{"conversationCode":"371-021","tapeNumber":371,"conversationNumber":21,"identifier":"37-wht-conversation-371-021","startDateTime":"1972-10-23T13:55:00.000Z","endDateTime":"1972-10-23T14:38:00.000Z","startDate":"23-Oct-1972","startTime":"9:55 AM","endDate":"23-Oct-1972","endTime":"10:38 AM","dateCertainty":"certain","timeCertainty":"certain","participants":"Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. (\"Bob\");","description":"On October 23, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. (\"Bob\") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 9:55 am to 10:38 am. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 371-021 of the White House Tapes.","locationCode":"EOB","recordingDevice":"Old Executive Office Building","latitudeEstimated":38.897567,"longitudeEstimated":-77.039147,"chronCode":4,"chronRelease":"Fourth Chronological Release","chronReleaseDate":"10-Dec-2003","aogpRelease":null,"aogpSegment":null,"lastModified":"2015-07-27T17:04:10.235Z","findingAid":"Conversation No. 371-21\n\nDate: October 23, 1972\nTime: 9:55 am - 10:38 am\nLocation: Executive Office Building\n\nThe President met with H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.\n\n*****************************************************************\n\nBEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1\n[Personal returnable]\n[Duration: 16m 9s ]\n\nEND WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1\n\n*****************************************************************\n\n        The President’s schedule\n\n        Henry A. Kissinger\n           -The President’s recent meeting with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.\n           -Haig\n\n        Vietnam\n            -Peace settlement negotiations\n                -Possible bombing halt\n                -Timing compared with 1972 election\n                     -John D. Erlichman’s view\n                     -Haldeman’s view\n                -Kissinger's itinerary\n                -Possible North Vietnamese statements\n                     -Prisoners of war [POWs]\n                     -Coalition government\n                -Coalition government\n                     -North Vietnamese statements\n                          -Soviet Union\n                          -Victory celebrations\n                     -Kissinger’s efforts\n                          -Haig\n                -Haig’s role\n                     -Accompanying Kissinger on trips as opposed to speaking for the\n                     President\n                -Military compared to political problems\n\n                   -Haig’s and Kissinger’s view\n               -1972 Election\n                   -George S. McGovern\n                       -Nguyen Van Thieu\n\n       1972 campaign\n           -Public relations\n               -White House role\n                    -Alvin Snyder\n                    -Questions of television programs\n                    -Response to McGovern’s debate issue\n                    -Clark K. MacGregor\n                    -Instruction for Charles W. Colson\n                    -Kissinger\n                    -Colson\n           -Vietnam\n           -Magazines\n           -Schedule\n*****************************************************************\n\nBEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3\n[Personal returnable]\n[Duration: 5m ]\n\nEND WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3\n\n*****************************************************************\n\n       Vietnam\n           -Peace settlement negotiations\n               -1972 election\n               -Thieu's reaction to proposed settlement\n               -Patrick J. Buchanan and Raymond K. Price\n                    -North Vietnamese\n                        -Soviet Union\n                    -Kissinger\n                        -William L. Safire\n                    -Public statements\n\n                         -Caution\n                     -Coalition government\n\n*****************************************************************\n\nBEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5\n[Personal returnable]\n[Duration: 11m 49s ]\n\nEND WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5\n\n*****************************************************************\n\n        The President's schedule\n            -Radio broadcast\n                -White House\n                     -Camp David\n                     -Kissinger\n                     -Library\n                          -Sound\n            -Kentucky\n\nHaldeman left at 10:38 am.","filename":["371-021.mp3"],"tapeStart":"","tapeEnd":"","participantsList":["Nixon, Richard M. (President)","Haldeman, H. R. (\"Bob\")"],"prevCode":"371-020","nextCode":"371-022","transcript":[{"start":53.83,"end":71.67,"text":"The first time I did this, I didn't know what was going on."},{"start":71.69,"end":72.87,"text":"I wanted to pick it up, but you just don't know what it is."},{"start":81.45,"end":107.56,"text":"uh... uh... uh... uh..."},{"start":108.47,"end":123.95,"text":"... ... ... ... ..."},{"start":128.13,"end":150.77,"text":"Because I don't have, you know, I don't have a $7.00 or $7.00."},{"start":150.79,"end":153.05,"text":"He said, I don't know what you put, you know, but I'm just coming back with what you know is out of your pockets."},{"start":153.07,"end":154.49,"text":"He said, all I can say is I hope you know what I really put it off you."},{"start":154.51,"end":155.03,"text":"I said, what do you think?"},{"start":155.05,"end":155.79,"text":"He said, I just hope you get a $7.00."},{"start":155.81,"end":156.33,"text":"I said, what do you think?"},{"start":156.35,"end":157.5,"text":"I said, you've got to face the fact that you put a $7.00."},{"start":159.52,"end":178.14,"text":"It's got to be worked out on our terms."},{"start":178.16,"end":179.02,"text":"At the time that it worked, it didn't work."},{"start":179.04,"end":180.67,"text":"And it can't be done considering the elections that I understand that completely."},{"start":180.69,"end":182.35,"text":"But given that, we can get a lot better off if it can be worked out after the vote."},{"start":182.37,"end":182.55,"text":"I didn't."},{"start":182.57,"end":183.33,"text":"But I'm also convinced that it didn't."},{"start":183.7,"end":196.93,"text":"And do that at the price of not getting something."},{"start":196.95,"end":198.09,"text":"But now you're going to have to look for a way to get it."},{"start":198.11,"end":198.39,"text":"Before you go."},{"start":198.41,"end":198.71,"text":"That's my hope."},{"start":198.73,"end":200.36,"text":"And if it gets off, then I'm going to have to look for a way to get it right now."},{"start":231.91,"end":257.7,"text":"They said, well, we'll never find them."},{"start":257.72,"end":258.26,"text":"And I said, I was the best."},{"start":258.29,"end":258.56,"text":"It's the best."},{"start":258.58,"end":259.09,"text":"The money gets the money."},{"start":259.11,"end":259.39,"text":"It's the best."},{"start":259.41,"end":259.69,"text":"It's the best."},{"start":259.71,"end":259.99,"text":"It's the best."},{"start":260.01,"end":260.29,"text":"It's the best."},{"start":260.31,"end":260.59,"text":"It's the best."},{"start":260.61,"end":260.89,"text":"It's the best."},{"start":261.66,"end":282.29,"text":"I did not have to do the same thing a lot of the time."},{"start":282.31,"end":283.63,"text":"I did it too fast, and I'm sure it's not going to be a lot of fun."},{"start":283.65,"end":284.28,"text":"I don't know what to say today."},{"start":284.3,"end":284.8,"text":"I don't know what to say."},{"start":284.82,"end":285.04,"text":"It's rough."},{"start":285.06,"end":285.28,"text":"It's rough."},{"start":285.3,"end":285.52,"text":"It's rough."},{"start":285.54,"end":286.04,"text":"I don't know what to say."},{"start":286.06,"end":286.56,"text":"I don't know what to say."},{"start":286.58,"end":287.08,"text":"I don't know what to say."},{"start":287.1,"end":287.6,"text":"I don't know what to say."},{"start":288.95,"end":305.41,"text":"You know, I had a mistake that I shouldn't have taken that over."},{"start":305.43,"end":306.1,"text":"I think, I don't know, maybe not."},{"start":306.12,"end":306.65,"text":"Maybe, uh, it was my fault."},{"start":306.68,"end":306.94,"text":"I don't know."},{"start":306.96,"end":307.42,"text":"Turns out, he wouldn't."