Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 316 › Conversation 316-006

Nixon & Kissinger on Vietnam War and Speechwriting

Tuesday, January 25, 1972 · 2:45 PM–2:55 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.; [Unknown person(s)]Conversation316-006 on Tape 316 (tape position 01:51:23–01:58:20)StartTuesday, January 25, 1972 at 2:45 PMEndTuesday, January 25, 1972 at 2:55 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 316-006 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Henry Kissinger met to finalize specific language and strategic messaging for the President’s forthcoming Vietnam speech. The discussion focused on refining the phrasing regarding troop withdrawal timelines, election processes, and a proposed reconstruction program for Indochina to ensure the policy objectives were clearly communicated. They also weighed the potential international reactions to these proposals, specifically considering the involvement of French diplomacy and the reception from foreign officials.

Audio

Download MP3 (part 1) · 111.7 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 61.0 MB

This conversation has not yet been cut into its own clip, so the player above contains the full tape segment shared with neighbouring conversations. It begins about 01:51:23 into the tape and ends around 01:58:20.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Timestamps are positions within the full tape recording.
1:51:28No, I didn't mean to say that.
1:51:33I think you were trying to say that.
1:51:36I saw your schedule and told Paul.
1:51:53We've still got a chance to make this up.
1:51:55Could I, I just have two accrues, I think.
1:51:58You should be an accruer of the court.
1:52:00Not an accruer, but I think they have someone to say something.
1:52:03I sent him a copy.
1:52:06I figured he's down.
1:52:06He's happy with it now.
1:52:07It was damned good.
1:52:09He's kind of, you know, you told him I was going to leave, but then he should take over and he doesn't have to come down and then take it.
1:52:22Can I suggest from page seven?
1:52:31Old Ziegler, have you talked to him?
1:52:39No.
1:52:39He really is?
1:52:40Yeah.
1:52:41Yeah.
1:52:52You call me?
1:52:54Could you change the word on page seven, many Americans who believe in the monarchy of the United States of America?
1:53:12And could I suggest, because we covered all of it, which includes vows,
1:53:44Now,
1:54:11One point which I just want to be sure you don't feel leaves a impression, I guess, other than this last five minutes.
1:54:23I wonder if that leaves Ukraine as a plot of an overall settlement.
1:54:30Nine months after an overall settlement.
1:54:33After an agreement on an overall settlement.
1:54:37Yes.
1:54:38After an agreement on an overall settlement.
1:54:45I think that's after an agreement on an overall settlement.
1:54:52You see, then we don't leave the impression to ask somebody.
1:54:58I know this sounds too suspicious.
1:55:00No, no, no.
1:55:01I know that the president, I've practically noted that before myself and then slipped my mind into it.
1:55:05But I want you to respond to this.
1:55:08We can't answer them all.
1:55:10Thank you.
1:55:18Thank you.
1:55:22Now, I do think we should put this thing, this thing, on page 15.
1:55:27Well, you don't have my button, you don't have mine.
1:55:31Rather than although, use the word but, of the election.
1:55:37Although, it doesn't make this point sharply, the election.
1:55:41Although, it changes the button.
1:55:46Good.
1:55:46And also on the same page, you'll undertake a major reconstruction throughout all of China, including North Vietnam.
1:55:54You can see it throughout all of China, including North Vietnam.
1:56:00See what's going on.
1:56:01I should say that.
1:56:02No one will know.
1:56:03No one will know.
1:56:05We had that, I think, you know.
1:56:07No.
1:56:08We did.
1:56:09We've had it in other drafts, but it's not in this one.
1:56:13No, no.
1:56:13I just want to make sure we're mentioning it on August 16th.
1:56:17I just want to make sure.
1:56:18No, we don't need... We've covered the fact that on the other one that our plan included...
1:56:24I'm going to go back, hard and softly, and I'm just going to drop the July 26th meeting.
1:56:29I was used to each other going to the LK.
1:56:33That's fine.
1:56:33We'll do it another time.
1:56:48I've had a problem with that, and so on.
1:56:50And you'll be had for a year.
1:56:51And I'll show them the experts' speech, and they'll take it, and they'll take it, and they'll take it.
1:56:59And since I was there, I'd like to start with that.
1:57:03If you'd like it, I don't...
1:57:06I don't want to...
1:57:07I guess I'm asking your judgment, you know, for another time.
1:57:11My judgment is, Mr. President, it adds a little...
1:57:15If the French would like it, and it adds a little to the mystery...
1:57:18If the French would cooperate, and how can they say that they didn't help?
1:57:23They said, we don't... Well, we're just saying...
1:57:29And also, it's a very high level, right?
1:57:37That's what I'm saying.
1:57:39That's what I'm saying.
1:57:40That's what I'm saying.
1:57:49That's what I'm saying.
1:57:59I'll put it on that.

NARA Description

On January 25, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:45 pm to 2:55 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 316-006 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 316-6

Date: January 25, 1972
Time: 2:45 pm - 2:55 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.

     Kissinger's schedule
          -The President's conversation with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman

*****************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Privacy]
[Duration: 15s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

*****************************************************************

     The President’s health

     The President's forthcoming Vietnam speech
          -William P. Rogers's views
                -Attendance at speech
          -Changes
          -Ronald L. Ziegler

[An unknown person talked with the President at an unknown time between 2:45 pm and 2:55

pm.]

[Conversation No. 316-6A]

       Call to the President
             -Error

[End of telephone conversation]

       The President's forthcoming speech
            -Changes
                  -Phraseology
                        -Robert H. Finch's view
                        -Indochina
                              -Laos and Cambodia
                              -South Vietnam
                        -Peace settlement
                              -Troop withdrawal
                                    -Timing
                        -Vietnam election
                        -Reconstruction program
                              -Drafts
            -Kissinger's previous meeting with Earl of Cromer [George R.S. Baring]
            -Cromer's views
            -Possible French reaction
                  -French cooperation
            -Cromer’s views
                  -Television
            -William F. Buckley, Jr.

Kissinger left at 2:55 pm.

Also recorded on January 25, 1972

  • 316-002 2:15 PM · 9 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 2:15 pm and 2:25 pm.
  • 316-003 2:15 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:15 pm and 2:25 pm.
  • 316-004 2:25 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, Henry A. Kissinger, Rose Mary Woods, and Marjorie P. Acker met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:25 pm to 2:33 pm.
  • 316-005 2:33 PM · 18 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 2:33 pm and 2:45 pm.
  • 316-007 2:55 PM · 10 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 2:55 pm and 4:35 pm.
  • 316-008 2:55 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:55 pm and 4:35 pm.
  • 316-009 2:55 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:55 pm and 4:35 pm.
  • 316-010 4:35 PM · 44 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:35 pm to 4:36 pm.

All 29 conversations from January 25, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 316-006, January 25, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/316-006 (accessed September 26, 2026).