Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 499 › Conversation 499-010

Nixon & Kissinger on Vietnam War and Public Relations

Friday, May 14, 1971 · 10:00 AM–10:05 AM ET · Oval Office · 4 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.Conversation499-010 on Tape 499 (tape position 00:47:53–00:53:23)StartFriday, May 14, 1971 at 10:00 AMEndFriday, May 14, 1971 at 10:05 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 499-010 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 417177095 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Henry Kissinger met to refine the wording and timing of a forthcoming public announcement regarding ongoing negotiations. The discussion also addressed the shifting geopolitical climate surrounding the Vietnam War, specifically analyzing confusing signals from Soviet and Chinese diplomatic channels regarding prisoner exchanges and potential military offensives. Furthermore, Nixon touched upon recent discussions regarding U.S. troop levels in Europe, expressing disdain for the perspectives of various establishment figures and reinforcing his intent to maintain firm control over foreign policy strategy.

Audio

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NARA Description

On May 14, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:00 am to 10:05 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 499-010 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 499-10

Date: May 14, 1971
Time: 10:00 am - 10:05 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.

     Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
          -Meeting with Kissinger

     Forthcoming Statement
          -Wording
                -Importance
          -Timing
          -Kissinger's conversation with Anatoliy F. Dobrynin, May 14, 1971

     Vietnam
          -Prisoners
          -Press reports regarding People's Republic of China [PRC] and North Vietnam
                -Chicago paper
          -Soviet press reports
                -Le Duan
          -Prisoners

     US troops in Europe
          -President's previous meeting
                -Dean G. Acheson's comments to press
                -Attendees
                -Acheson
                -Gen. Lauris Norstad
                -John J. Mccloy
          -President's conversation with H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
                -Edmund S. Muskie
                -Hubert H. Humphrey
          -William P. Rogers' call to Kissinger

The President and Kissinger left at 10:05 am.

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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I'll tell you what I had in mind.
I wonder if they... Our best bet is not to take that this year, how does that sound?
It's one that doesn't put a...
It of course makes a better announcement for us now.
But in terms of the control of the game, it's like giving ourselves a deadline, which we may not be able to fulfill due to what they do.
The way it's written now, Mr. President.
Well, I mean in the public statement it says this year.
No, but we've moved it.
It says this year, but it's moved.
It now qualifies for different...
Yes, it only says we will concentrate this year on working out an agreement, not that we will work out an agreement this year.
The public statement now says the two governments have agreed to concentrate this year on working out an agreement, not on working out an agreement.
Now, the whole thing is that I think you should...
have a talk.
I mean, the position of this thing is very important.
And I'll figure out a way to do this.
But I think that we will now.
You'll go ahead at 13 o'clock.
I just talked to again.
It's all set.
Now, Sandy.
We'll get the official confirmation on Monday.
But he says there's no problem.
Well, they better not be.
He just has to be... You know, it's a curious thing about them taking those prisoners back.
That's a curious little... And the Chinese, you notice, they... Did you notice the Chinese gave them a...
Sorry, out of a Chicago paper that the Chinese told them, told the North Vietnamese they couldn't support the total victory or something like that.
See, but there's something funny going on.
For example, the Russians said...
That one was there that was completely anonymity of use.
Now, that they never said before that if they were buying a military offensive they couldn't be sending that because why would the Russians want to see?
It might be that they're going to make us the peace officer then.
So what do we get in terms of the... Something funny is going on because they don't spend four weeks
But in the end, that's accepting those prisoners back.
It's difficult.
Accepting the prisoners, spending a long time.
What do we do?
Oh, that's a great question.
He says, I asked him, do you all agree by the year he said?
He said, if you agree by the year, you take an hour and a half.
You know, really, I looked around and I thought, what a bunch of farts.
You know, most of them.
They're only good with patches of the dust behind the bumps.
You know, like a rock.
No, it's all right, but none of that is as good.
You'll be in a separate sort of a bench.
And of course, right, we used to be madly in love.
But I just thought, that's what it is to me.
But nevertheless, we have played our game.
And I've just told all of them that they are getting musty, and I'll bring them to the spot.
Now that they said they were, I told them to learn.
And I'll let both of them learn.
They just can't do this on their own.
But I'm going to let them learn.
I will drive this boat, and there'll be a chance they're going to see.
But in the meantime, we've got our position in this, so there's much to be done.

Also recorded on May 14, 1971

  • 003-050 9:15 AM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:15 am and 9:37 am.
  • 003-051 9:37 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon talked on the telephone from 9:37 am to 9:38 am.
  • 499-005 9:50 AM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:50 am and 9:55 am.
  • 499-006 9:55 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander P. Butterfield, John McCowan, and Oliver F. ("Ollie") Atkins met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:55 am to 9:58 am.
  • 499-007 9:58 AM · 26 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:58 am and 10:00 am.
  • 499-008 9:58 AM · 21 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:58 am and 10:00 am.
  • 499-009 9:58 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:58 am and 10:00 am.
  • 057-004 10:37 AM · 1 hr — President Richard M. Nixon and representatives of five major senior citizens' organizations, including Fred Fassen, William L. Mitchell, Thomas G. Walters, Ashby Smith, Garson Meyer, Marcelle G. Levy, Geneva Mathiasen, Nelson H. Cruikshank, Rose A. Nathenson, Matthew DeMore, James Carbray, Katherine Pearce, Elsie E. Green, James D. Hodgson, Elliot L. Richardson, John A. Volpe, George P. Shultz, Richard C. Van Dusen, Dr. Arthur S. Flemming, John B. Martin, and Leonard Garment, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House from 10:37 am to 11:04 am.

All 26 conversations from May 14, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 499-010, May 14, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417177095). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/499-010 (accessed November 12, 2026).