8:05 AM–8:44 AM ET · Camp David Hard Wire · 5 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.Conversation190-018 on Tape 190 (tape position 01:03:49–01:08:27)StartWednesday, May 17, 1972 at 8:05 AMEndWednesday, May 17, 1972 at 8:44 AMRecording deviceCamp David Hard WireSourceNixon Library record for 190-018 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 648452972 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with Henry Kissinger to discuss the implementation of a more aggressive and centralized propaganda strategy regarding the Vietnam War. Drawing comparisons to previous conflicts, the President emphasized the need to appoint a director of propaganda within the White House staff to improve the administration's messaging. They evaluated the roles of key personnel, including Richard Helms, Ronald Ziegler, John Scali, and Herbert Klein, while considering how to better manage their relationship with the press.

Audio

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Position in tape: 01:03:49 – 01:08:27

1:03:47

190a.mp3

NARA Description

On May 17, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 8:05 am and 8:44 am. The Camp David Hard Wire taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 190-018 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 190-18

Date: May 18, 1972
Time: Unknown between 8:05 and 8:44 am
Location: Camp David Hard Wire

The President dictated a memorandum to Henry A. Kissinger.

[Discontinuities appear in the original recording]

       Vietnam
             -US propaganda

                    -Compared with World War I, World War II, Korean War
                    -Richard M. Helms and intelligence community
                    -Need for director of propaganda on White House staff
                           -National Security Council [NSC]
                           -Ronald L. Ziegler, John A. Scali, Herbert G. Klein
                           -Relationship with the press
                           -Timing of further discussion

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).

I don't know.

I don't know what I'm going to do.

Also recorded on May 17, 1972

131-021 7:46 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at 7:46 am.
190-013 7:46 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at 7:46 am.
131-022 7:50 AM · 30 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at 7:50 am.
190-014 7:50 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at 7:50 am.
190-015 7:50 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 7:50 am and 7:59 am.
190-016 7:50 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 7:50 am and 7:59 am.
190-017 7:59 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 7:59 am and 8:05 am.
190-019 8:05 AM · 16 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 8:05 am and 8:44 am.

All 65 conversations from May 17, 1972 →

Nixon phone call with Ziegler on William P. Rogers November 2, 1971 · 1 min
Nixon phone call with Ziegler on Henry Kissinger and Moscow April 25, 1972 · 2 min
Nixon phone call with Keogh on Propaganda and Prisoners of War April 9, 1973 · 3 min
Nixon & Kissinger on Vietnam War and CIA May 10, 1972 · 4 min
Nixon alone in his EOB office on psychological warfare and propaganda May 10, 1972 · 9 min
Nixon, Colson & Haldeman on Vietnam War and Public Opinion Polling May 10, 1972 · 1 hr 13 min

Cite this conversation

Conversation 190-018, May 17, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 648452972). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/190-018 (accessed November 2, 2026).