Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 222 › Conversation 222-009

Nixon phone call with Kissinger on Vietnam War and Paris Peace Accords

Monday, October 30, 1972 · 10:33 AM–10:43 AM ET · Camp David Hard Wire · 6 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.Conversation222-009 on Tape 222StartMonday, October 30, 1972 at 10:33 AMEndMonday, October 30, 1972 at 10:43 AMRecording deviceCamp David Hard WireSourceNixon Library record for 222-009 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 651228788 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Henry Kissinger discuss the ongoing Vietnam peace negotiations and the potential for a public backlash due to inflated media expectations. They weigh the necessity of securing a durable, long-term peace agreement against pressure to reach a quick settlement before the election. Nixon decides to personally handle public messaging in an upcoming Chicago speech rather than deploying Secretary of State William Rogers, while also authorizing Vice President Agnew to criticize George McGovern’s position on South Vietnamese aid.

Audio

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NARA Description

On October 30, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 10:33 am to 10:43 am. The Camp David Hard Wire taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 222-009 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 222-9

Date: October 30, 1972
Time: 10:33 am - 10:43 am
Location: Camp David Hard Wire

The President talked with Henry A. Kissinger.

[See Conversation No. 152-5]

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Hello.
Hi, Henry.
What are your morning report today?
I called up here saying that the gunning, gunning, gunning, everything had been, it was going to blow up tomorrow and we had to be prepared and he wants me to make a speech in Chicago and I just want to be sure that I know about it.
He tends to get a little excited, but I just...
Right.
Right.
Well, that's the one that he got excited about, apparently.
Sure, sure, sure.
Well, they might.
We can watch it.
As a matter of fact, on the merits, I think we can capitalize on it.
The only problem we have to be aware of, and it's not going to be fatal, is that people's expectations have been built up, not by us, but by the media.
And as a result, those expectations will be rather severely shocked.
But we can take care of that.
Like I said, I don't know whether others may be going beyond that, because...
I've said in either place, you know, it's just that we have made progress, and that's that.
I'm sure I want to say much more than that, than progress, unless they break off.
Well, of course, the point is that the opponent is, what about the idea of having Rogers go out today and hit that one?
Interesting that McGovern would make the statement that he renegotiated the agreement so as to cut off all aid to South Vietnam.
What do you think of that?
What do you think of that?
He would have to have an agreement to allow us, these poor damn people, to defend themselves.
He'd say, no, we're not going to sign such an agreement.
Yeah.
Right.
Right, right.
Yeah, I talked to Hague about that, and I said it just had to be done.
So he ought to shut up this week.
He just ought to shut up this week.
That's all there is to it.
And as far as the North is concerned, thinking of their option,
If they go blowing, Henry, they're looking at a hell of a problem because they can cut our lead, but our lead is so great that we're going to be in, and if they blow, we're going to bang the hell out of them, and they know it.
I'd be perfectly happy to put out anything tomorrow.
In fact, it would be good to have something in Chicago that I could say that would make notes to the effect that we are ready to make an agreement.
I mean, we'll have to wait and see what they say today.
important thing is the right agreement, and we're not going to make a bad agreement simply because of the time.
Yes.
Of course.
Yeah, we ought to get back there and bring them out a little less.
I'm trying to finish these three speeches, but they don't, they don't matter.
I'll be back tonight, but I meant, you see, I'm finishing the speeches for the
Oh, I have three more speeches before we leave.
To be able to make a good, not long, three or four minutes in Chicago where I get straight out as to what this thing is.
I've been saying privately this, but I've never said it publicly yet, this idea that we will not make, that the most important thing is to make the right kind of agreement, not just to end the war, but to end the war in a way that will build a peace and so forth.
Yeah.
That's the term major breakthrough.
That's as far as I've gone.
Sure.
What we want now is to have... We don't want just a temporary peace.
We want a permanent peace.
Well, I can hit that thing very well.
It's probably better for me to go out first rather than have Rogers go out.
Because I will know exactly what to say.
they really meant it what do you mean that uh succeeded in walking because of the election i think let him let him scream well fine and then uh you will uh
you then will let me know at 2 o'clock or... Oh, sure, of course.
Well, I'll stay here in any event till then.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Stay here till 3 o'clock.
Now, if you're here then, Riker should not go out today.
Maybe you pass that to Colson.
You can call Colson and tell him we've got to wait till we hear the message and that that's my direction.
Because I...
As far as McGovern is concerned, though, Agnew's been around.
Let him pop him a little on this.
Pop him right now.
Is that it?
Ready to go shooting?
Fine.
Okay, thank you.

Also recorded on October 30, 1972

  • 152-004 9:33 AM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 9:33 am and 10:33 am.
  • 222-007 9:50 AM · 15 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 9:50 am to 10:25 am.
  • 222-008 10:25 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:25 am and 10:33 am.
  • 152-005 10:33 AM · 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone at Camp David from 10:33 am to 10:43 am.
  • 152-006 10:43 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:43 am and 10:44 am.
  • 222-010 10:43 AM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:43 am and 10:44 am.
  • 152-007 10:44 AM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 10:44 am to 10:48 am.
  • 222-011 10:44 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 10:44 am to 10:48 am.

All 19 conversations from October 30, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 222-009, October 30, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 651228788). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/222-009 (accessed November 2, 2026).