Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 225 › Conversation 225-009

Nixon phone call with Kissinger on Vietnam War and Diplomatic correspondence

Wednesday, November 15, 1972 · 9:08 AM–9:14 AM ET · Camp David Hard Wire · 4 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.Conversation225-009 on Tape 225StartWednesday, November 15, 1972 at 9:08 AMEndWednesday, November 15, 1972 at 9:14 AMRecording deviceCamp David Hard WireSourceNixon Library record for 225-009 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Henry Kissinger discussed the diplomatic strategy regarding a letter intended for North Vietnamese leadership, balancing firm demands with subtle overtures to maintain negotiations. They expressed concern over the breakdown of communication channels in South Vietnam, specifically noting the absence of effective intermediaries like Ellsworth Bunker and Creighton Abrams. The two men aimed to pressure their counterparts while avoiding public escalations that might undermine the perception of their negotiation efforts.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Hello?
Hi, Henry.
Did you get the letter down there?
Fine.
Good.
Well, there's no substance, but I just thought we ought to put a few subtleties in there.
I put in a few things that were very tough, like an unalterable.
But also I put in some soft things, like I would look forward to seeing you in San Clemente.
But I want to be sure you've got it because, you know, the helicopter wasn't running yesterday.
Well, we were socked in here, so they had to drive it down.
I, I don't know, I don't see how, uh, maybe, like, maybe, uh, continue to, uh, stall it out, but I don't see how he can.
Uh, what in the hell is he gonna do?
Uh, the, uh, the way that, uh, the way that, the way that letter is written, it's put in a context that, uh, we, uh, we have to go another way if he doesn't go.
But I don't know, I, I don't know if, uh,
We don't want to do that because of the fact that it would be an effect.
They say, well, hell, you could have done that all along.
You see what I mean?
It's not that good an option.
He's probably savvy enough to know that.
one of our real problems here is that we don't have any real communication between Bunker and him anymore.
That's the point.
Bunker used to go in and be able to talk to him.
Now he doesn't talk to him.
Same is true.
Abrams is not there anymore.
But anyway, yeah.
Leonard is so tough that he's, but he just, I suppose, Henry could just come back, looking over again, his letter to us, with another goddamn song to dance here about, well, I, you know, a debating point, and then it's got to be pretty good.
I have some ideas on that then.
Is that what the time to ask to deliver a letter and got to put off?
Yeah.
Changes.
of action and we're asking him to come along.
Isn't that it?
Oh, not all.
Okay, thank you.
Bye.
Bye.

NARA Description

On November 15, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 9:08 am to 9:14 am. The Camp David Hard Wire taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 225-009 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 225-9

Date: November 15, 1972
Time: 9:08 am - 9:14 am
Location: Camp David Hard Wire

The President talked with Henry A. Kissinger.

[See Conversation No. 153-28]

Also recorded on November 15, 1972

  • 153-027 9:00 AM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 9:00 am and 9:08 am.
  • 153-028 9:08 AM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone at Camp David from 9:08 am to 9:14 am.
  • 225-010 9:14 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 9:14 am and 9:50 am.
  • 225-011 9:14 AM · 19 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and John V. Brennan met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 9:14 am and 9:50 am.
  • 225-012 9:14 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 9:14 am and 9:50 am.
  • 225-013 9:14 AM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 9:14 am and 9:50 am.
  • 225-014 9:14 AM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 9:14 am and 9:50 am.
  • 225-015 9:14 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 9:14 am and 9:50 am.

All 22 conversations from November 15, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 225-009, November 15, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/225-009 (accessed October 9, 2026).