Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 384
Nixon White House Tape 384 (December 10, 1972 – December 14, 1972)
12 conversations · Old Executive Office Building · about 4 hr 12 min of released audio
Featuring Nixon, Sanchez, Colson, Haig, Kissinger
President Nixon held a brief, five-minute meeting with an unidentified individual in his Old Executive Office Building suite. The primary focus of the discussion concerned the President's personal schedule and administrative planning. No specific actions or significant policy decisions were documented during this short engagement.
President Nixon consulted with a White House operator to facilitate an outgoing telecommunication request. This brief interaction served an administrative purpose, functioning as a logistical bridge to connect the President to an external party. No substantive policy discussions or significant political decisions occurred during this brief exchange.
President Nixon and Charles Colson discuss political strategy regarding labor union leadership, specifically focusing on the influence of AFL-CIO President George Meany. Nixon directs Colson to contact a target individual to exert pressure and ensure they do not align with the Democratic left. The conversation highlights the administration's concern with managing labor figures to prevent political opposition from consolidating power.
President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman met to discuss personnel changes for the second term, administrative reorganization, and strategies for managing the press and Congress. They reviewed the status of Vietnam peace negotiations, specifically focusing on the President's firm stance against North Vietnamese compromises regarding the Demilitarized Zone. The conversation also touched on the ongoing Watergate fallout and the need to maintain a strong, confident public posture while finalizing key staff appointments.
President Nixon and Henry Kissinger coordinated their schedules to arrange a follow-up meeting later that afternoon with Alexander Haig. The discussion focused on confirming the timing for this tripartite session, ultimately settling on 2:30 p.m. Kissinger was tasked with notifying Haig of the scheduling adjustment.
President Nixon met with his personal valet, Manolo Sanchez, to discuss adjustments to his daily schedule and administrative tasks. The President explicitly stated his decision to forgo his scheduled nap, opting instead to attend to other pressing matters. Following this instruction, the two briefly addressed the coordination of personal affairs and the reorganization of office priorities.
President Nixon met with his valet, Manolo Sanchez, to provide specific instructions regarding Christmas decorations for his residence in Florida. The conversation focused on utilizing a pre-decorated tree that had been sent to the property rather than arranging for a new, elaborate display. Additionally, an unknown individual briefly joined the meeting to request a session with Charles W. Colson.
President Nixon consulted with the White House operator to place an outgoing telephone call. The exchange was brief and strictly functional, serving only to facilitate telephonic communication for the President. No substantive policy discussions or political developments occurred during this brief interaction.
President Nixon and William E. Timmons held a brief meeting to discuss the administrative handling and potential sentencing delays involving a specific individual. The conversation focused on the timeline of the legal process and the reasons behind recent bureaucratic hold-ups. No major policy shifts were recorded during this brief exchange.
President Nixon met with his personal valet, Manolo Sanchez, in the Old Executive Office Building to facilitate a brief administrative task. The primary purpose of the meeting was for the President to place a telephone call to Charles W. Colson. Following the initiation of this call, Sanchez concluded his duties and departed the office.
President Nixon consulted with his personal valet, Manolo Sanchez, regarding the scheduling of an upcoming meeting with Charles W. Colson. The brief discussion focused specifically on the timing of this appointment. The interaction concluded with the President confirming his availability before Sanchez departed the office.
President Nixon met with Henry Kissinger and Alexander Haig to discuss the current stalemate in Vietnam negotiations, specifically addressing North Vietnamese intransigence and bad-faith tactics regarding a potential cease-fire and the status of U.S. prisoners of war. Facing a breakdown in talks and an imminent congressional session that threatened to cut off war funding, Nixon decided to resume U.S. bombing and mining of North Vietnamese infrastructure. The President and his advisors concluded that this military pressure was necessary to force a settlement, maintain U.S. credibility, and ensure that South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu understood the necessity of a finalized agreement.