Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 753 › Conversation 753-008
Nixon, Haldeman & Agnew on Vietnam War and Foreign Affairs Committee
Tuesday, July 25, 1972 · 5:27 PM–6:34 PM ET · Oval Office · 14 min
AI Summary
President Nixon met with various staff members and officials to discuss a wide array of administrative, foreign policy, and political matters. The President reviewed his upcoming schedule and foreign affairs, including a review of the House Foreign Affairs Committee's narrow vote to mandate a U.S. military withdrawal from Vietnam. Additionally, H. R. Haldeman coordinated with the President and Vice President Agnew to enforce a strict no-comment policy regarding the personal affairs of Thomas Eagleton, while discussions also touched on campaign strategy and potential coordination with George Wallace's associates.
- Vietnam War
- Foreign Affairs Committee
- 1972 Presidential Campaign
- Thomas Eagleton
- George Wallace
- Diplomatic relations
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 1 minute of this recording (about 5% of it) is represented by only a few words. Listen to the audio rather than relying on the text below; a corrected transcript is queued.
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I couldn't agree more with your letter, which was with your husband.
We met in my home in San Clemente.
You can be sure of it next time.
We had a meeting one of these.
Uh, the, uh, uh...
Hello, the names of your leaders?
Let's insert that right there.
People die?
No, they're still very much alive.
But if you want to get any song that they don't have in stock, it could take anywhere from two or three months.
But we'd like to see what they have in stock.
But they have like...
You know, like Trisha's got Chicago.
They have that sort of thing.
But we were talking about being people's favorite song.
They probably have a pretty good chunk of people's favorite songs.
They might.
We were talking about foreign business.
Well, I think we could use a lot of foreign business songs.
Like this guy's favorite American song.
You know what I'm saying?
I'll get a list of what they do.
Yeah, just say what songs you really have that's available.
I just think they're missing boxes.
Just a nice toy people love.
Is that a good idea?
Fine.
Okay.
Jack D. Malatester, the mayor of San Leandro, California, please.
Malatester, okay?
Malatester, N-A-L-T-E-S-T-E-R. San Leandro, San Leandro, California.
So, Mr. Mayor, I want you to know two things.
One, we had a very good meeting this morning with your, yeah, all your, well, we had a lot of revenue sharing, the confidence of mayors, the confidence of state legislators, the confidence of the League of Cities, et cetera.
So I saw a lot of your friends, and they're really giving a voice to us.
And I...
Right.
Oh, is that right?
Good, good.
I like that.
I forgot.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Right.
When will you be in town?
When will you be in town?
Mornings.
Friday.
I can do it Friday, Friday morning.
If you just contact, would you contact Bob Hall the moment you get in there?
And we'll be up until Friday morning.
And we'll get a picture.
And I'd love to do it.
Thank you.
Yeah, I'll, I'll inform you.
It's a little further on the schedule.
I'll hold you to that.
Good luck.
What's the problem?
Did you get the carpet barrier, please?
I'll send those guys home.
If you can, they come right away, sir.
But what would he have done in Muscovy, especially that night?
It's interesting, all the hospitals have been in December, and he's just never been here.
Remember the all-nighter going down there at 60, 64, 60?
Or even to take something that was less controversial, the 8-0s, when we were up till 3 in the morning.
Yeah.
On the monetary agreement.
How about making May 8 speech?
May 8.
May 8.
May 8.
You know, one of the marvelous quotes that we've had, I've often said, and I'm a great American politician because of this.
Did you know him?
I could have said that.
Yeah.
You know, he has such a balance.
His words, he was, he didn't have this familiar impression, but he had an honor, and he was cool, and so forth.
But he had a wonderful quote about...
about politicians on the carrier.
You know, he said, he took me up the Moscow River.
He was really great in his order because of the fact that we had that captive nation resolution that had passed just before we got into Moscow.
And so he would bring what they called slaves out.
They would swim out of the Moscow River and pound them.
He said, they're the slaves.
They're all voting for me.
They're all voting for me.
