Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 375 › Conversation 375-019

Nixon & Haig on Vietnam War and Peace negotiations

Thursday, October 26, 1972 · 2:50 PM–2:51 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haig, Alexander M., Jr.Conversation375-019 on Tape 375StartThursday, October 26, 1972 at 2:50 PMEndThursday, October 26, 1972 at 2:51 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 375-019 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Alexander Haig coordinate messaging regarding ongoing Vietnam peace negotiations to ensure public rhetoric emphasizes long-term stability over short-term political gain. Nixon instructs Haig to distance the current administration's goals from the failed 1952 Laos settlement, framing their objective as securing "peace for the next generation." This effort is intended to provide talking points for Henry Kissinger and clarify the administration's stance ahead of the upcoming election.

Audio

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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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Yeah.
Yeah.
Because Henry's comparing, I don't want to bother him.
But this thought killed him.
A major point that I know has to be covered with this thing about the election and the fact that he didn't cross.
But there you go.
Yeah, that's right, that's what happened.
I would put it, you've got to put it, what words do you want me to say?
Our interest is the right kind of peace and peace that will last.
Not the kind of peace we had after, I mean, we've been around this track in 1952, the settlement on Laos.
Did we make that point?
Yeah, but I mean, let me make the point too.
In Laos, we had a settlement.
And it gave us a, however, it led to just a continued war.
This time a lot of peace that will last.
In other words, yeah, and then you could say that what the president says, our English is not peace for the next election, but peace for the next generation.
So just want to use that phrase.
Okay.

NARA Description

On October 26, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:50 pm to 2:51 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 375-019 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 375-19

Date: October 26, 1972
Time: 2:50 pm - 2:51 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

[See Conversation No. 32-57]

Also recorded on October 26, 1972

  • 032-054 2:29 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:29 pm and 2:40 pm.
  • 375-015 2:29 PM · 10 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 2:29 pm and 2:40 pm.
  • 375-016 2:29 PM · 10 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 2:29 pm and 2:40 pm.
  • 032-055 2:40 PM · 24 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone from 2:40 pm to 2:41 pm.
  • 375-017 2:40 PM · 25 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:40 pm to 2:41 pm.
  • 032-056 2:41 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:41 pm and 2:50 pm.
  • 375-018 2:41 PM · 7 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 2:41 pm and 2:50 pm.
  • 032-057 2:50 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone from 2:50 pm to 2:51 pm.

All 47 conversations from October 26, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 375-019, 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/375-019 (accessed October 9, 2026).