Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 206 › Conversation 206-008
Nixon phone call with Kissinger on Acceptance speech and Vietnam War
Sunday, August 20, 1972 · 11:25 AM–12:27 PM ET · Camp David Hard Wire · 10 min
AI Summary
President Nixon and Henry Kissinger met at Camp David to review and refine the draft of the President's upcoming acceptance speech. The discussion focused on sharpening the rhetoric regarding foreign policy, specifically addressing Vietnam troop levels, the status of draft evaders, and the necessity of maintaining bipartisan support for international allies. They made several editorial adjustments to emphasize the administration's achievements, including the cessation of drafting men for combat and the pursuit of historic foreign policy initiatives despite the complexities of the war.
- Acceptance speech
- Vietnam War
- Foreign policy
- Draft evaders
- US-Allied relations
- Henry Kissinger
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
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I've been through.
Look at that.
I don't know.
I know what I used to do.
First of all, I think it's outstanding.
It makes my general comment.
I don't know what it is.
But anyway.
Do I have you on the draft yet?
Because I've now locked it up.
What do you have there?
You know I have it.
I am traveling.
Yeah.
All right.
Good.
Let's go.
On the first day, I leave time with you.
Oh, yeah.
Oh, that's, no, I can, yeah, you can leave yours, but other than that, you can just let me know if I'd like to be a little bit.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
I want to give you a deal.
Sure.
On the first page, I would recommend, where you say there are differences on some issues, that then you shift the next two sentences in order.
But they were united in their total opposition to isolation for America, and then say they were united in their conviction should have defense second to none.
Right.
Because then it tracks better.
It's true.
I get it.
Also, isolation is the general defense.
Exactly.
Same comment on the second page, Mr. President.
You said we've ended America's ground combat drill.
Then I would say it either way.
No draftees have been sent to Vietnam.
And then saying we have reduced the number of being drafted from 20,000 months to 5,000 months, whatever that is.
But I would put the no draftees first.
I think I've got it.
We've got to brag about that.
On page three, at the end, you say, internationally supervised three elections with participation in 83.
Yeah.
Elections on the tourist paddock.
Oh.
By the communists.
a supervisory mechanism in which the communists can participate.
With participation in the elections and supervision by the communists.
With participation.
That would be a message.
Yes.
And their supervision.
And their supervision.
Yes.
In the elections.
Participation in the elections.
And in their supervision.
I would strike the next sentence
I think probably you don't want to add.
I agree.
It's not essential.
On page four, the only thing I have in the second paragraph, where you say, I was not in office when American men were sent.
I should bring them all home.
This gives the impression that we still have a hell of a lot to do.
I would say, I should overthrow our allies and blame the catastrophe on our opponents.
That's really the argument.
But an American man...
No, no, no, I can't do that.
I don't mind when you say when American men were sent to Vietnam.
I should what?
Overthrow an ally and flag the catastrophe on our opponent.
I should destroy our allies.
No, no, I should turn the third country over to the communists.
I should turn South Vietnam...
Both of them are communists in South Vietnam.
No, I should join.
I like their term.
I should join our enemies in imposing a communist government.
No, enemies in imposing a communist government in South Vietnam.
That's a communist government thing.
I see your point.
Why don't we say it?
I should end the war.
Basically, that's what it gets down to.
Isn't that it?
I should end the war.
Bye.
Bye.
Good.
End the war.
Bye.
And then I'll say, Johnny, end the war bye.
to blame the whole thing on our part.
So I just don't mind.
Strike.
And then what do you want to strike?
Which might lead to other problems.
Just the last three words.
I agree.
I'd strike the word international.
I'd just say in danger areas.
Good.
Is there any way you can strengthen that?
I'm all for it.
I want to get a message home to Detroit.
But I think they all know.
Mr. President, they are working for you.
You don't need much of a message.
All right.
I would add one sentence after that.
I'd say, our allies in Europe and Asia must know that America continues its bipartisan tradition to stand by its friends and never to desist them.
You've got that in your draft?
Yeah.
Written out?
Yeah.
All right.
Fine.
So it isn't all Israel.
Yeah.
All right.
Our allies in Europe and Asia must know that
My life in Europe and Asia must know that America continues its bipartisan tradition to stand by its friends and never to desert them.
Because that is another thing.
I like the Amnesty stuff.
It has to be said.
Well, I believe that's the point.
It needs to be said.
Let the deserters say the powers they deserve.
Let those who serve America receive the honor they deserve.
They earn.
Because then, page six, I would, in that second paragraph, I wouldn't say it's understandable that Vietnam died.
The way I said it, it is understandable that Vietnam was a major concern in the fields of foreign policy.
Or has been.
Or has been.
Has been a major concern.
And I added another little sticker there, saying especially because we had over half a million people, of our men there.
has been a, uh, has been a major concern.
Particularly, particularly at the time that we had over half a million people in our catchers for 300 a week.
We're running as high as 300 a week, particularly at the time.
I see you're fighting
Is that all right with you?
Yeah.
But then I say, I wouldn't say this to the great credit of the administration, I would say, but this administration has not allowed the Vietnam War to paralyze our capacity, I would say, to initiate major new policies, to construct a land... Why don't we say that we have not allowed, but we have not allowed this administration, but we have not allowed...
I don't just strike all of that, but it is to the great credit that we have not allowed the Vietnam War
Analyze our capacity to initiate major, I would not just put in new, major new policies.
Major.
Major or... Major.
It's more than major, let's get a stronger word.
Historic.
Dramatic.
No, dramatic.
Say historic, Mr. President.
Historic new policies.
To construct a...
that they can trust these policies.
NARA Description
On August 20, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 11:25 am and 12:27 pm. The Camp David Hard Wire taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 206-008 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 206-8
Date: August 20, 1972
Time: Unknown between 11:25 am and 12:27 pm
Location: Camp David Hard Wire
The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.
The President’s forthcoming acceptance speech
-Changes
-Conclusion
-Marking of draft
-Kissinger’s proposed changes
-[Previous presidents]
-Isolationism
-Defense
-Vietnam
-Draftees
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Vietnamese elections
-Supervision with Communist participation
-Xuan Thuy
-US troop reduction in South Vietnam
-Problems with withdrawal
-Israel
-US relationship with allies
-Europe
-Asia
-Amnesty for draft evaders
-Concern for Vietnam
-Previous US troop commitment
-Casualties
-Pursuit of foreign policy initiatives
Request to use telephone
Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 11:25 am.
Instructions about use of outside telephone
Kissinger and Sanchez left at an unknown time before 12:27 pm.Also recorded on August 20, 1972
- 140-049 11:25 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 11:25 am and 12:27 pm.
- 206-025 11:25 AM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 11:25 am and 12:27 pm.
- 140-050 12:27 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone at Camp David from 12:27 pm to 12:36 pm.
- 206-009 12:27 PM · 17 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 12:27 pm and 1:00 pm.
- 140-051 12:36 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 12:36 pm and 4:00 pm.
- 206-010 12:36 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 12:36 pm and 4:00 pm.
- 206-011 12:36 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 12:36 pm and 4:00 pm.
- 206-012 12:36 PM · 26 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 12:36 pm and 4:00 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 206-008, August 20, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/206-008 (accessed October 8, 2026).