But his great quote in politics is the best I can ever remember.
which has been picked up by others.
He says, politicians are all the same.
They promise to build a bridge, even when there's no river.
And that's very good.
It's typically Russian, too.
It's down there.
They promise to build a bridge, even when there's no river.
Now we've been here in crisis with things when you were sitting in my office the night the Syrians got into the... You were on the phone that night.
I was on the phone and people were carrying messages in.
If you had had an angle of speech... That night will never be recorded.
If we were there with this woman, I'll never forget it.
Henry tried to use that secure line.
I said, always and never use that line.
And Henry was talking so loud that he could hear the sound of Benjamin.
And he had to.
And he was shouting, I don't see how he ever got the message across.
And we were calling him really.
That was easy.
That was easy, but we had to get him up on the ice.
But I mean, he didn't have to.
He didn't have to be there.
He didn't have to be there.
I called to not be here, but we had called the mayor in New York.
He was just on the way back.
Oh, yeah.
But that's your line.
You get the House Foreign Relations Committee.
Oh, there you go.
Foreign Affairs Committee.
Yeah.
Voted to order a complete U.S. military withdrawal from Indotown by October 1, 1720, to release American prisoners to safe withdrawal of Indian forces.
18 to 7.
Attached to the foreign law.
18 to 17.
Excuse me.
Oh, that's right.
17.
That's right.
Narrow vote.
Attached to the provision of pending foreign aid.
Don't kill money.
There's always one vote there, one vote.
And the committee, the foreign report and the affairs committee is worse than the whole House.
And I'm very— There's no alteration about this, Mr. President.
The House measure does not specifically cut off funds for the war that launches things without the same legal effect.
There is no ruthlessly sentence—
I mean, last year, at least, you could say they wanted to register something.
But while we are in negotiation, you see, the negotiation is spreading out.
And for them to do this is totally privileged.
Conley told him that the President made clear to him that the Democrats for Nixon, the people that joined in the campaign, would be on the same footing for appointments to the judiciary, ambassador's post, and all that, as any Republican would be drowned.
So he got that point.
And Wallace said, I don't want anything.
And he said, some of my people may want some money and all that.
And he said, I don't know.
Conley said, I know that.
And he said, I wouldn't talk to you about money at all.
I would only talk to you on business.
on the basis of our personal friendship and the fact that we're former governors.
He says, but I also know that all campaigns end up with a deficit, and any time you want to talk about any of that sort of thing, I'm always available to talk about it.
Wallace said, well, wait till after the August 3rd or 4th, the August 3rd convention of the American party before you move to hire any of my people.
Okay.
Mr. Vice President?
Thank you.
Mr. Vice President?
Hi, it's Bob Baldwin.
Very good, sir.
Have you seen the story on Eagleton?
Okay, uh, President just wanted me to check with all of our key people and, and, uh, to be sure you covered with all of your people the, the point that we, we make absolutely no comment on any personal matter, you know, period.
Yeah, I'm sure you have it.
He wanted to be sure we got the word to all of our, all of our people, you know, so that nobody makes any inadvertent statement of any kind saying, well, you know, they got to rethink this or anything else.
We've covered Dole and McGregor Hall, but not here, too.
Right.
That's right.
They were already on it, which is why he had to make this move today anyway.
So all we can do on this one is let them take care of themselves.
Very good.
Very good.
Very good, sir.
NARA Description
On July 25, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, Mrs. George E. Mock, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, Jack D. Maltester, Ronald L. Ziegler, Stephen B. Bull, Patrick J. Buchanan, Henry A. Kissinger, United States Secret Service agents, and Vice President Spiro T. Agnew met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:27 pm to 6:34 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 753-008 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 753-8
Date: July 25, 1972
Time: 5:27 pm - 6:34 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Rose Mary Woods.
Note
-Briefcase
The President dictated a letter [to Mrs. George E. Mock].
-Letter from George Mock
-San Clemente
-The President's schedule
H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman entered at 5:28 pm.
