President Nixon and Henry Kissinger discussed the delicate status of Vietnam peace negotiations and the challenge of managing public and political perceptions of the potential agreement just days before the 1972 election. They analyzed North Vietnamese signaling, the complexities of drafting a durable settlement, and the need to reassure conservative critics who feared the deal might mirror failed previous agreements. The two focused on developing a public relations strategy for the administration, including potential media briefings by Kissinger, to clarify the U.S. commitment to achieving a high-quality, long-term peace rather than a premature settlement.
On October 31, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 9:28 am to 9:50 am. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 378-002 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 378-2
Date: October 31, 1972
Time: 9:28 am - 9:50 am
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.
Greetings
Vietnam negotiations
-The President’s letter to Nguyen Van Thieu
-Ellsworth F. Bunker
-Terms of agreement
-South Vietnam’s seven points
-News summary
-Criticism
-Left compared to right
-Concessions
-William F. Buckley, Jr., Robert B. Semple, Jr., Colm [sp?] [First
name unknown]
-Settlement text
-Publication
-US foreign policy
-Press coverage
-Clayton Fritchey, Joseph W. Alsop, Rowland Evans,
Thomas W. Braden
(rev. Nov-03)
-Time
-Jerrold L. Schecter
-Hugh S. Sidey
-US posture
-North Vietnamese position
-October 30, 1972 message
-Possible meaning
-Break-off of talks
-Resumption of talks
-Future message
-Forthcoming North Vietnamese – US meeting
-Expectations
-US position
-Kissinger’s schedule
-Timing of meeting
-1972 election
-Terms of agreement
-North Vietnamese troop removal from South Vietnam
-Analogy to Soviet Union troops in Poland
-US strategy
-Post-1972 election
-Bombing
-Hardline approach
-Bombing
-Demilatarized zone [DMZ]
-B-52’s
-19th parallel
-20th parallel
-Hanoi reaction
-Post-1972 election
-Radio
-Thieu position
-Effect of actions on 1972 election
-Victory claim
-US public relations stance
-Kissinger’s possible briefing
-Tone
-Timing
-Usefulness
-The President compared with Kissinger’s briefing
-Difficulties
-Kissinger briefing, October 26, 1972
(rev. Nov-03)
-Points
-Coalition government
-Reason for the US not signing
-Quality of agreement
-Compared to Laos, 1962
-Reaction in US
-Moral issue
-Right
-Tone
-Stress on negatives rather than positives
-News summary
-Charles W. Colson’s conversation with Louis P. Harris
-Harris
-Political preference
-Liberals
-Support
-Conservatives, hard hats
-George S. McGovern
-The President’s agreement with Harris’ analysis
-Kissinger’s forthcoming meeting with Jay Lovestone
-Thieu
-Terms of agreement
-Thieu
-Coalition government
-Aid to South Vietnam
-Thailand
-North Vietnam
-Laos
-Cambodia
-Joseph C. Kraft’s, October 31, 1972 column
-Liberals
-Kissinger’s view
-The President’s view
-Lovestone
-Alsop
-Buckley
-Reassurance to conservatives
-Media
-North Vietnamese options
-Breakoff of talks
-Timing
-Bombing
(rev. Nov-03)
-Results
-1972 election
-Administration’s stance
-Settlement
-Settlement
-Press statement
-Nelson A. Rockefeller’s forthcoming appearance at National Press Club
-“Peace with honor”
-Details of agreement
-Thieu position
-Bunker
-Kissinger’s view
-Strategy
-Schedule
-October 26, 1972 television [TV] speech
-1972 election
-The President’s letter to Thieu
-Negotiation strategy
-US posture
-Tone
-Congress
-US public relations stance
-William P. Rogers statement
-Melvin R. Laird statement
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew statement
-Kissinger’s and the President’s role
-Rogers
-Strategy
-1972 election
-New York
-Far left and far right
-Kissinger’s recent statement
-Agnew’s recent statement
-Kissinger’s possible statement
-The President’s address to the nation, “Look to the
future”, November 2, 1972
-Raymond K. Price, Jr.
-Length
-Progress
-Settlement
-Coalition government
-“semi-backgrounder”
(rev. Nov-03)
-Timing of statements
-Wires services
-Network people
-Major commentators
Pierre E. Trudeau
-Recent Parliamentary election
-Seat margins
-Liberals
-Conservatives
-[New Democrats]
-Reason for results
-Robert L. Stanfield
-Possible election
-Stanfield
-The President’s view
The President’s schedule
-Rockefeller
Kissinger left at 9:50 am.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.