Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 443 › Conversation 443-037

Nixon, Phuong & Haig on Vietnam War and Foreign Aid

Wednesday, June 6, 1973 · 6:04 PM–6:12 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 10 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Phuong, Tran Kim; Haig, Alexander M., Jr.; Scowcroft, Brent G. (Gen.)Conversation443-037 on Tape 443StartWednesday, June 6, 1973 at 6:04 PMEndWednesday, June 6, 1973 at 6:12 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 443-037 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with South Vietnamese Ambassador Tran Kim Phuong, Alexander Haig, and Brent Scowcroft to discuss the critical need for continued U.S. aid to South Vietnam amidst growing Congressional opposition. Nixon emphasized that he remains committed to supporting President Nguyen Van Thieu but warned that legislative resistance makes securing future appropriations increasingly difficult. The discussion centered on the importance of survival for the South Vietnamese government and the necessity of managing expectations regarding American military and economic assistance.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 5 minutes of this recording (about 54% 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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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President, I'm Professor Paul.
Yes, of course.
Good evening.
Good evening.
Good evening.
Good evening.
Good evening.
Good evening.
Good evening.
Good evening.
Good evening.
Thank you.
I think it's very important that you convey the present view
my ability to keep the commitment I made to him sent from that book, the eighth program.
I want to do that.
And I just can't fix those congressional years.
As for the other program, I will never be able to get them.
And then have them say, well, now, why did the president give you a block?
So that they would be able to communicate, which would have given Suspire a chance to really survive.
That's where we are.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
in the strongest possible terms.
My concern is that basically my ability to frankly produce an aid program.
Let's face it, we don't .
But it is vitally important that the government be able to survive.
That you cannot survive without an aid program.
And that aid program will not be forthcoming.
Our numbers are supposed to move.
I'm bored.
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with a lot of respect.
It's simply this, right?
He doesn't go off the history of the cave.
Iowa has an impossible task to get support for everybody in this town.
Whether it's true or not, it's a enough point.
That's the situation, right?
And we're coming along with this, I think.
I don't think it's going to get better.
uh... uh...
.
.
.
Yes, I understand, it doesn't go.
Yeah, I think that's a good idea.
Well, you do.
I would ask that you reconsider in China, and you can tell us in the message.
I'm the expert on comments driven by you, and I don't trust them at all.
But right now, we've got a bigger issue, and that's the aid to the government.
That is what we've got to say.
We don't have this communicated.
We don't have to say it.
That's worth it.
Yeah, I'm doing this.
I want this done for him.
I'm not doing it for the Lord.
It's for him.
And for his country.
Okay.
Now, you...
I would ask that you reconsider in China, and you can tell us in the message.
I'm the expert of confidence and I don't trust them at all.
But right now, we've got a bigger issue, and that's the aid for the government.
That is what we've got to say.
We don't have this communicated.
We don't have this said.
Yeah, I'm doing this.
I want this done for him.
I'm not doing it for the Lord.
It's for him.
And for his country.
Okay.

NARA Description

On June 6, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Tran Kim Phuong, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 6:04 pm to 6:12 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 443-037 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 443-37

Date: June 6, 1973
Time: 6:04 pm - 6:12 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Tran Kim Phuong, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft.

       Greeting

       Haig’s conversation with Phuong
              -President’s letter to Nguyen Van Thieu
                     -Telegram
                                    -19-

           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                    Conversation No. 443-37 (cont’d)

             -Original to Phuong
       -Congress
             -President’s problem

Congress
      -Washington, D.C. mood
      -Vietnam cease-fire negotiations
             -Communique
                    -Thieu
                            -Blockage

President’s Commitment to Thieu at San Clemente
       -Concerns
       -Aid program [?]
       -Congress
              -Appropriations [?]
              -Cease-fire negotiations
                     -Communique
                             -Thieu

Cease-fire negotiations
       -Thieu
              -Phuong
              -Saigon
       -Narrowing gap
       -Comparison
       -Improvement [?]

Government of South Vietnam
      -Thieu
      -Survival
             -Aid from Congress
                    -Status
                    -Congressional response to President
             -Thieu
                    -President’s support
                            -Trust in North Vietnam
                                               -20-

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                            Conversation No. 443-37 (cont’d)

                               -Congressional support

       President’s letter to Thieu
              -Intent
              -Communique
                       -Congress
                               -President’s influence

       Vietnam cease-fire negotiations
             -Laos
             -Council of Reconciliation
             -Cease-fire procedure
             -Impairment
             -Importance of South Vietnam’s adherence
                    -Thieu
                    -Henry A. Kissinger
                            -Position
                            -Paris
             -Responsibility
                    -Phuong’s role
                            -US aid to South Vietnam [?]
                            -Importance
                            -Public opinion [?]
             -North Vietnam
                    -Communists
                            -Trustworthiness
             -Thieu’s position
                    -Aid for South Vietnam
             -President’s motives
                    -Support for Thieu
                    -Compared to North Vietnam

       Well wishes
             -Future endeavors

The President et al. left at 6:12 pm.

Also recorded on June 6, 1973

  • 443-031 5:07 PM · 28 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 5:07 pm and 5:33 pm.
  • 443-032 5:07 PM · 22 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 5:07 pm and 5:33 pm.
  • 039-123 5:33 PM · 1 min — White House operator, President Richard M. Nixon, and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone from 5:33 pm to 5:34 pm.
  • 443-033 5:33 PM · 1 min — Alexander M. Haig, Jr. and President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 5:33 pm to 5:34 pm.
  • 039-124 5:40 PM · 19 sec — White House operator, President Richard M. Nixon, and J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr. talked on the telephone from 5:40 pm to 5:41 pm.
  • 443-034 5:40 PM · 19 sec — J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr. and President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 5:40 pm to 5:41 pm.
  • 443-035 5:43 PM · 19 min — President Richard M. Nixon, J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr., and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 5:43 pm to 6:00 pm.
  • 443-036 6:00 PM · 20 sec — 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 6:00 pm and 6:04 pm.

All 80 conversations from June 6, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 443-037, June 6, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/443-037 (accessed September 18, 2026).