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Conversation 718-001

TapeTape 718StartWednesday, May 3, 1972 at 7:58 AMEndWednesday, May 3, 1972 at 8:09 AMTape start time00:02:42Tape end time00:13:27ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Recording deviceOval Office
AI Summary

President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman met to review media coverage of the late J. Edgar Hoover’s funeral and discuss the administration's public relations strategy regarding the Vietnam War. They analyzed the recent fall of Quang Tri and the domestic impact of potentially canceling the upcoming Soviet Summit in response to North Vietnamese aggression. The President decided to cancel an appearance at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis to maintain flexibility during this period of geopolitical tension.

J. Edgar HooverVietnam WarSoviet SummitPublic RelationsQuang TriForeign Policy
AudioNARA Description

On May 3, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 7:58 am to 8:09 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 718-001 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 718-1

Date: May 3, 1972
Time: 7:58 am - 8:09 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.

     Nelson A. Rockefeller
          -Public appearance
               -Time

     Adm. Thomas H. Moorer

     J. Edgar Hoover
          -Funeral
                -Time
                -Length
                -President's eulogy
                      -Length
                -Prayers
                      -Rev. Edward G. Latch
                      -Rev. Edward L.R. Elson
                -Cemetery
                -Television coverage
                      -Response of Elson
          -President's remarks
                -Network stories
                      -Parts covered
                      -Dr. Benjamin (McLane) Spock’s remarks
                      -John W. Chancellor’s remarks
                            -President's eulogy
                            -The President’s May 3, 1972 statement
                                  -Federal Bureau of Investigations [FBI]
          -Flags
                -FBI
          -Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS] special

                                   (rev. Dec-01)

Vietnam
     -North Vietnamese offensive
          -Loss of Quang Tri
               -Evaluated
                    -Press reports
                          -New York Times
                          -General press accounts
                          -Words used
                          -Assessment of loss

President's dinner
     -Henry A. Kissinger's location
            -Press speculation
            -National Broadcasting Corporation [NBC] news report
                 -Sequoia cruise with President and Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

Vietnam
     -US actions
          -Soviet Summit
               -Possible US announcement
                     -Cancellation instead of bombing
                          -Kissinger’s view
               -Effect on polls
               -Accomplishments
               -Cancellation risks
               -Value of cancellation
               -Cancellation
                     -Problems
     -Bombing
          -Domestic impact
     -Soviet Summit
          -Cancellation
               -Impact on the President's Vietnam policy
                     -“Doves”
                     -Congress
          -Support

                                        (rev. Dec-01)

                     -“Hawks”
                         -Harry S. Dent
          -Bombing
              -Impact on Summit
                   -Kissinger

     President's schedule
          -Annapolis appearance
                 -Cancellation
                      -The President’s view
                            -Timing of the Soviet Summit

Haldeman left at 8:09 am.
Transcript (AI-Generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

