Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 223 › Conversation 223-011

Nixon phone call with Haig on Henry Kissinger and Vietnam peace negotiations

Saturday, October 21, 1972 · 5:39 PM–5:47 PM ET · Camp David Hard Wire ·4 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  [Unknown person(s)];  Haig, Alexander M., Jr.Conversation223-011 onTape 223StartSaturday, October 21, 1972 at 5:39 PMEndSaturday, October 21, 1972 at 5:47 PMRecording deviceCamp David Hard WireSourceNixon Library record for 223-011 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Alexander Haig coordinate a strategy for handling sensitive diplomatic proposals developed by Henry Kissinger regarding peace negotiations. The discussion focuses on managing potential confrontations and applying diplomatic pressure while carefully weighing the risks of early disclosure versus delaying public announcements until after the 1972 election. Nixon emphasizes the need for a personal message to be conveyed to maintain assurance that the potential deal will be honored.

Audio

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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No hurry, no hurry, no hurry.
I just had something on my mind.
If they haven't, if they haven't checked those, those proposals were the ones that Henry developed.
After the last video, in other words, they just laid down all these conditions, right?
Let's examine it for a moment in terms of that.
I would say take it.
He's not going to.
I would say that, is there a meeting tomorrow with him alone or with the support of the whole Security Council?
You can say that Abrams is already working on it.
Henry, it should be now that I, in view of this, in that context, or I mean, so that he just hands it to you, and that's in effect the confrontation.
Now, that's one way.
And if he says, well, no, then what do we do?
What do you say?
Say that to him.
We've got a further delay, but we
I mean, if, uh, basically... Well, if you want to go along, then we will have to.
And when you say that, what do you do?
Can we just say this, that, uh, that, uh,
that I realize that there is a risk in how he's going to handle this.
We can say that we cannot handle it here if this offer gets called in.
I think it's a fact that under the circumstances, I feel as if he's testing upon our law and other things.
What are your reactions to what he'll say when that's between them two?
So it's the total truth, which I'd be saying is fine.
I don't want to go as long, but I think you should know that Grinnell will help us with this.
Yeah.
But the reality of it, what it does, that it will have, there will be an enormous demand for, and to accept, you know, that I, but to tell him that he has the most liberal view that Henry has,
and play it to the rest of Canada and whatever the judgment is.
I mean, if it doesn't turn out, we understand.
But the only thing I can think of, of course, is the possibility of delay.
Really, the best of all worlds, I don't put the damn thing on until the day after the election.
but I think they have to be told that now in our deal.
Yeah, that if you know these latest instructions that we have just used, use all the pressure you can.
And that's a personal message for me.
I've done my studies all day here.
I've thought about an exam on the one end and the other.
That's our contingent assurance that we'll see if the deal is kept.
Okay?
All right, thanks.

NARA Description

On October 21, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, unknown person(s), and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 5:39 pm to 5:47 pm. The Camp David Hard Wire taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 223-011 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 223-11

Date: October 21, 1972
Time: 5:39 pm - 5:47 pm
Location: Camp David Hard Wire

The President met with an unknown person.

        The President’s schedule

The unknown person left at an unknown time before 5:47 pm.

The President talked with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

[See Conversation No. 151-3]

Also recorded on October 21, 1972

  • 223-008 12:29 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 12:29 pm and 12:45 pm.
  • 151-002 4:30 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 4:30 pm and 5:39 pm.
  • 223-010 4:30 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 4:30 pm and 5:39 pm.
  • 151-003 5:39 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone at Camp David from 5:39 pm to 5:47 pm.
  • 151-004 7:15 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at 7:15 pm.
  • 223-012 7:15 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at 7:15 pm.
  • 151-005 7:26 PM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at 7:26 pm.
  • 223-013 7:26 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at 7:26 pm.

All 12 conversations from October 21, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 223-011, October 21, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/223-011 (accessed September 18, 2026).