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Conversation 222-011

TapeTape 222StartMonday, October 30, 1972 at 10:44 AMEndMonday, October 30, 1972 at 10:48 AMParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Recording deviceCamp David Hard Wire
AI Summary

President Nixon and H.R. Haldeman discuss the timing and messaging strategy surrounding pending foreign policy communications from Henry Kissinger. Fearing premature speculation or emotional reactions, Nixon mandates that Secretary of State William Rogers withhold public comment until the message is received. Haldeman is instructed to coordinate with Charles Colson to ensure the administration maintains a composed, disciplined narrative regarding the potential agreement.

Foreign PolicyCommunication StrategyWilliam RogersHenry KissingerMessage ControlVietnam Peace Negotiations
AudioNARA Description

On October 30, 1972, 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. The Camp David Hard Wire taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 222-011 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 222-11

Date: October 30, 1972
Time: 10:44 am - 10:48 am
Location: Camp David Hard Wire

The President talked with H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.

                                      (rev. Oct-06)

[See Conversation No. 152-7]
Transcript (AI-Generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

Hello?
Hello?
Yeah.
I talked to Henry, and, uh, he said they, uh, expected a, uh, good message, uh, and, uh, and, uh, early on, I was overreacting to this question.
When you have three options, three pods, he always does, and says, very good.
See, see, generally, generally speaking, when, uh,
When the domestic people, when the domestic, the domestic things get, like, uh, Watergate and the rest, they, they can't read.
Uh, and, uh, some foreign policy have John overreacted to them.
Roger should not go out today, obviously, until after we get, we've got to see where his message is.
So, uh, I told Henry that we already talked to Roger, so that's it.
He won't go out until we get the message, of course.
Because we don't want to get on the limb until we see what the hell the message is.
The Rodgers will be out there with us already hanging out.
And we'll just jump it off.
On the other hand, I just prepared something for Egg.
Which he can do.
We don't want Rodgers getting out speculating about what their answer is going to be.
Because we don't know what it's going to be.
But I've already covered that.
You don't need to know that.
Henry was supposed to call.
Henry had already talked to Rogers and said he would call Colson as soon as I found out.
So we told him to, but just be sure he understands we've got a way, as far as Rogers is concerned, we've got a way to get the message around 3 o'clock.
As far as Daggett is concerned, he can blast the hell out of him, whatever, because he's out anyway, and he should.
He can blast him immediately, but without speculating at all.
So just go out and say this to him.
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
but we've already gotten a message from them saying that a message is going to be delivered.
Well, preemptively, we would have said something before, but... Too cute.
Too cute.
There isn't enough time.
Charge him anyway.
You see, even regardless of what they do, Bob,
We don't want to be in a position of getting jittery and jumping up and down, hysterical and emotional and all that crap.
Because the point is, as far as the people are concerned, let them feel things are going along pretty well and this is just the, you know, the earth pangs of an agreement.
That's the way to handle it.
Handle it with a little bit of poise.
That's what we need here.
That's what everybody's got to do, is have a little poise.
Not, you know, yack, yack, yack, tell Chuck, you know,
Crank them on the other things.
There are a lot of other things to get on, aren't there?
20 minutes.
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