President Nixon met with H.R. Haldeman and Henry Kissinger to navigate the delicate political and diplomatic challenges surrounding the Vietnam peace negotiations just days before the 1972 election. The discussion focused on analyzing Hanoi’s recent public statements, the diplomatic fallout involving South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu, and the risks of a potential 'build-up and let-down' effect among American voters. The participants assessed the impact of the peace talks on the campaign, specifically weighing the optics of a settlement against George McGovern's electoral strategy and current polling data.
On October 31, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 11:56 am to 1:05 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 378-007 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 378-7
Date: October 31, 1972
Time: 11:56 am - 1:05 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman at 11:56 am.
The President’s conversation with Nelson A. Rockefeller, October
31, 1972
-Rockefeller’s demands
-Vietnam negotiations
-Hanoi’s recent statement
-Reaction
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Ronald L. Ziegler
Vietnam negotiations
-Henry A. Kissinger’s October 26, 1972 press briefing
-John A. Scali
-Coverage of points
-Use of phrase “peace is at hand”
-The President’s view
-Scali
-Progress
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[Duration: 13m 31s ]
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Kissinger entered at 12:15 pm.
Vietnam negotiations
-Hanoi’s recent statement
-Analysis
-Reaction
-Tone
-Progress
-Right
-Left
-Left
-North Vietnamese request of US to sign settlement
-Hanoi’s recent statement
-Analysis
-State Department
-Hanoi’s view
-Anguish
-Betrayal
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-US position
-Politics
-Build-up and let-down
-1972 election
-North Vietnamese troops in South Vietnam, coalition government
-North Vietnamese troops in South Vietnam
-Kissinger’s proposal
-Tran Van Lam
-Public relations
-Los Angeles, Orange County
-Lam
-Military Region [MR]
-Analogy to Soviet Union troops in Poland
-Enforcing settlement
-Infiltration
-Soviet Union
-People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-Terms of agreement
-Details
-Intelligence reports
(rev. Nov-03)
-Rockefeller
-Coalition government
-Intelligence reports
-Saigon
-North Vietnamese
-Seizure of territory
-Timing
-[Unintelligible]
-Pull-out of North Vietnamese troops from South Vietnam
-US military action
-Pull-out of North Vietnamese troops
-Kissinger’s media and press relations
-Possible backgrounder
-Max Frankel
-Unknown person’s recent commentary
-Frankel, [Arnold] Eric Sevareid
-John Chancellor, Howard K. Smith
-Howard K. Smith
-Tone
-1972 election
-Kissinger’s recent meeting with Hugh S. Sidey
-Television networks
-New York Times
-Richard (“Dick”) Wilson
-Recent column
-Possibility of earlier settlement
-Possible backgrounder
-Raymond K. Price, Jr.
-Settlement
-Timing
-1972 election
-Politics
-Casualties
Kissinger left at 12:26 pm.
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[Duration: 13m 29 ]
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Vietnam issue
-Poll results
-The President’s positions compared with to George S.
McGovern’s positions
-Bombing halt
-1972 election
-Announcement
-McGovern’s recent TV appearance
-New York Daily News
-Bombing, mining
-Political settlement
-Post-war reconstruction
-Withdrawal of military personal
-South Vietnam
-Bombing halt
-Settlement
-Timing
-Corruption
-Sabotage charge
-George H. Gallup
-Corruption issue
-Protestants, Catholics
-McGovern strategy
-Florida
-Tallahassee
-Irish-Americans, Polish-Americans
-Colorado
-McGovern support
-Democrats
-Vietnam issue
-Post-1972 election effect
-Negotiation status
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[Duration: 7m 11s ]
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Haldeman left at 1:05 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.