Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 254 › Conversation 254-019

Nixon & Haig on Vietnam War and Foreign policy

Monday, May 31, 1971 · 6:20 PM–6:30 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 4 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haig, Alexander M., Jr.Conversation254-019 on Tape 254 (tape position 01:32:23–01:36:09)StartMonday, May 31, 1971 at 6:20 PMEndMonday, May 31, 1971 at 6:30 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 254-019 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Alexander Haig discuss the administration's skepticism regarding ongoing international negotiations and the potential for foreign powers to exploit U.S. diplomatic overtures. Nixon emphasizes that ongoing talks with the Soviet Union and China should not inhibit necessary American military actions in Vietnam. The two conclude that the U.S. must maintain a firm posture, ensuring that diplomatic channels do not prevent a robust response to military provocations.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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).
I think it is.
For me, when some people are committing it all, it's like parodying it all the time.
They say, specifically, concerned about how it fits them.
They might play it to afford it, but I don't think they're going to do it as long as we don't.
I think we still want to hear it.
The difficulty is how it is going to be the next year.
If it's the right thing to do, do it.
Take those things and change them.
It never, it doesn't change the Russians.
It didn't change the Chinese.
I don't think I've changed these people.
What I'm really concerned about is that these guys really are playing us for suckers.
They're getting into the deal simply because they're a foreign country.
You know, they're changing.
Hell, the atmosphere doesn't make any difference.
I'm much more skeptical about this.
I know that.
I'm much more skeptical than Henry is.
I know.
I read that.
I just re-read all of those things.
It happened before.
I'm not really...
But I'm sure in this case,
Right now, right now, I think it's the best chance, I would agree, to have the right minds.
This is the time that you negotiate, particularly when also they must have in mind that we're talking to both the Russians and the Chinese.
Trust me, go on.
I agree.
But I think, I think that we must not allow our military to see
I mean, you know, in the last few months, you know, those 31 guys, you know, in the last couple of days, we're not seeing anything.
I mean, they've been very effective in the post-pandemic, you know, being in a position where all these people are proud.
That's the point.
You say, well, you know, it's true.
It's true.
It's true.
It's true.
It's true.
It's true.
inhibit our actions, which is wrong.
We should never be inhibited by talking.
If they don't stop, that's the other thing.
You see, that's the point that we don't understand on our side.
We should stop.
That makes sense.
Otherwise, they may quit talking.
For Christ's sake, do they stop?
They bomb the hell out of us, you know, they lock all these shells in right when they know what talk's going on, right?
Do you miss them?
The next one doesn't count.
Black?
All right, 845 counts.

NARA Description

On May 31, 1971, 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 6:20 pm and 6:30 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 254-019 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 254-19

Date: May 31, 1971
Time: Unknown between 6:20 pm and 6:30 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with General Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

     President’s location

     President’s meeting with General Nguyen Van Thieu

     Vietnam
          -Negotiations
          -Military action
          -Korea
          -Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
          -People’s Republic of China [PRC]
          -Henry A. Kissinger
          -US policy

          -Negotiations
                -Russians
                -Chinese
          -Casualties
          -Negotiations
          -Military action
          -Negotiations

Also recorded on May 31, 1971

  • 003-200 6:06 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:06 pm and 6:15 pm.
  • 254-017 6:06 PM · 4 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 6:06 pm and 6:15 pm.
  • 003-201 6:15 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 6:15 pm.
  • 003-202 6:20 PM · 38 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 6:20 pm.
  • 254-018 6:20 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 6:20 pm.
  • 003-203 6:30 PM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and William P. Rogers talked on the telephone from 6:30 pm to 6:38 pm.
  • 254-020 6:30 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and William P. Rogers met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 6:30 pm to 6:38 pm.
  • 003-204 6:38 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 6:38 pm to 6:42 pm.

All 50 conversations from May 31, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 254-019, May 31, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/254-019 (accessed October 12, 2026).