Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 329 › Conversation 329-035

Nixon & Kissinger on Vietnam War and Military Strategy

Saturday, April 15, 1972 · 11:55 AM–12:20 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.Conversation329-035 on Tape 329 (tape position 03:44:43–03:47:13)StartSaturday, April 15, 1972 at 11:55 AMEndSaturday, April 15, 1972 at 12:20 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 329-035 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Henry Kissinger met to discuss the military situation in Vietnam and the strategic necessity of upcoming air strikes despite potential opposition from Defense Secretary Melvin Laird and Admiral Thomas Moorer. Nixon expressed resolve to proceed with the strikes, dismissing concerns about field commander reactions and skepticism regarding Laird's intentions. Kissinger agreed to receive a military briefing first to better inform the President's final decision on whether to attend the briefing himself.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 1 minute of this recording (about 43% of it) is represented by only a few words. Listen to the audio rather than relying on the text below; a corrected transcript is queued.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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'll shake them up a little.
Yes, Mr. President.
Two things.
They insist that they want to go ahead.
They said they've already stood down in the assets.
Who's they?
Who's they?
Slaughter and lay.
And overrule Avery.
Yes.
They want to talk to you if you want to cancel it.
I don't want to cancel it.
But I said you don't want to overrule me for it.
And I just...
I want to have it.
But if I...
I'd like to go over and take a briefing on the military situation.
It will take me ten more minutes, Mr. President, but then I'll know what I'm talking about.
Why is Moore alert?
What do they say about the existing?
What did they say?
What did Laird say?
Laird does.
I thought you thought he was in on the conspiracy.
He probably is, but the orbit plans don't sound.
Laird says any field commander will always scream.
You give him three times as many thanks if you take Jonathan away, he'll still scream.
He says that's a typical beautiful man's reaction.
Oh, you didn't get it?
Oh, yes.
I said we won't do that.
Good.
You get the message?
Oh, yes.
So I'd like, I think you're going to have to go ahead because those tracks would be very... All right.
You and I are aware of it now, and if it loses the battle, the battle may be lost anyway.
I don't think this, these two strikes are not going to lose this battle anyway.
They had a briefing there for me also, and it's bothering me.
I'll be back in 15 minutes if we can hold up.
Want me to hear it?
Let me see what it is, and then I'll bring it in.
Okay.
Okay.

NARA Description

On April 15, 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 11:55 am and 12:20 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 329-035 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 329-35

Date: April 15, 1972
Time: Unknown between 11:55 am and 12:20 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.

     Vietnam
          -Kissinger briefing
                -Adm. Thomas H. Moorer and Melvin R. Laird
                      -Gen. Creighton W. Abrams
                      -Cancellation of unknown event
                      -Conversation with the President
          -Briefing on military situation
                -Kissinger's request to attend
          -Moorer
          -Laird
                -Unknown conspiracy
                -Field commanders
          -Air strikes
                -Necessity
                      -Impact on battle
          -Briefing
                -Kissinger's attendance
                -The President's possible attendance

Kissinger left at an unknown time before 12:20 pm.

Also recorded on April 15, 1972

  • 022-125 11:55 AM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:55 am and 12:20 pm.
  • 329-033 11:55 AM · 19 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 11:55 am and 12:20 pm.
  • 329-034 11:55 AM · 14 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 11:55 am and 12:20 pm.
  • 329-036 11:55 AM · 11 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 11:55 am and 12:20 pm.
  • 022-126 12:20 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon talked on the telephone from 12:20 pm to 12:22 pm.
  • 329-037 12:20 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 12:20 pm to 12:22 pm.
  • 329-038 12:22 PM · 1 min — 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 12:22 pm and 12:25 pm.
  • 022-127 12:25 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Raymond J. Arbuthnot talked on the telephone from 12:25 pm to 12:27 pm.

All 25 conversations from April 15, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 329-035, April 15, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/329-035 (accessed October 1, 2026).