Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 455 › Conversation 455-021

Nixon & Ziegler on Vietnam War and Ho Chi Minh Trail

Monday, February 22, 1971 · 3:02 PM–3:09 PM ET · Oval Office ·5 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Ziegler, Ronald L.Conversation455-021 onTape 455 (tape position 04:46:44–04:52:11)StartMonday, February 22, 1971 at 3:02 PMEndMonday, February 22, 1971 at 3:09 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 455-021 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler to review the administration's public messaging regarding South Vietnamese military operations in Laos and Cambodia. Ziegler detailed how he managed press inquiries about heavy enemy resistance and disputed media reports claiming a surge in North Vietnamese supply traffic along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The two agreed to maintain a low-key approach, emphasizing that the primary objective of interdicting enemy supplies remains on track despite daily combat fluctuations.

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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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Well, how did you get along with your press people?
Well, I didn't go and give them any stories that they were going to do something inside office.
So we worked out of something.
So they were quiet here in the area.
That's the way they handled it.
They came at me fairly hard this morning when I stated to the Congress.
Yes, sir.
Well, so they were spooked on the initial reports coming out of there.
But I refer to your statement and so forth.
It says, President, military planners expected South Vietnamese forces would meet heavy resistance and indicating the White House is not unduly concerned about reports.
I didn't say that, but that's the impression I put forth of the South Vietnamese troops forced to abandon some divisions and face heavy North Vietnamese attacks.
Then I went on to say, I said, you know, you gentlemen should keep in mind that the enemy
are taking substantial losses in this area.
And I said the effort, the objective to interdict supplies, to flow supplies into that area, as we have said, is being met.
And the Arvin is performing well in meeting this objective.
And I indicated that the Arvinar, not only are the enemy taking substantial losses, but the Allies, and I did this in a low-key way, which is to play a figure, the Allies are covering supply caches and rice, weapons, barracks, and this type of thing.
I subtly got that in, which is coming out.
So that there's a little positive flow of news going.
And there was a forced report.
They're trying to build something up if you allow me to come after you on this.
That's right.
Then they said, well, what about the fire base?
And I said, I'm not going to get into day-to-day assessment of operations, but we knew there would be heavy resistance, and that points to the importance of the Ho Chi Minh Trail complex.
They are trying to force supplies through and so forth.
And I said, but you cannot assume the outcome of an overall operation based upon a day-to-day situation where there is heavy resistance.
So I think we've come around to
However, the other point then, there was a source story out there which said that the flow of the trucks and so forth was double.
I simply said... Well, I said...
I said they have...
I said they're trying to force it through, but there's no... And this is true.
There's no indication that we have that the amount of supplies getting through is double what it was before.
They are forcing...
And this comes out again.
Fortunately, it flies through.
But I said I would not accept the source information out of the area.
This is just that they're moving double the supply.
Who is the source?
The Air Force.
The colonel or something out there.
That's good.
That's the way it is.
Sir.
I can explain.
I can explain.
We're going to get a flurry of this type of thing, but I think we have to low-key or something.
Oh, and they're going to have it up and down all the time because they're frantic.
I think it may work.
Right.
And I just wouldn't be as concerned about it.
Of course, it's dealt with.
On this day, in fact, they're trying to do this.
But I mean, is it pushing back that much harder?
They're going to continue to.
And there's a question out there, which is that one's
The impression is that they were more trying to force the body through.
But the impression that they were sending twice, getting twice the amount through is the most impression on me.
They're trying to force the crew because they're frightened.
That's not a confirmed situation.
Those are cut down below.
They're hoisting it down the trail.
But I kept going back to the objective.
Disrupting the flow of supplies.
The articles were very well.
They cut free trails and some other good trails and complex.
I just constantly get back to the fact, yes, and that's why there's some people who lose a lot.
The instruction that I see from Secretary reported to the President on his conversation in Miami and the West was probably early this week.
Stay right there.
That's a very full meeting in the West.

NARA Description

On February 22, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:02 pm to 3:09 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 455-021 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 455-21

Date: February 22, 1971
Time: 3:02 pm - 3:09 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Ronald L. Ziegler

     Ziegler’s previous press briefing
          -Briefing in Saigon
          -Military operations by South Vietnamese Army
                -Laos
                -Ziegler’s statement
                -North Vietnamese resistance
                      -Losses
                -Cambodia
                -Ho Chi Minh Trail
                -Reports
                -Outlook
                -Effect on North Vietnamese supplies
                -President’s view
          -The President’s schedule

Ziegler left at 3:09 pm

Also recorded on February 22, 1971

  • 455-017 1:37 PM · 19 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:37 pm and 1:43 pm.
  • 455-018 1:43 PM · 22 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:43 pm to 2:07 pm.
  • 455-019 2:07 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at 2:07 pm.
  • 455-020 2:07 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:07 pm and 3:02 pm.
  • 455-022 3:09 PM · 38 min — President Richard M. Nixon, George P. Shultz, John D. Ehrlichman, Stephen B. Bull, and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:09 pm to 3:50 pm.
  • 455-023 3:50 PM · 42 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Dr. Edward E. David, Jr., Peter M. Flanigan, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, unknown person(s), and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:50 pm to 4:33 pm.
  • 455-024 4:33 PM · 2 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:33 pm and 4:36 pm.
  • 455-025 4:36 PM · 18 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Bryce N. Harlow, and Peter M. Flanigan met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:36 pm and 5:21 pm.

All 25 conversations from February 22, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 455-021, February 22, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/455-021 (accessed September 18, 2026).