Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 742 › Conversation 742-006
Nixon, Kissinger & Bull on Vietnam War and 1972 Presidential Election
Monday, June 26, 1972 · 8:57 AM–9:40 AM ET · Oval Office
AI Summary
President Nixon and Henry Kissinger met to analyze the ongoing military situation in Vietnam, specifically focusing on North Vietnamese offensives and South Vietnamese counter-operations. The discussion encompassed political strategy regarding the 1972 election, including criticisms of George McGovern’s defense proposals and the impact of the Watergate scandal on the administration. They also reviewed personnel issues, such as the potential replacement of General John D. Lavelle and staffing for diplomatic posts, while coordinating their messaging for upcoming press engagements.
Audio
Audio for this conversation has not been released by the National Archives.
Transcript (AI-generated)
No transcript is available because the audio has not been released.
NARA Description
On June 26, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 8:57 am to 9:40 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 742-006 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 742-6
Date: June 26, 1972
Time: 8:57 am - 9:40 am
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.
Kissinger's health
Vietnamese military situation
-North Vietnamese attack on Hue
-Bombing
-Quality of tank crews from North Vietnam
-News reports
-Intelligence information
-South Vietnamese offensive
-Kissinger’s view
-Quang Tri
-Army of the Republic of South Vietnam [ARVN]
-New reports
-Gloria Emmett
-New York Times
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
-Reporting
Vietnam peace negotiations
-Meeting schedule
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.'s trip
-Length
-Purpose
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-Ellsworth F. Bunker
Gen. John D. Lavelle
-Possible replacement
-Defense Department report to Kissinger
-Attacks on North Vietnamese targets
-Term "Protective Reaction"
-Signal to North Vietnamese
-Bombing
-Melvin R. Laird
-The President's role
-Kissinger’s view
Press
-Lavelle
-International Telephone and Telegraph [ITT]
-Watergate break-in
-Bugging
-Lawrence F. O'Brien, Jr.'s talk with Stewart J.O. Alsop
-George S. McGovern
-Lavelle
-The President’s view
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 1m ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
*****************************************************************
Washington Post article
-Massive retaliation
-McGovern and Dwight D. Eisenhower
-Impact
-Effect
-Kissinger’s view
-Jordan
-Vietnam
-Kissinger’s view
-Intellectuals' opinion of defense policy
Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 8:57 am.
The President's schedule
-Press conference
-H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
-John D. Ehrlichman
Bull left at an unknown time before 9:40 am.
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 3m 4s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
*****************************************************************
Vietnam
-McGovern's proposals
-The President’s view
-Kissinger’s view
-Effect
-Eisenhower's policy on Korea
-Kissinger's conversation with Chou En-lai
-Korea
-Division
-Administration's position in campaign
-McGovern’s proposals
-Hubert H. Humphrey
-Defense spending
-Administration actions
-President’s statements
-Negotiations
-Effect of US election
-Withdrawal date for US offer
-McGovern
-US election
-Moscow
-Peking
-Rationale
-George W. Ball's articles in New York Times
-Moscow's view of election
-The President's conversation with Leonid I. Brezhnev
-Agriculture
-Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union [TASS] reports
-Statement by William P. Rogers
Kissinger's conversation with Alsop
-The President
-Alsop’s view
-McGovern
-Policies
-The President's opponents
-Liberals
-Barry M. Goldwater
-The President
-Reaction to the President's re-election
-Clark M. Clifford
-Cyrus R. Vance
-Ball
Vietnam
-The President’s efforts
-The President’s view
-South Vietnamese military
-Lam Son
-Thieu
-Larry Stern
-Press
-Time and Newsweek
-Vietnam War coverage
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 52s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8
*****************************************************************
Defense budget
-Laird statements
-The President’s view
-Anti-Ballistic Missile [ABM] Treaty
-Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]
-Tactics
-Increase in program expenditures
-Kissinger’s view
-Timing
-"Doves"
-ABM Treaty
-Previous briefing for Congressmen
-ABM
-The President’s statement
-Laird
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 10
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 2m 46s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 10
*****************************************************************
Defense policy
-The President’s efforts
-Robert S. McNamara
-Press
-Katharine L. Graham
Commonwealth Club speech by Rogers
Kissinger's schedule
-Possible television appearance
-The President’s view
-Marvin L. Kalb
-Prime time
-Today show
-Major network importance
-Length
-Timing
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 12
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 2m 9s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 12
*****************************************************************
The President’s schedule
-Henry Cabot Lodge
-Kissinger
-Possible appointment
-Ambassador to France
-Arthur K. Watson
-The President’s view
Kissinger left at 9:40 am.Also recorded on June 26, 1972
- 742-001 8:30 AM — President Richard M. Nixon and Marjorie P. Acker met in the Oval Office of the White House from 8:30 am to 8:31 am.
- 742-002 8:31 AM — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:31 am and 8:57 am.
- 742-003 8:31 AM — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:31 am and 8:57 am.
- 742-004 8:31 AM — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:31 am and 8:57 am.
- 742-005 8:31 AM — President Richard M. Nixon and Terry L. Decker met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:31 am and 8:57 am.
- 742-007 9:40 AM — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:40 am and 9:50 am.
- 742-008 9:50 AM — President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:50 am to 10:45 am.
- 742-009 10:45 AM — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:45 am and 10:59 am.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 742-006, June 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/742-006 (accessed September 30, 2026).