-Wives of International Brotherhood of Teamsters officials
-Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
Foreign visitors
-Possible order for music boxes
-Delay
-Switzerland
-Tricia Nixon Cox
-Dr. Zhivago [?]
-Songs
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 56s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
*****************************************************************
The President talked with the White House operator.
[Conversation No. 753-8A]
[See Conversation No. 27-56]
[End of telephone conversation]
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 5m 12 s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
*****************************************************************
The President talked with Jack D. Maltester. Haldeman and Woods can be heard in the
background.
[Conversation No. 753-8B]
[See Conversation No. 27-57; two items have been withdrawn]
[End of telephone conversation]
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 7m 38s ]
Ronald L. Ziegler entered at 5:41 pm.
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
*****************************************************************
Haldeman talked with the White House operator.
[Conversation No. 753-8C]
[See Conversation No. 27-59]
[End of telephone conversation]
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 43s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
*****************************************************************
Haldeman talked with the White House operator. Ziegler can be heard in the background.
[Conversation No. 753-8D]
[See Conversation No. 27-60]
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 1m 15s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
*****************************************************************
Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 5:41 pm.
Request that Patrick J. Buchanan be asked to join them
Bull left at an unknown time before 5:45 pm.
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 9m 17s ]
Woods left at 5:45 pm.
Ziegler left at 5:54 pm.
Buchanan entered at 5:55 pm.
Henry A. Kissinger entered at 5:57 pm.
Ziegler entered at 5:58 pm.
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 8
*****************************************************************
George S. McGovern
-The President's meetings in Moscow, Peking
Election years
McGovern
-The President’s meetings in the Azores
-The President’s May 8, 1972 speech
Election years
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 10
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 4m 38s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 10
*****************************************************************
Nikita S. Khrushchev
-The President’s view
-American politicians
-Leonid I. Brezhnev
-Conversation with the President
-Politicians quote
-Moscow River
-Captive nations resolution
-Promises
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 12
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 8m 34s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 12
*****************************************************************
Middle East
-Syrian invasion of Jordan
-Kissinger’s conversations
-John Freeman
-Joseph J. Sisco
-Secure telephone line
-Problem
-Talk with Freeman
-Yitzhak Rabin
-Golda Meir
-Secure telephone line
Vietnam
-House Foreign Affairs Committee vote
-US military withdrawal
-Timing
-October 1, 1972
-Prisoners of war [POWs]
-House of Representatives
-Effect
-Funding
-Compared to 1971
-Negotiations
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 14
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 10m 10s ]
Buchanan, Kissinger and Ziegler left at 6:24 pm.
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 14
*****************************************************************
1972 campaign
-John B. Connally’s conversation with George C. Wallace
-Appointments
-Democrats for Nixon
-Wallace's staff
-Money
-Cost of campaigning
-Appointments
-American Party Convention, August 3, 1972
**************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 15
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 2m 3s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 15
**************************************************************************
Haldeman talked with an unknown person [Secret Service agent?].
[Conversation No. 753-8H]
[See Conversation No. 27-64; one item has been withdrawn]
[End of telephone conversation]
**************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 16
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 34s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 16
**************************************************************************
Haldeman talked with Agnew. The President can be heard in the background.
[Conversation No. 753-8I]
[End of telephone conversation]
**************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 17
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 1m 33s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 17
**************************************************************************
Haldeman left at 6:34 pm.Also recorded on July 25, 1972
- 027-053 5:19 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Vito Marzullo talked on the telephone from 5:19 pm to 5:21 pm.
- 753-005 5:19 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Vito Marzullo met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:19 pm to 5:21 pm.
- 753-006 5:21 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 5:21 pm and 5:23 pm.
- 027-054 5:22 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 5:22 pm.
- 027-055 5:23 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 5:23 pm to 5:25 pm.
- 753-007 5:23 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:23 pm to 5:25 pm.
- 027-056 5:25 PM · 26 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:25 pm and 5:35 pm.
- 027-057 5:35 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Jack D. Maltester talked on the telephone from 5:35 pm to 5:40 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 753-008, July 25, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/753-008 (accessed October 12, 2026).