Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 318 › Conversation 318-002

Nixon & Kissinger on Vietnam War and Prisoners of War

Wednesday, January 26, 1972 · 3:23 PM–3:29 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 4 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.Conversation318-002 on Tape 318 (tape position 00:01:29–00:05:03)StartWednesday, January 26, 1972 at 3:23 PMEndWednesday, January 26, 1972 at 3:29 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 318-002 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Henry Kissinger discuss the positive public and political reception to the President’s January 25 Vietnam speech, specifically noting the effectiveness of their late-night preparation sessions. Nixon directs Kissinger to formalize a Q&A document drafted by William Safire and Patrick Buchanan for distribution to the Cabinet and Congressional leaders to clarify administration policy. Additionally, the two analyze North Vietnamese intentions regarding POWs, with both men concluding that Hanoi is unlikely to offer a prisoner release in exchange for a U.S. troop withdrawal.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

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I know you're going out, and I just want to say briefly that I had a very good idea, and I called your wife, and she told me about your briefings.

It seemed to me that you answered every question, and so rather than just sending in a dog to people, I'd like to have you or Sapphire O take it.

You or Sapphire O take it.

and put it into any form or, you know, second-to-second form, you know, answering all the questions and send it around to the cabinet, to the leaders, to, see what I mean?

So that we say, in other words, what about this, this, and not the other?

What about this?

It answers it.

See what I mean?

So I've ordered it done.

I just want to make sure you know what I mean.

Okay?

Fine, fine.

How's everything going on your team?

Getting ready for tonight?

Well, it's not over yet.

You're not dead.

Not a good one, Ted, yeah.

You been getting any calls or anything?

Really?

Good news, man.

Uh-huh.

Yeah, right.

At the restaurant, but people must be there, too.

At the restaurant, too.

Well, I'll tell you, Henry, I feel it's come out better than we had any reason to hope.

You know, I was, you and I, we were both racing in that long seance at midnight, all these questions.

And there was one other thing that you talked about, where you might...

But haven't you really felt any of the reactions quite outstanding?

I have one final question.

On the question of POWs for pull-offs, you know, come to think about it, I agree with you, they will never offer it.

And because they want to keep the POWs for something more than pull-offs, don't you agree?

They figure they're going to get pulled out anyway.

Query, query.

Just psychologically.

Oh, because the ceasefire is what keeps them.

I agree, I agree, but on the other hand, we'd be prepared in case they do.

But they're not gonna offer it, though.

That's, see, I can't possibly get back to that.

Let's hope and pray they never offer it.

All right.

Okay, fine.

Well, good luck tonight.

Yeah, fine, I'll give you your 30 minutes of holiday.

Okay.

Whoa.

NARA Description

On January 26, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:23 pm and 3:29 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 318-002 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 318-2

Date: January 26, 1972
Time: Unknown between 3:23 pm and 3:29 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with Henry A. Kissinger.

     Kissinger's briefing
          -Kissinger's schedule
                -The President's previous call
                       -The President's conversation with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
          -Question and answer [Q&A] format
                -William L. Safire and Patrick J. Buchanan
                -Distribution
                       -Cabinet, Congressional leaders

     Kissinger's schedule
          -Forthcoming National Press Club dinner speech
          -The President's Vietnam speech, January 25, 1972
                -Reaction
                      -Calls
                      -Unknown newsman
                      -Unknown restaurant

     The President's Vietnam speech
          -The President's and Kissinger's preparation
               -Safire
               -State of the Union address
          -Reaction

     Vietnam
          -Prisoners of war [POW] release in exchange for US troop pullout
                -Possible North Vietnamese intention
                     -Psychological motivation
                -Cease-fire

     Kissinger's schedule
          -Speech

Also recorded on January 26, 1972

656-028 3:20 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:20 pm and 3:23 pm.
656-029 3:20 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:20 pm and 3:23 pm.
318-001 3:23 PM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:23 pm and 3:29 pm.
656-030 3:23 PM · 1 min — United States Secret Service agents and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:23 pm and 5:01 pm.
019-108 3:29 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 3:29 pm to 3:35 pm.
318-003 3:29 PM · 46 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, Bryce N. Harlow, Frank Stanton, and William H. Carruthers met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:29 pm to 4:20 pm.
019-109 3:35 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:35 pm and 3:58 pm.
019-110 3:35 PM · 7 min — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman and Bryce N. Harlow talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:35 pm and 3:58 pm.

All 102 conversations from January 26, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 318-002, January 26, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/318-002 (accessed October 6, 2026).