},{"start":307.44,"end":310.28,"text":"See, the bad thing about being here is that the hours we're speaking to you, and the words that I was written in, don't speak to me like that."},{"start":315.73,"end":330.41,"text":"I just want to realize that I was right."},{"start":405.5,"end":420.04,"text":"So I suppose we're right on time."},{"start":420.06,"end":421.67,"text":"I'm a little mad, but if your plan is the only thing, we're going to control it."},{"start":421.69,"end":423.97,"text":"Because this division is one that's going to go here, and that's going to be the only one that's going to go here."},{"start":423.99,"end":424.49,"text":"So I'm going to go ahead."},{"start":542.78,"end":551.46,"text":"Now, the thing that's ever happened to me was to basically do that for him, too."},{"start":551.48,"end":552.18,"text":"I mean, I did it for you last time."},{"start":579.22,"end":581.53,"text":"Now you've got to separate it from that thing."},{"start":673.9,"end":691.13,"text":"... ... ... ... ... ... ... ..."},{"start":731.5,"end":752.83,"text":"I don't get it."},{"start":752.85,"end":753.39,"text":"It's a message from heaven."},{"start":753.41,"end":754.51,"text":"And also, it could be much greater than what it is now."},{"start":754.53,"end":755.27,"text":"It could be more than what it is now."},{"start":755.29,"end":755.82,"text":"It could be long, or long."},{"start":755.84,"end":756.6,"text":"It could be down to anything you want."},{"start":756.62,"end":757.52,"text":"And if David said, this is great, and then..."},{"start":762.29,"end":787.61,"text":"But now we have a new department."},{"start":787.63,"end":788.37,"text":"So we're going to ask you a question."},{"start":788.39,"end":788.65,"text":"I have a son."},{"start":788.67,"end":788.93,"text":"I have a son."},{"start":788.95,"end":789.21,"text":"I have a son."},{"start":789.23,"end":789.49,"text":"I have a son."},{"start":789.51,"end":789.77,"text":"I have a son."},{"start":789.79,"end":790.05,"text":"I have a son."},{"start":796.55,"end":797.41,"text":"That's okay."},{"start":842.67,"end":848.04,"text":"3-3-4-3-4-6-7-8-9-9-5"},{"start":871.24,"end":895.61,"text":"I just got out of duty."},{"start":895.63,"end":896.43,"text":"I thought I could do the broadcast here."},{"start":896.45,"end":896.95,"text":"I'm not going to do that."},{"start":896.97,"end":897.07,"text":"Okay."},{"start":897.09,"end":897.19,"text":"Okay."},{"start":897.21,"end":897.53,"text":"Library's not..."},{"start":904.41,"end":934.39,"text":"Okay, good."}],"aiSummary":{"text":"President Nixon and H.R. Haldeman met to discuss the status of Vietnam peace negotiations and the strategic timing of a potential settlement in relation to the 1972 presidential election. The discussion covered the roles of Henry Kissinger and Alexander Haig, the challenges posed by South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu, and concerns regarding a potential coalition government. Additionally, they coordinated public relations efforts and campaign messaging to address Democratic challenger George McGovern's critiques.","topics":["Vietnam War","1972 Election","Henry Kissinger","Peace Negotiations","Alexander Haig","Campaign Strategy"],"generatedAt":"2026-04-06T17:16:21.070Z"},"topicSlugs":["vietnam-war","1972-election","henry-kissinger","peace-negotiations","alexander-haig","campaign-strategy"],"audioDurationSec":937,"audioFiles":[{"file":"371-021.mp3","bytes":22496443,"durationSec":937.28,"bitrate":192014,"missing":false}],"audioIsShared":false,"audioProbedAt":"2026-09-18T02:19:44.875Z","findingAidSource":"nixonlibrary.gov subject log (2024-05), reslice-v2","findingAidUpdatedAt":"2026-09-18T08:43:28.473Z","transcriptGapSeconds":282,"transcriptGapShare":0.3,"transcriptQuality":"incomplete","audio":["https://nixon.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/audio/371-021.mp3"],"url":"https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/371-021","nixonLibraryUrl":"https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/white-house-tapes/371/conversation-371-021","license":"Public domain (U.S. Government work). AI-generated fields (transcript, aiSummary) are provided as-is without warranty."}