President Nixon and Henry Kissinger met to strategize on public relations regarding the Vietnam War, specifically addressing potential criticism from George McGovern that the ongoing peace negotiations were a hoax. They evaluated the pros and cons of holding a background press briefing to counter these claims and reinforce the narrative that "peace is at hand." Ultimately, the President directed staff to coordinate the logistics for such a session while remaining cautious about the tone and timing of the messaging to ensure it served the administration's goals.
On November 3, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, Alexander P. Butterfield, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:17 am to 11:27 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 812-012 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 812-12
Date: November 3, 1972
Time: 11:17 am - 11:27 am
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Henry A. Kissinger.
Vietnam War
-Kissinger’s recent meeting with Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
The President’s schedule
Vietnam War
-Settlement agreement
-Public relations [PR]
-Kissinger’s meeting with John W. Chancellor, November 2, 1972
-Washington Post editorials, Louis P. Harris
-Washington Star
-Kissinger’s role
-Second term
-William P. Rogers’s role
-Melvin R. Laird’s role
-Kissinger’s role
-Soviet Union
-Press relations
-Max Frankel
-Crosby S. Noyes
-Washington Star
-Howard K. Smith
-Tone
-Rebuttal to George S. McGovern
-Strategy
-“Peace is at hand”
-Focus on issues
-Format
-Television [TV]
-Ronald L. Ziegler’s view
-Backgrounder
-Attribution
-18-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan.-08)
Conversation No. 812-12 (cont’d)
-Quotes
-Tone
-Conservatives
-John Birch Society
-Advantages
-Press relations
-Format
-Possible meeting with senior correspondents
-Timing
-November 3, 1972
-Advantages
-Second term
-First month
-“Peace is at hand”
-Compared to Kissinger’s India-
Pakistan War press conference,
December 14, 1971
-Timing
-Press coverage
-November 4 and 5, 1972
-Advisability
-Ziegler
-Airplane
-Alternative to Kissinger
-Ziegler
-Single story
-Tone
Alexander P. Butterfield entered at 11:20 am.
The President’s forthcoming telephone calls
-List
Vietnam War
-Settlement agreement
-PR
-McGovern
The President’s telephone calls
-List
-19-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. Jan.-08)
Conversation No. 812-12 (cont’d)
-[William Mills] of Los Angeles
-November 4, 1972
Butterfield left at 11:24 am.
Vietnam War
-Settlement agreement
-PR
-McGovern
-Rebuttal
-Kissinger’s role
-Arguments
-“Peace is at hand”
-Hoax
-Peace
-Disintegration
-Success
-Rebuttal
-Politicos’ role
-Kissinger’s role
Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 11:24 am.
The President’s schedule
-Coat
-Briefcase
-Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon’s location
The President, Kissinger, and Bull left at 11:27 am.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.