Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 661 › Conversation 661-014

Nixon, Kissinger & Woods on Vietnam War and Public Relations

Monday, January 31, 1972 · 6:00 PM–6:06 PM ET · Oval Office ·3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.; Woods, Rose MaryConversation661-014 onTape 661 (tape position 04:29:41–04:32:41)StartMonday, January 31, 1972 at 6:00 PMEndMonday, January 31, 1972 at 6:06 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 661-014 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Henry Kissinger strategized on countering North Vietnamese propaganda efforts during ongoing Vietnam negotiations. They discussed the necessity of aggressively rebutting inaccuracies in the press to ensure public perception remains favorable to the administration. As part of this effort, they agreed to coordinate outreach to figures such as Max Frankel and Senator Mike Mansfield, while Rose Mary Woods briefly consulted on the President's schedule.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Okay.

I'm just thinking that, uh, you might, uh, have you, uh, in the morning, uh, just check to see how the, uh, the news played this, uh, uh, stuff there.

It's very important to keep that propaganda initiative on our side.

So I think the way you suggested is excellent.

And I just get an analysis, get a cigarette from Charlie, and maybe from the news somewhere, or maybe from Rihanna.

But my feeling is that what may be involved, and there's a thesis,

These people, as we know, will be making points that are really inaccurate.

But we have to have in mind, of course, that the press, our press, may play them because they want to play up differences.

They want to play their side.

And that's why we've got a nail on every time they make a mistake.

And I think your daughter calling Frank was good for that reason.

I just sit here thinking about it every time you left.

And, uh, don't you agree?

Now, the only problem I see is that, uh, I don't want the press to, I don't want them to get the deal, uh, uh, just your debating, uh, your long plea across the Atlantic, you know, on everything.

Every point, but on the other hand, indeed, uh, I don't know what they're playing, but, uh, God, we're not going to let them get away with any lies on this.

But I think this point, I think the call to Manfield should definitely be made.

The call to Franklin should be made to clear that up.

And then I think, so the man still knows we have it all together.

I think we're almost there.

But you can judge it tomorrow.

Okay.

The reason I called you now is that I had to go to the prayer room.

It won't be until 10 o'clock or so, 10.30.

So you do it, and you decide what you think is the right thing to do, and I'll be around.

Did you want to take this home?

NARA Description

On January 31, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 6:00 pm and 6:06 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 661-014 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 661-14

Date: January 31, 1972
Time: Unknown between 6:00 pm and 6:06 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President talked with Henry A. Kissinger.

[Conversation No. 611-14A]

     Vietnam negotiations
          -Administration counter to North Vietnamese releases
               -Handling of rebuttal
                    -Media coverage
                    -Ronald L. Ziegler
                          -New summary
                          -Patrick J. Buchanan
               -Handling of press
                    -Max Frankel
                    -Xuan Thuy
                    -Public perception of rebuttal
                    -Telephone call to Michael J. Mansfield
                    -Telephone call to Frankel

Rose Mary Woods entered at an unknown time after 6:00 pm.
     The President’s schedule
          -Prayer breakfast

           [End of telephone conversation]

     The President’s schedule
          -Telephone call

The President and Rose Mary Woods left at 6:06 pm.

Also recorded on January 31, 1972

020-009 4:04 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stewart B. McKinney talked on the telephone from 4:04 pm to 4:06 pm.
661-009 4:04 PM · 1 hr 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stewart B. McKinney, John D. Ehrlichman, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:04 pm to 5:05 pm.
661-010 5:05 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 5:05 pm and 5:13 pm.
661-011 5:05 PM · 41 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 5:05 pm and 5:49 pm.
661-012 5:49 PM · 11 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, Alexander P. Butterfield, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:49 pm to 6:00 pm.
661-013 6:00 PM · 54 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander P. Butterfield, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 6:00 pm and 6:06 pm.
661-015 6:00 PM · 1 min — Alexander P. Butterfield and United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 6:00 pm and 11:59 pm.
020-010 6:06 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:06 pm and 7:26 pm.

All 32 conversations from January 31, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 661-014, January 31, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/661-014 (accessed September 18, 2026).