President Nixon and H.R. Haldeman discussed the administration's communication strategy following Henry Kissinger’s recent press briefing regarding Vietnam peace negotiations and the assertion that "peace is at hand." The participants evaluated public and press reactions to the potential settlement, emphasizing the need to maintain a unified message while countering criticisms from political opponents like George McGovern. They agreed on the necessity of preparing talking papers for administration surrogates to frame the agreement as a "peace with honor" rather than a surrender, while monitoring the concerns of South Vietnamese leader Nguyen Van Thieu.
On October 26, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:05 pm to 2:29 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 375-014 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 375-14
Date: October 26, 1972
Time: 2:05 pm - 2:29 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman. Discontinuities occurred at the time of original
recording.
Vietnam peace settlement negotiations
-Henry A. Kissinger’s recent press briefing
-John A. Scali’s view
-Kissinger’s possible briefings for networks and wire services
(rev. Oct-06)
-The President’s May 8, 1972 decision
-1972 election as factor in negotiations
-Nature of agreement
-Compared with George McGovern’s position
-Prisoners of war [POWs]
-Integrity of South Vietnamese government
-Arms and assistance to South Vietnamese
-Complete withdrawal of US forces
-Timing
-Press interpretation
-Lead press story
-“Peace is at hand”
-Assessments of Kissinger’s briefing
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Charles W. Colson
-Scali
-Points to be made at briefing
-The President’s view
-Herbert G. Klein
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Skill as a briefer
-Compared with Kissinger
-Stage of negotiations
-Timing
-Kissinger
-McGovern’s position
-Administration response
-Nguyen Van Thieu’s role
-Kissinger
-Signing of agreement
-Haig’s concern
-Timing
-Thieu
-Administration strategy
-Public opinion
-Colson’s analysis
-Corruption issue damage
-Soft suburbanites
-Labor
-South
-Bombing pause
(rev. Oct-06)
-Haig
-John B. Connally
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
-Preparation of talking paper
-Surrogates
-“Peace with honor” compared with “peace with surrender”
The President’s schedule
-The President’s forthcoming trip to West Virginia and Kentucky
-Timing
White House staff and public relations
-John D. Ehrlichman
Vietnam pace settlement negotiations and 1972 campaign
-Kissinger and the President
-Forthcoming trip to California
-Thieu
-Possible statements
-Statements about McGovern’s campaign tactics
-Clark Macgregor, Robert J. Dole
-Colson
-Unity of White House statements
-McCovern stance on Vietnam
-White House attacks
-Surrender
-POWs
-Administration readiness to attack McGovern
-McGovern’s strategy
-Colson’s view
-Haig’s view of the press at Kissinger’s briefing
-McGovern’s supporters in the press
-Reaction to progress in the peace talks
-Kissinger’s response
-Murrey Marder’s reaction
-Settlement
-Press view
-Coalition government
-Thieu
-Partial cease-fire
-POWs
(rev. Oct-06)
-Laos
-Cambodia
-Incompleteness
-Public relations
-Translation issues
-Press
-Kissinger’s meeting with Scali on briefing preparation
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 3m ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
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Haldeman left at 2:29 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.