Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 375 › Conversation 375-003

Nixon & Kissinger on Vietnam War and George McGovern

Thursday, October 26, 1972 · 9:57 AM–10:01 AM ET · Old Executive Office Building ·53 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.Conversation375-003 onTape 375StartThursday, October 26, 1972 at 9:57 AMEndThursday, October 26, 1972 at 10:01 AMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 375-003 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Henry Kissinger strategized on how to undermine Democratic challenger George McGovern regarding the ongoing Vietnam peace negotiations. Nixon instructed Kissinger to publicly emphasize that McGovern’s alternative peace terms would jeopardize the progress already achieved, particularly concerning the status of prisoners of war and the situation in Cambodia and Laos. The goal was to frame the administration’s existing diplomatic efforts as the most viable path toward a stable agreement.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

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One other point that I think is very important that we can make is that political candidates who offer terms that are more favorable than what we have already negotiated can only jeopardize

uh, hopes for success in the agreement.

See, the reason I say that is that on, on POWs, he doesn't operate on Cambodia, on Laos, etc.

But I think it's very important to get across the fact that we continue to operate in terms, in discussion in terms of, uh, uh, less they hold down the deprivation.

Can you make that point?

Okay, so...

NARA Description

On October 26, 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 9:57 am and 10:01 am. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 375-003 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 375-3

Date: October 26, 1972
Time: Unknown between 9:57 am and 10:01 am

                                        (rev. Oct-06)

Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with Henry A. Kissinger.

        Vietnam peace settlement
            -Political candidates
            -Offer of terms
                -Possible effects on negotiations
                -George S. McGovern
                      -Prisoners of war [POWs]
                      -Cambodia
                      -Laos
                -The President’s instructions
                      -Kissinger’s forthcoming statements

Also recorded on October 26, 1972

807-008 9:54 AM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:54 am and 9:57 am.
375-004 9:57 AM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 9:57 am and 10:01 am.
807-009 9:57 AM · 2 min — United States Secret Service agents and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House on an unknown date, sometime between 9:57 am on October 26, 1972 and 11:08 am on October 27, 1972.
032-044 10:01 AM · 25 sec — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, and unknown person(s) talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:01 am and 11:04 am.
032-045 10:01 AM · 11 sec — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:01 am and 11:04 am.
032-046 10:01 AM · 12 sec — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:01 am and 11:04 am.
032-047 10:01 AM · 16 sec — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman and Dwight L. Chapin talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:01 am and 11:04 am.
032-048 10:01 AM · 20 sec — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, and Dwight L. Chapin talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:01 am and 11:04 am.

All 47 conversations from October 26, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 375-003, October 26, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/375-003 (accessed September 18, 2026).