Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 725 › Conversation 725-026
Nixon & Kissinger on Vietnam War and Peace negotiations
Tuesday, May 16, 1972 · 10:55 AM–11:03 AM ET · Oval Office
AI Summary
President Nixon and Henry Kissinger met to discuss domestic political support for the Vietnam War effort ahead of the President's upcoming Soviet trip, emphasizing the need for congressional unity rather than a cutoff of funds. The two discussed maintaining a firm negotiating stance with North Vietnam, specifically regarding the necessity of a ceasefire and the return of POWs as non-negotiable conditions. Additionally, they reviewed the upcoming resignation of Secretary of the Treasury John Connally and the subsequent appointment of George Shultz as his successor.
- Vietnam War
- Peace negotiations
- POWs
- John B. Connally
- George P. Shultz
- Congressional support
Audio
Download MP3 (part 1) · 167.3 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 168.1 MB ·Download MP3 (part 3) · 100.2 MB
This conversation has not yet been cut into its own clip, so the player above contains the full tape segment shared with neighbouring conversations. It begins about 02:59:58 into the tape and ends around 03:07:16.
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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.
Download transcript (.txt) ·JSON data · Timestamps are positions within the full tape recording.
3:01:49Well, they're bleeding all over the place.
3:01:52All they want to do is support you.
3:01:54I said, I understand.
3:01:57They want to vote for something.
3:01:59Yeah, I'll vote for a month before I go to Russia.
3:02:03I hope you made the point.
3:02:05I won't undercut this president before he goes to the most important negotiation in the post-war era.
3:02:12I certainly did not.
3:02:15They were just baffling about responsibility to the public and the contented people who have conquered.
3:02:24They finally said, anything, if you go to them and say, with anything at all, they'll vote for it, that indicates a joint partnership.
3:02:34They just don't...
3:02:34I mean, it's a joint partnership all the time.
3:02:44Right.
3:02:45You can figure out something on mine, but why don't they just have a resolution supporting what we've said?
3:02:51I told Dick this morning, Harry, and I think you should know this too, and I heard that he said, my God, it's something.
3:03:00Or if we have the needs of action for a climate recession, now I'm babbling around.
3:03:06The point is, your strategy is exactly right.
3:03:08But we have to realize
3:03:14We say we will go back to negotiations without a transition.
3:03:17We must never agree to that.
3:03:19Never agree to that for the reason that the offer that I have made is not an offer from which we can bargain now.
3:03:27It's rock bottom.
3:03:28That's right.
3:03:29We cannot go further.
3:03:30You see, that's the problem that we have.
3:03:32There is one, seven points from which they can bargain now, but we've got one where we can't.
3:03:37Well, I think we can say the phrase without the business in itself doesn't mean anything.
3:03:43which just means we have to be prepared to talk about their seven points and they have to be prepared to talk about ours.
3:03:49But I think we should say, on the other hand, let me be very clear, gentlemen, the President will insist, we have to insist on a return of our POWs in a ceasefire.
3:04:03I think it's a mistake to go back to the plenaries now without getting some assurances because when they break up again, then you get again a crisis atmosphere.
3:04:13I mean, I see nothing for us in going to plenary unless we know they're going to leave somewhere.
3:04:15Yeah.
3:04:15Let me ask you this with regard to Conway.
3:04:16It would be very useful from a political standpoint, and he would like recognition to it, if, like we returned from Russia, I had sent him to Brazil, Argentina, and Colombia.
3:04:26Because our report on, you know, the disgusting presence of it.
3:04:38Is there any other country there that could be included?
3:04:41Should Peru be enough?
3:04:42Why not?
3:04:43Those are the three big ones.
3:04:44Brazil...
3:04:45I just took the... Huh?
3:04:46I just took...
3:04:47There's a group.
3:04:47There's a Brazil, Ireland, India, and Congo group.
3:04:53Those are the four big countries.
3:04:56I think it's a good idea.
3:04:57Yeah.
3:04:57Also, I want to put it back on VHOP.
3:05:00Well, you have never had a cabinet member...
3:05:05When he's out of there, he's leaving.
3:05:07Connolly's leaving?
3:05:09You've been building.
3:05:09No.
3:05:09That's what we're announcing today.
3:05:10Now, this was understood in January.
3:05:12We couldn't tell you, but Connolly only agreed to come in three years, and he's leaving.
