Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 425 › Conversation 425-019

Nixon & Kissinger on Vietnam War and Paris Peace Accords

Wednesday, March 28, 1973 · 3:57 PM–4:00 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.Conversation425-019 on Tape 425StartWednesday, March 28, 1973 at 3:57 PMEndWednesday, March 28, 1973 at 4:00 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 425-019 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Henry Kissinger discussed public communication strategy regarding the ongoing enforcement of the Paris Peace Accords in Vietnam. Nixon aimed to frame the administration’s narrative by emphasizing that the U.S. has achieved its core goals while warning against further North Vietnamese violations of the agreement. The President decided to adopt a firm public stance, asserting that the administration would not tolerate non-compliance and dismissing the need for extensive public justification regarding aid to South Vietnam.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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.
I got your memorandum on Vietnam.
Let me tell you one problem I have here.
The difficulty with going into the east in North Vietnam is very hard.
and even aid to the South.
My point being that the purpose of setting on how we're going to keep the agreement and the rest, I think I can get that.
You see, after my meeting with the Jew, I'll have to see the press and I'll just lay it off there, perhaps.
The difficulty of the case now is it needs more explanation.
I've got to say my promise.
Yeah.
What I feel in this one, I should say, is that I will raise a little bit of a problem.
I said, you know, the idea that after 25 years of guerrilla war, there's still some problems.
Nothing more than that.
But mainly good to say, look, we've accomplished our goal.
That's that.
Not how they act, but how we go about it.
I think if I get into the portion where you bring up the A to the R, does that really require a sentence?
Does it really require time to speak?
Do you agree?
It won't be here.
Right, okay.
Right, right, sure.
Is that right?
I see you're fine.
Well, I don't think you'd be safe.
Right.
I got it.
Right.
But that's the hell with the aid we're putting in there.
We expected an agreement to be made that we expected to be complied with.
And, uh, that's that.
And we, uh, we shall not tolerate a, uh, failure to comply with the prescription.
I agree.
I agree the hell with it.
You haven't had a chance to talk to the reading app?
Right.
Okay.
All right.
I just said that we can get ready to have a courier, but that's .
OK.

NARA Description

On March 28, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:57 pm to 4:00 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 425-019 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 425-19

Date: March 28, 1973
Time: 3:57 pm - 4:00 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with Henry A. Kissinger.

[See also Conversation No. 44-53]

Also recorded on March 28, 1973

  • 425-017 3:47 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:47 pm to 3:50 pm.
  • 425-018 3:50 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 3:50 pm and 3:57 pm.
  • 044-053 3:57 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:57 pm and 4:00 pm.
  • 044-054 4:00 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:00 pm and 4:11 pm.
  • 425-020 4:00 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 4:00 pm and 4:11 pm.
  • 425-021 4:00 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 4:00 pm and 4:11 pm.
  • 044-055 4:11 PM · 49 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:11 pm and 4:12 pm.
  • 425-022 4:11 PM · 50 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:11 pm to 4:12 pm.

All 65 conversations from March 28, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 425-019, March 28, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/425-019 (accessed October 1, 2026).