President Nixon and Henry Kissinger met to refine strategy and talking points for an upcoming presidential press conference, focusing heavily on the Vietnam War and the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT). They discussed how to address sensitive inquiries regarding the bombing of dikes, potential cloud seeding operations, the use of mercenaries, and the current status of North Vietnamese troop deployments. Kissinger provided counsel on managing public perception of these issues while emphasizing the administration's defensive stance on military parity and peace negotiations. The discussion served to prepare the President for likely media scrutiny while coordinating ongoing diplomatic efforts.
On June 28, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, Marjorie P. Acker, White House operator, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:15 pm to 3:30 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 346-014 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 346-14
Date: June 28, 1972
Time: 3:15-3:30 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
(rev. Jan-02)
The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.
President's forthcoming press conference
-Anticipated questions and proposed answers
-Defense Department budget
-Melvin R. Laird
-Vietnam negotiations
-Briefing book
-Location of memorandum
Marjorie P. Acker entered at 3:15 pm.
Alexander P. Butterfield
-Meeting
Kissinger talked with the White House operator.
[Conversation No 346-14A]
Requested for a call to Gen. Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
Kissinger talked with Haig at an unknown time between 3:15 and 3:30 pm.
The President’s forthcoming press conferene
-Vietnam briefing book
-Questions and responses
[End of telephone conversation]
-Butterfield
President's forthcoming press conference
-Anticipated questions and proposed answers
-Vietnam
-Bombing of dikes
The President talked with an unknown person.
[Conversation No. 346-14B]
Unknown item
[End of telephone conversation]
President's forthcoming press conference
-Anticipated questions and proposed answers
-Vietnam
-Cloud seeding
-The President’s possible responses
-Laos
-Laos
-Mercenary commando raids
-Meo tribesmen
-Peace negotiations
-Withdrawal of US forces
-Laos, Cambodia
-Thailand
-Coalition Government
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-North Vietnamese forces in South Vietnam
-Number of troops
-Central Intelligence Agency [CIA] and Department of State
-Possible attack on Hue
-Leonid I. Brezhnev's statement
-Fidel Castro
-Strategic Arms and Limitation Treaty [SALT]
-Relative military strength of US and Soviet Union
-Multiple Independently-targeted Reentry Vehicle [MIRV]
-The President’s possible comments
Washington Post story
-Time's coverage
Vietnam peace negotiations
-Questions at forthcoming press conference
-SALT
-Defense budget
Kissinger's schedule
-President's schedule
-Meeting with People’s Republic of China [PRC] officials in New York
Kissinger left at 3:30 pm.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.