Yes, sir.
All right.
It will be approximately a half hour service and they're figuring on you for 10 minutes.
Lash will do the opening prayer and
The networks have demanded the opportunity to cover it.
position was that they don't permit it in this church because it was a regular person who considered lifting this rule.
And they asked informally if he would object to coverage, and we said that that was up to the church.
Your clip ran on all the networks.
That's the one that came out the way it should have.
It was the leading story on every network.
And your full film clip ran on all of them.
It was very good stuff.
He, of course, just dominates the news with all kinds of eulogies.
Fortunately, Benjamin Spock comes out and says his death is a great blessing to America and a good thing to get rid of him.
But like John Chancellor said, there were dozens of statements of sorrow and tribute that the most significant came for the Jewish reason.
The President will deliver the eulogy at National Presbyterian Thursday, but he may have spoken the epitaph Tuesday.
The FBI is his eternal line.
carry the U.S. flights at half-mast, and the flight with the FBI will always fly high, despite the vicious attempts.
Good.
Not a lot of film with Luther, and I'm quick.
I can see he has to write an hour special on it.
But with all the cops, it's a good thing to have that.
It's a good thing to have that.
It's a good thing to have that.
It's a good thing to have that.
It's a good thing to have that.
The general press is really playing it pretty well.
How are they playing it?
They're playing it as a loss, but only, you know, they're not playing it as if the war was over.
They say the first provincial capital to fall in the month-long siege.
They say they're out of panic.
Pessimism in Saigon at the other times, we... Yeah, and there's some of that.
There is much.
You don't get... You don't?
No.
You really don't.
It's amazing.
They say that Kwamtree was a major defeat, but the third...
The third was to take a hold of other areas, the other battles to fight.
And I...
It's good.
You can't take her over Kwamtree, and they should try.
We've prepared it.
And we've said it.
The parties to Saigon are making that point.
But I have said it every time.
Sure.
We're going to sour some losses.
Sure.
Your dinner last night was an absolute masterpiece.
Well, they had discovered Henry wasn't around, but they couldn't find him yesterday, you know, and so they had started building up that Henry's gone.
And they went up, a couple of them went on the air with, you know, where is Kissinger?
He must be in Paris.
And right after they went off the air,
One network, the other hadn't gone on yet.
NBC had been on right after it came off the air.
It was announced that President Glenn, you know, they had seen your motorcade and asked what was happening.
And Jerry said, yes, the President's coming for dinner on the display.
And that's all he said.
And they said, all right, well, who was with him?
And he said, let me check.
He said, Dr. Kissinger and General Haig.
And it just completely...
They didn't know where they were.
And then it doesn't, they're not starting to figure out where they are.
Now, that's the end of your conclusion at this point.
And not bombing?
We're going to bomb after that.
I tend to agree with it, certainly, last night.
However, I want to see this pulled.
I mean, here's the whole point.
Why that?
If going, if not going to the summit is going to be a plus, then it's worth doing it.
I mean, my point is that if
People still want you to go, despite the things in South Vietnam.
You see what I mean?
And what we accomplished on the road.
Henry is obviously very dissapointed with what happened and he's looking into things and he can't go.
And he's buying the argument that we can't go.
We're in this position.
On the other hand,
There is a counter argument, which is that not going is going to be played as the collapse of the Nixon foreign policy.
Well, the fight is, as I was writing last night, the fight is what we get from cancer.
canceling the summit certainly loses the does.
It hardens the opposition on the board, the Congress, strengthens the hawk, bears the weight of Obama.
But the key is, what happens then?
I mean, if they lose, if canceling the summit, then we go out and bomb, and then we win the war.
And that's the key to winning the war, and we'll do it in a minute.
But the key question is, are they ready?
That canceling the summit, of course, would have an immediate reaction, very courageous, and to do the right thing, to do a good one.
That's not the question.
I was all fixed with it.
But on the other hand, in the final analysis, what really matters is the failure of a successful policy.
Yeah.
It's the failure of a successful policy.
I was, I tried it out on that.
And last night, I involved people.
I'm .
You don't hear it, but there may be other .
As he had mentioned, he said, well, he said, you just can't imagine how much, what strength he's had, what courage he's had.
He volunteered .
He's a really great, really great around.
It's been that way since before here.
And not only do you know I'm a hell of a hawk, but he says, I think you ought to go and get help when you can.
Isn't that serious?
Yeah, if you can...
The problem with that would be, okay, if you can do it still appearing to be in a position of strength by continuing the bonding hall, but if by continuing the bonding they cancel the summit, then you've got another problem.
Maybe it doesn't matter.
If they cancel, you can leap out.
I'd like to put that
Why don't we just drop the analyst thing?
Well, I mean, the problem there is they don't have compulsory chapel.
They have three chapels.
This is the Protestant chapel.
The chapel seats 2,000.
There will be only 1,000 people.
Could you do that?
Yeah.
We haven't announced that we're going or anything.
No, I don't think we have.
I think I could get out of it if I could.
Let me see.
I think you can.
That, that'd be best because we're getting closer to things right now.
Yeah, okay.
Okay, we're there.
Wait.
I have not said anything to him about this.
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