Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 345 › Conversation 345-019

Nixon & Kissinger on SALT ratification and Vietnam War

Thursday, June 29, 1972 · 6:25 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 11 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.Conversation345-019 on Tape 345 (tape position 02:06:15–02:16:45)StartThursday, June 29, 1972 at 6:25 PMEndThursday, June 29, 1972 at 6:25 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 345-019 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Henry Kissinger met to discuss the legislative hurdles facing the ratification of the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT), specifically addressing concerns from political critics like Senators Buckley and Goldwater. The conversation also touched upon the 1972 presidential campaign, the impact of the defense budget, and potential negotiating strategies regarding Vietnam. They focused on refining policy stances for an upcoming press conference, particularly concerning ceasefire conditions and the release of American prisoners of war.

Audio

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Position in tape: 02:06:15 – 02:16:45

part B, 3:47

345a.mp3
345b.mp3

NARA Description

On June 29, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 6:25 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 345-019 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 345-19

Date: June 29, 1972
Time: 6:25 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Henry Kissinger at 6:25 pm

     Strategic Arms and Limitation Treaty [SALT] ratification
           -James L. Buckley
           -Barry M. Goldwater
           -Effects of non-ratification
                 -Anti-ballistic missiles [ABM]
                 -Submarines
                 -Missiles
           -Critics
                 -Senators
                 -Melvin R. Laird
                       -Defense budget

     1972 campaign
          -George S. Mcgovern's statement
               -May 8, 1972 decision
               -Chou En-lai
               -Leonid I. Brezhnev

     Foreign relations
          -South Vietnam

     Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

     Vietnam negotiations
          -Preparations for forthcoming press conference
               -Ceasefire without prisoners of war [POWs] release
                     -US options

                      -Bombing
                          -Duration

Kissinger left at 6:32 pm.

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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I think we just ignore that pretty much.
You gotta expect a few votes against it.
You didn't get colored.
We're going to have to testify for it.
Basically, we've got to figure out the far right is trying to put you on something.
And also, it won't be a definition.
If anybody is ready to buy it, it's a question mark.
Not what SALT does, but where we would be without it.
We'd have to go through a crash program today to avoid falling behind.
We'd have a thousand ADMs, which we'd never get.
By night of the day, we'd have a thousand ADMs by 1927.
They would have how many submarines?
They would have 9.5, 8.5, 8.5 instead of 6.1.
They would have land-based missiles.
They would have gone forward.
They could produce 250 a year.
250 a year?
A thousand more land-based missiles.
Of course, the Polans can say they never intended to do it anyway.
Oh, that's fair.
That's fair.
But if they never intended it, more importantly, what if we did nothing?
Nothing that we intended to do.
No doubt, the defense, what they're opposed to, I'm not going to stop them.
You know, the doves, the doves are not attacking the combat that's all.
They're attacking, they're slinking into defense mode.
Did you see that statement from the government today?
Yeah.
Georgia said that they, that if they go to the bomb, I don't believe they're going to have to go to the bomb.
Well, I'm not going to respond to it, but I'm not going to take the blame.
That shows you what we're up against.
It shows you this great cowardice.
And, you know, after you have this whole show of mind, and after you have this question, how far are you going to go?
We were done.
And I am on there.
And they, they stopped us.
How far would you have gotten if you had not done what you did on the air?
But my point is, these people don't do things because they love them.
They don't do things because you ask.
They do things because, in other words, we only get from them.
And they have something they want to get from us.
You know?
I'll tell you, I mean, it's a country with a lot of messes.
I've got to go then, because I just can't do it.
Come on.
Crack down the truth.
So I'm going to hang up.
How's everything else?
It's going along very well.
I've got to take off.
Yeah, that's got a good story, I promise.
Hey, the general, hey, the staff of 7 is going up.
You see, I don't know what you're really doing.
I'm just going to use it now.
I don't know what you're talking about.
I don't know what you're talking about.
I don't know.
Because what they'll now say is we haven't passed the bond negotiations.
Never.
Never.
Never.
Never.
And we aren't going to stop it as a result of negotiations either.
Let me ask this.
This is one other question.
Suppose they agree to a ceasefire but not the O.W.A.
of the
We haven't, don't you see?
You just can't say, look, fellows, we'll pick up our mines and stop the bombing if you just don't... No, as soon as I pick up the mine, we might stop the bombing.
What we can do, you see, Mr. President, is we can have a deadline of the ceasefire, say, four to six months, in order to prevent the negotiations without a chance.
I think we could get that for election purposes.
Suppose the question comes, will you stop the bombing before you get the persons back?
I don't think we'll say yes.
At this point, say no.
I'd say no.
After that I'd say no, but I would say basically for all negotiations, gentlemen, we are entering the negotiations.
Now, I want to negotiate with the noise and not with the dreads.
And I would say it is no good today.
You may be in a position to give it away.

Also recorded on June 29, 1972

  • 345-013 4:35 PM · 13 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 4:35 pm and 5:55 pm.
  • 345-015 5:55 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Patrick J. Buchanan, and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 5:55 pm to 6:00 pm.
  • 345-016 6:00 PM · 46 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 6:00 pm and 6:25 pm.
  • 345-017 6:00 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 6:00 pm and 6:25 pm.
  • 345-018 6:00 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:00 pm and 6:25 pm.
  • 345-020 6:54 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and David C. Hoopes met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 6:54 pm to 6:55 pm.
  • 345-021 6:55 PM · 9 min — 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 6:55 pm and 8:27 pm.
  • 345-022 6:55 PM · 31 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:55 pm and 8:27 pm.

All 60 conversations from June 29, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 345-019, June 29, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/345-019 (accessed November 14, 2026).