Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 251 › Conversation 251-046
Nixon & Kissinger on POW/MIA and Vietnam War
Thursday, April 29, 1971 · 7:27 PM–7:30 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 2 min
AI Summary
President Nixon and Henry Kissinger discuss the strategic challenges posed by the impending prisoner of war (POW) negotiations and the potential for a public relations crisis. They analyze intelligence suggesting that outside actors are coordinating with the North Vietnamese, which threatens to undermine the administration’s existing proposal. Nixon expresses concern over the timing of their offer and concludes that they must maintain discipline while preparing for the possibility that the current diplomatic approach will be rejected.
- POW/MIA
- Vietnam War
- Diplomacy
- Prisoner of War negotiations
- Foreign policy strategy
Audio
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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.
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NARA Description
On April 29, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 7:27 pm to 7:30 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 251-046 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 251-46 Date: April 29, 1971 Time: 7:27 pm - 7:30 pm Location: Executive Office Building Henry A. Kissinger talked with the President [See Conversation No. 42-83] ****************************************************************************** [Previous National Security (B) withdrawal reviewed under MDR guidelines case number LPRN-T-MDR-2014-016. Segment declassified on 01/12/2018. Archivist: MAS] [National Security] [251-046-w001] [Duration: 2s] ******************************************************************************
Also recorded on April 29, 1971
- 042-082 6:32 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone from 6:32 pm to 6:37 pm.
- 251-041 6:37 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:37 pm and 7:27 pm.
- 251-042 6:37 PM · 36 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:37 pm and 7:27 pm.
- 251-043 6:37 PM · 46 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:37 pm and 7:27 pm.
- 251-044 6:37 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:37 pm and 7:27 pm.
- 251-045 6:37 PM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:37 pm and 7:27 pm.
- 042-083 7:27 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 7:27 pm to 7:30 pm.
- 251-047 7:30 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 7:30 pm and 8:02 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 251-046, April 29, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/251-046 (accessed October 3, 2026).