Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 656 › Conversation 656-018

Nixon & Reagan on Vietnam War and Peace negotiations

Wednesday, January 26, 1972 · 12:57 PM–1:02 PM ET · Oval Office · 5 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Reagan, Ronald W.Conversation656-018 on Tape 656 (tape position 03:03:45–03:09:16)StartWednesday, January 26, 1972 at 12:57 PMEndWednesday, January 26, 1972 at 1:02 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 656-018 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon consulted with California Governor Ronald Reagan to coordinate political messaging regarding a new Vietnam peace proposal, emphasizing the need for a unified national voice to force North Vietnamese negotiations. Nixon also discussed personnel decisions within the Justice Department, explaining his preference for Richard Kleindienst to serve as Attorney General for the remainder of the term rather than installing a new appointee who would lack the necessary institutional knowledge. The two leaders additionally touched upon internal administrative personnel and ongoing political dynamics in California.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Hello, how are you?
Are you at a region's meeting?
Hello?
Hello?
Yeah, how are you?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Are you at a region's meeting, I should say?
Well, uh, we called, uh, Henry, I guess, called you with an advance or hey here.
Yeah, yeah.
Alright.
Yeah.
Let me say that I couldn't agree more.
If the line could be taken, we have gone as far as we can go.
We cannot join our enemy or overthrow our ally.
But beyond that, if we could also say that any chance for negotiation
will be destroyed if we go off in all directions again.
But if the American people unite behind this proposal, then the enemy will realize that they can't gain the United States the victory they can't win out there.
And I really think if you could hit that line, let's unite.
Because it's really true, Rob.
You can't speak with a babble of voices and expect the other side to negotiate.
There's got to be one negotiator.
If they want to go off on their own, then they have the responsibility for destroying this fine chance for peace.
Now, I understand the first reaction of the enemy will be to turn this down.
But that's all right.
We'll just keep proposing.
And after they've had their offensive, then we'll see what they're going to do.
Right, right.
Yeah.
Well, let me say this.
He is top-line, and he certainly is one who could conserve any place in government.
He's that good, in my opinion.
With regard to this situation, Ron, at this point, because of the relatively short time
I feel at this point that, and John, I talked to John Mitchell about it, that the best thing probably is going to be to take Kleindies and have him serve until the, you know, the 10 months that are left.
And then, of course, Kleindies has no ideas.
I mean, he's not going to have that.
But I can assure you that
at the very top of the list, as, of course, Smith would be, Smith particularly for the court, and Kapp on the AG thing.
I know his heart is set on that.
But you can see that at this point, if you moved a new mansion on top of this whole pile, and that, with all the intricate things they've got to operate, and all the cases that are up there, it would just take a lot of time for him to learn what the hell is going on.
The Justice Department is the most intricate deal of all, because of the cases they have.
But I got your message, and frankly, if you have no objection, I'm going to tell Cap that we talked.
And he'll appreciate it, too.
Because he's done a fine job.
And give my best to the student editors.
Oh, incidentally, Bob Fitch was at the city yesterday and said he was coming out to see you, and he had a couple of things to pass on to you, and I think you'll be very pleased to hear that he, I think he left California.
He said he was going to see you today or tomorrow, but I've come up with, you know, you talked to him before, but I...
If you want to talk to me after you've seen him, call, OK?
Because I'm not getting involved in California politics.
But it's up to you.
I'm glad to interview you.

NARA Description

On January 26, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald W. Reagan met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:57 pm to 1:02 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 656-018 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 656-18

Date: January 26, 1972
Time: 12:57 pm - 1:02 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President talked with Ronald W. Reagan.

[See Conversation No. 19-101]

Also recorded on January 26, 1972

  • 019-101 12:56 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald W. Reagan talked on the telephone from 12:56 pm to 1:02 pm.
  • 019-102 1:02 PM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:02 pm and 1:58 pm.
  • 019-103 1:02 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:02 pm and 1:58 pm.
  • 656-019 1:02 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:02 pm and 1:58 pm.
  • 656-020 1:02 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:02 pm and 1:58 pm.
  • 656-021 1:02 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:02 pm and 1:58 pm.
  • 656-022 1:02 PM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Peter J. Pitchess met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:02 pm and 1:58 pm.
  • 656-023 1:02 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and M. Gene Snyder met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:02 pm and 1:58 pm.

All 102 conversations from January 26, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 656-018, January 26, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/656-018 (accessed October 6, 2026).