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Conversation 340-012

TapeTape 340StartTuesday, June 6, 1972 at 9:21 AMEndTuesday, June 6, 1972 at 9:58 AMTape start time01:07:12Tape end time01:20:04ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Kissinger, Henry A.Recording deviceOld Executive Office Building
AI Summary

President Nixon and Henry Kissinger discuss perceived anti-administration bias and propaganda in media coverage of the Vietnam War and Cambodia. Nixon characterizes reports by journalists such as Anthony Lewis and Selig Harrison as aligned with Communist interests and aimed at influencing the 1972 election. Consequently, the President directs his staff, specifically Charles Colson and Kenneth Clawson, to initiate efforts to discredit these reporters and expose their backgrounds.

Vietnam WarMedia relationsPropaganda1972 presidential electionCharles Colson
AudioNARA Description

On June 6, 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 9:21 am and 9:58 am. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 340-012 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 340-12

Date: June 6, 1972
Time: Unknown between 9:21 and 9:58 am
Location: Executive Office Building

The President dictated a memorandum to Henry A. Kissinger.

     Vietnam
          -Media and left-wing
                -Tactics
                -The President’s view
                -South Vietnamese
                -Cambodia
                -Reporters
                     -The President’s view
                -New York Times stories
                     -South Vietnam recession
                     -Cambodia
                          -Craig Whitney
                     -Anthony Lewis
                          -Reports from Hanoi
                          -The President’s view
                -Selig Harrison
                     -Writing in Hanoi
                     -The President’s view
                -Propoganda
                -1972 election
                -Statements from administration
                     -Cambodia
                     -Vietnam
              -Efforts to discredit
                     -Harrison
                     -Lewis
                     -Charles W. Colson
                     -Kenneth W. Clawson
                          -Statement on Lewis’s background
                     -Administration liberals
                     -Possible statement on Harrison’s background

                                         (rev. Dec-01)

Copies of memorandum
     -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
     -Colson

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[Duration: 7m 50s ]

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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.

I think the tactics of our left-wing friends on Southeast Asia are becoming rather clear in the last few days.
They are empathizing with our culture, thinking about our energy, and succeeding through it.
I think they are in a position at the highest level
about American companies and self-giving and voting through articles by left-wingers, left-wing reporters who were sent to cover the political and economic situation there.
This has had one story on self-giving on both the session and voting.
And there's a story that comes to mind today by Craig Whitman, on Cambodia's political problems.
Very good.
We're almost on the same line.
There's no accident that after Lewis wrote those shocking comment line pieces from Hanoi,
for the Times, Seelig, S-E-L-I-G, Harrison.
Now it's on the ceiling in Hanoi, writing about how nice the little 12-year-old boys and girls are who live in school in Hanoi.
This propaganda is extremely subtle.
and it may be even too subtle for the average person to understand.
They made no mistake about it.
This would be the outline of now until the election.
And it would be an effective action to combat the trade of some of the countries in the United States of America.
It was a positive.
Also, we must continue to try to discredit people like Harrison and Tony Lewis
who were out watching would never be let in, you know, unless they had a prior commitment to right the Communist Party line all over there.
Colson will do a great job on this one.
Colson is a crack at the lowest of the times.
I know it.
He's heard some of our, uh,
House liberals.
Similar analysis with Harrison.
Harrison's background.
Might be well out of it.
I'm going to copy some of the call from Colson.
Hi, how are you?
Okay.
Thank you.
Did you get off over the weekend?
Yeah.
Where'd you go?
Well, I stayed here.
Stayed here?
Yeah.
It was nice.
It was very nice.
It was beautiful.
Yeah, we had a...
I think we were in Florida.
It was a perfect month there, you know.
It was a perfect month.
Oh, really?
It's one of those things.
They haven't had the rain all winter, so it caught up.
And O's still there?
Well, I don't believe that, yeah.
He's still got, I've got to say, he's been sitting there two and a half weeks.
I left him down there with the dog and the fish.
He works hard.
Yeah.
Oh, that's nice.
Right.
Okay.
Well, welcome back.
Thanks.
Nice to see you.
Thank you.
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