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Conversation 336-056

TapeTape 336StartMonday, May 8, 1972 at 6:22 PMEndMonday, May 8, 1972 at 6:34 PMTape start time02:39:09Tape end time02:49:14ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Kissinger, Henry A.;  [Unknown person(s)]Recording deviceOld Executive Office Building
AI Summary

President Nixon and Henry Kissinger discussed the messaging and strategic rationale for the upcoming presidential speech announcing a naval blockade of North Vietnam. They reviewed the presentation of various U.S. courses of action, focusing on how to address potential North Vietnamese rejection of withdrawal offers and POW negotiations. The discussion emphasized the importance of maintaining a firm tone regarding the blockade while managing press perceptions and briefing administration officials like Melvin Laird and William Rogers.

Vietnam WarNaval blockadeHenry KissingerPresidential speechPOWsForeign policy
AudioNARA Description

On May 8, 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 6:22 pm to 6:34 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 336-056 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 336-56

Date: May 8, 1972
Time: 6:22 - 6:34 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.

     Vietnam
          -President’s speech on the blockade
                -US courses of action
                     -Wording
                -Deletions
                -US withdrawal

The President talked with an unknown person at an unknown time between 6:22 pm and 6:34
pm.

[Conversation No. 336-56A]

                -Changes

[End of telephone conversation]

                -US offers
                     -North Vietnam rejection
                     -Prisoners of war [POWs]
                     -Withdrawal
                -Cambodia
                -Wording

                                         (rev. Nov-01)

                -Melvin R. Laird, William P. Rogers
                -Tone
           -Blockade
                -President’s decision
                      -President’s orders
           -Kissinger’s briefing
                -Termination of war
                -Importance
           -Kissinger’s meeting with Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
           -Blockade
                -President’s speech
                      -Demeanor
                            -Press reports
                -Kissinger’s briefing
                      -Arrangements
           -Previous US actions
                -Cambodia, Laos
                -Rogers, Laird
                -Cambodia
                -Laird, Rogers
           -Blockade
                -President’s decision
                -President’s speech
                      -Delivery
                            -Tone

Kissinger left at 6:34 pm.
Transcript (AI-Generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

It's so good that the last time, that the light they haven't shut down, it's not quite as good as it was.
We didn't understand Dick too much.
I don't write enough, but I can give the comments very well.
Uh, why don't you step over and for the rest of the last minute, look at something there, okay?
Five weeks ago, I interviewed them.
How did the darkness of the earth go down after the masses of dead babies?
What's the marriage of the dead?
Why should the passing of the living be subtle?
And they, it would be possible by passing over and out of the masses.
Sure.
Uh, when we, uh, set out the three courses of action, we, one of them was the first one, the first one was E, and we all know that, but then another one was the bug out.
And we say that, you know, that we, that we say that, but imagine the opportunity to do it now, and so, you know, it's not a big deal, it's not a scare, and it's a, you know, the rest of the lives, you know, it's not a big deal, it's not a big deal, it's not a big deal, it's not a big deal, it's not a big deal.
Yeah, if they say, if we say that we're going to protect our ants, because they believe that we're going to have to get out there and protect our ants.
I think that is true, that it can leverage.
Basically, the way of offering them, in effect, they can turn down what we say is the O.W.
of a withdrawal and so forth and all that.
But if that's something you're going to recover free, you're still going to have to listen to what I'm talking about.
I think you can turn it down.
I don't know if I'm going to...
They're going to ask for a higher price to draw.
That's the point I made this morning.
The prices are going to be higher in Washington.
The major thing about when we had countries in Cambodia, after we had submitted it, we tried to show how we could.
We had to show that we unfilled it.
Uh, put me in trouble, that would be my decision.
Uh, we'll have to do something about it.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
Larry, who was a man, you know, who always touched on, just, you know, what, you know, kind of, uh, uh, what I wish, uh, that won't be affected, you know, and I think, you know, we'll try to save him, so, uh, he'll, I don't know if he'll say, but I think he'll say it in such a way that he, uh, he doesn't have to say it, but the best part of it is he won't hurt you.
Too bad, eh?
Yeah.
Well, I could agree more, but having stated this, there's no use in throwing it out in the field by being, you know, going to get any credits at all for being reasonable, honestly.
They wanted to put up a blockade that we wanted to do, so they're not going to have to do it.
I think at this stage of the game, we have to leave the attention to the game in the theater.
So the audience needs to listen to that, too.
I mean, that's, you're not ordering me now, but... Well, what if you're asked that, what would you say?
Oh, yeah, I'll say it.
I'll say it.
I always said it.
I just said something else yesterday.
I'm not contemplating it.
One thing I think that you might have in mind is I'd say to them, don't raise quotes.
I mean, you should attempt to.
great hope that this is going to end itself.
You see what I mean?
I've not read the book.
No, I couldn't.
No, I think the point is, you should say this is going to take some time, but it will work.
I put it that way.
There's two things I'll do with this meeting at the briefing tomorrow.
What I'm trying to think of is good.
To convey some of the human problems that were produced that no one had figured out.
uh, just the thing to give to the human, which you can't say.
And also get across the, you know, it's utter idiocy that they're writing about.
The idea of, uh, you know, the, you know, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the,
That's right.
You can, incidentally, I want yours to be, I want you to let me take the call.
They had it all in Canada.
Canada's out now.
But we've actually found data on more of my interviews.
I've been showing my pictures.
I've told more.
You can't tell.
That's what they did at the champion's event.
They had a long return on me, and then they put in the bird.
Well, if they had money, I don't know.
But I think you're right.
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