Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 386 › Conversation 386-004
Nixon, Haldeman & Cox on Vietnam War and Henry Kissinger
Tuesday, December 5, 1972 · 6:30 PM–7:35 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 31 min
AI Summary
President Nixon met with H. R. Haldeman to discuss the breakdown of Vietnam peace negotiations and the potential for a televised address to explain the situation to the public. They evaluated recommendations from Henry Kissinger and other advisors regarding military strategy, public relations, and the political implications of a potential impasse. The discussion also addressed second-term administrative reorganizations, including ambassadorships, and coordinated the President's upcoming schedule, which involved various meetings and social obligations.
- Vietnam War
- Henry Kissinger
- Peace Negotiations
- Public Relations
- Presidential Schedule
- Administration Reorganization
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 19 minutes of this recording (about 63% of it) is represented by only a few words. Listen to the audio rather than relying on the text below; a corrected transcript is queued.
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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.
Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data
Each line starts with a timestamp button; press it to play the audio from that point.
NARA Description
On December 5, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Alexander P. Butterfield, White House operator, Tricia Nixon Cox, and Zosimo T. Monzon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:30 pm and 7:35 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 386-004 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 386-4
Date: December 5, 1972
Time: Unknown between 6:30 pm and 7:35 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
Vietnam negotiations
-Haldeman’s message to Henry A. Kissinger
-Breakdown in talks
-Kissinger’s recommendation
-The President’s possible television [TV] appearance
-Compared to impasse
-Consultations
-Recess
-Kissinger’s possible statement
-Tone
-US military action
-Duration
-Settlement agreement
-Resumption of talks
-The President’s possible TV appearance
-Breakdown in talks
-North Vietnamese intransigence
-32-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 386-4 (cont’d)
-Doves
-Haldeman’s conversations with “hard liners”
-John B. Connally
-Possible effect on Kissinger
-Breakdown in talks
-Initiative
-North Vietnam
Alexander P. Butterfield entered at an unknown time after 6:30 pm.
The President’s schedule
-Telephone call from Tricia Nixon Cox
-Manolo Sanchez
Message to Kissinger
Butterfield left at an unknown time before 6:43 pm.
The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 6:30 pm and
6:43 pm.
[See Conversation No. 34-148]
[Conversation No. 386-4B]
[End of telephone conversation]
The President talked with Tricia Nixon Cox between 6:43 pm and 6:44 pm.
[See Conversation No. 34-26]
[Conversation No. 386-4A]
[End of telephone conversation]
Vietnam negotiations
-Breakdown
-Kissinger’s recommendation
-The President’s possible TV appearance
-Connally’s view
-33-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 386-4 (cont’d)
-Public relations [PR]
-US bombing of North Vietnam
-Pace
-PR
-Charles W. Colson’s view
-Boston
-Harvard University
-Princeton University
-Announcement
-Kissinger’s possible statement
-Timing
-Kissinger’s return to Washington, DC
The President’s schedule
-Reception for California administration officials
-Haldeman’s schedule
-Home
-Robert J. Dole
-Robert H. Finch’s recommendation
-California Republicans
-Possible meeting in San Clemente
-George H. W. Bush
-Oval Office
-Telephone calls
-Ronald W. Reagan
-Herbert G. Klein
-Strom Thurmond’s birthday
-Harry S. Dent
-Private line
-Compared to wire
-Timing
-Apollo XVII astronauts
-Launch
-Timing
-Camp David
-Harry S. Truman
-Health
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-Telephone call
-Death
-34-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 386-4 (cont’d)
Second term reorganization
-John A. Volpe
-Ambassadorship to Italy
-Announcement
-Timing
-John D. Ehrlichman
Connally
-Presidency
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
Vietnam negotiations
-Haldeman’s message to Kissinger
-Breakdown in talks
-Option
-Congressional relations
-Funds
-The President’s view
-Breakdown in talks
-Kissinger’s return
-California
-Press relations
-The President’s possible TV appearance
-Necessity
-Ehrlichman’s and Colson’s views
The President’s schedule
-Reception for California administration officials
Zosimo T. Monson entered and Haldeman left at an unknown time before 7:35 pm.
The President’s schedule
-Reception for California administration officials
Monson left at an unknown time before 7:35 pm.
-35-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUMAlso recorded on December 5, 1972
- 386-002 6:20 PM · 22 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Zosimo T. Monzon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:20 pm and 6:29 pm.
- 386-003 6:29 PM · 59 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 6:29 pm to 6:30 pm.
- 034-148 6:30 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:30 pm and 6:43 pm.
- 034-026 6:43 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Tricia Nixon Cox talked on the telephone from 6:43 pm to 6:44 pm.
- 386-005 6:44 PM · 50 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:44 pm and 7:35 pm.
- 386-006 6:44 PM · 43 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, Manolo Sanchez, and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:44 pm and 7:35 pm.
- 386-007 6:44 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:44 pm and 7:35 pm.
- 386-008 6:44 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:44 pm and 7:35 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 386-004, December 5, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/386-004 (accessed September 28, 2026).