3:05:17And we're announcing that he shall also take his place in Perry Street and White River.
3:05:56No, I had a hard time on January when his year was up.
3:06:11Yeah, it won't be anything like last time.
3:06:35Oh, yeah.
3:06:36I mean, Connolly, you know, with all your favorite agents, it was a pleasure to have a strong man.
3:06:38Well, it was a pleasure to have a guy that was a ballsy guy in a fight.
3:06:41Sorry, we had all that, but we just haven't got anybody else.
3:06:43Schultz has got to go now.
3:06:46Also, Schultz is easy.
3:06:46We don't have to break somebody yet.
3:06:49Oh, no, no, no, no.
3:06:49I think all the best.
3:06:53I mean, Schultz, if you're not going to have Connolly, Schultz is as good.
3:07:01In many ways, Schultz is more rigid than Connolly, but more...
3:07:04It can't be Richard at all to pet a guy on a nighttime date.
3:07:06I've thought about that.
3:07:07It's his wife.
3:07:08She hates the man, doesn't she?
3:07:10Yes.
3:07:11They love each other.
3:07:13They love each other.
NARA Description
On May 16, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:55 am to 11:03 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 725-026 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 725-26
Date: May 16, 1972
Time: 10:55 am - 11:03 am
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.
Vietnam
-Doves
-Kissinger's previous meeting
-Support for President
-Congressional action
-Funds cutoff
-Timing
-President's Soviet trip
-Effect
-Kissinger's points
-Doves' position
-Partnership
-Resolution of support for President
-North Vietnam
-President's meeting with Gen. Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Plenary sessions
-Peace negotiations
-Conditions
-President's offer
-Conditions
-Seven points
-US conditions
-Prisoners of War [POW] return
-Cease-fire
(rev. Jan-02)
-Plenary sessions
-Advantages and disadvantages
John B. Connally
-Trip to Argentina, Brazil, and Colombia
-Purposes
-Time
-Other countries to visit
-Peru
-Appointment to President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory
Board [PFIAB]
-Resignation as Secretary of Treasury
-Announcement
-Time
-Reasons
-Replacements
-George P. Shultz
-Caspar W. Weinberger
**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 34s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
**********************************************************************
-Resignation
-Kissinger's knowledge
-Tenure
-January expiration
-Monetary and economic policy work
-Reluctance to take positions
-Delay
-Length
-Compared with Shultz
-Kissinger’s view
-Compared with Shultz
-Resignation
(rev. Jan-02)
-Idanell B. (“Nellie”) Connally
-Possible trip to Africa
-Appointment to PFIAB
-Previous week's activity
Kissinger's schedule
-Cabinet meeting
-Connally's resignation
-Announcement
-Press announcement
The President and Kissinger left at 11:03 am.Also recorded on May 16, 1972
- 725-022 10:12 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:12 am and 10:23 am.
- 725-024 10:23 AM · 32 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:23 am to 10:52 am.
- 725-025 10:52 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:52 am and 10:55 am.
- 101-009 11:03 AM — President Richard M. Nixon and Cabinet officers and staffers, including John N. Irwin, II, John B. Connally, [David] Kenneth Rush, Richard G. Kleindienst, Rogers C. B. Morton, Earl L. Butz, Peter G. Peterson, James D. Hodgson, Elliot L. Richardson, George W. Romney, John A. Volpe, George P. Shultz, Donald H. Rumsfeld, George H. W. Bush, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman, Henry A. Kissinger, Peter M. Flanigan, Clark MacGregor, Dr. Edward E. David, Jr., John A. Scali, Herbert G. Klein, Raymond K. Price, Jr., Ronald L. Ziegler, Alexander P. Butterfield, Charles W. Colson, Frederic V. Malek, Robert J. Brown, Caspar W. ("Cap") Weinberger, Ezra Solomon, and Kenneth R. Cole, Jr., met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 11:03 am and 11:59 pm.
- 725-039 11:03 AM · 14 min — United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:03 am and 11:30 am.
- 725-040 11:03 AM · 12 min — unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:03 am and 11:30 am.
- 725-027 11:30 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House at 11:30 am.
- 725-028 11:31 AM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John B. Connally met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:31 am to 11:35 am.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 725-026, May 16, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/725-026 (accessed September 18, 2026).