Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 324 › Conversation 324-040

Nixon & Haig on Vietnam War and Aerial Bombing

Wednesday, March 22, 1972 · 4:03 PM–5:00 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 44 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haig, Alexander M., Jr.Conversation324-040 on Tape 324 (tape position 03:58:46–04:00:10)StartWednesday, March 22, 1972 at 4:03 PMEndWednesday, March 22, 1972 at 5:00 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 324-040 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Alexander Haig discussed the intensity and public messaging surrounding U.S. bombing operations in North Vietnam. The two reviewed recent casualty figures and confirmed that the current military approach remained consistent with established "protective reaction" policies. They ultimately reached a consensus that no deviation from their existing public stance on these air strikes was necessary.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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As far as the bombing and all the amounts concerned, it's an approximately the same level of blood and up and down.
So I don't know whether we said it on that public, but it's just the same.
It's just the perfect reaction.
So...
Good.
Thank you.
Thank you.

NARA Description

On March 22, 1972, 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 4:03 pm and 5:00 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 324-040 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 324-40

Date: March 22, 1972
Time: Unknown between 4:03 pm and 5:00 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with an unknown person [Alexander M. Haig ?].

     Vietnam
          -Bombing
               -Intensity
               -Public statements
               -North Vietnam
               -“Protective reaction”
          -Casualties
               -Prior week

Also recorded on March 22, 1972

  • 324-035 3:29 PM · 35 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:29 pm and 4:01 pm.
  • 324-036 3:29 PM · 14 sec — 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 3:29 pm and 4:01 pm.
  • 022-001 4:01 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Julie Nixon Eisenhower talked on the telephone from 4:01 pm to 4:03 pm.
  • 324-037 4:01 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:01 pm to 4:03 pm.
  • 324-038 4:03 PM · 4 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 4:03 pm and 5:00 pm.
  • 324-039 4:03 PM · 56 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 4:03 pm and 5:00 pm.
  • 324-041 4:03 PM · 6 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 4:03 pm and 5:00 pm.
  • 324-042 4:03 PM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:03 pm and 5:00 pm.

All 41 conversations from March 22, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 324-040, March 22, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/324-040 (accessed October 3, 2026).