Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 833 › Conversation 833-014

Nixon & Ziegler on Vietnam War and Public Opinion

Thursday, January 4, 1973 · 11:48 AM–11:51 AM ET · Oval Office · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.Conversation833-014 on Tape 833StartThursday, January 4, 1973 at 11:48 AMEndThursday, January 4, 1973 at 11:51 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 833-014 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler reviewed Gerald Warren’s recent press briefing and assessed public reaction to the December 1972 bombing campaign in North Vietnam. Nixon dismissed critical congressional and media sentiment, arguing that Washington’s hostility toward his war policies was detached from the sentiments of the broader American public. The two men concluded the meeting by shifting their focus to upcoming staffing and reorganization plans for the second term.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

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I had no problems this morning.

You didn't breathe?

No, I had more breathing this morning.

Oh, yeah.

He was hard-nosed, and he had no problems.

He just said we had nothing, no sense of time, nothing more to say, and announced the meeting he had this morning, and the rest of the schedule.

No problems.

Well, we'll get to all this.

The point is that Washington is an unreal town.

Congressmen and senators come back and say, well, we've got to make them.

They're worried and all that.

But Washington's not the country.

That's exactly right.

The country isn't all that stirred up.

Or do you agree?

I absolutely agree.

I agree.

Of course, you've been to Palm Springs, places like that.

They won't be so stirred up.

But I don't see it that way.

I just don't sense the great, you know, the people of the country and so forth.

They say, what the hell?

So that's the other thing.

People say, well, I haven't been bombed and all that.

Of course, you've covered that about 18 times, haven't you?

But it's just in this case, and others, those who question do so because they're against it.

They're against it, and that's why they're giving it a big television ride last night.

We're in good shape for today.

Let's see what's going on.

We're going to shift over to the reorganization.

Well, I should see it like this.

It will.

Okay.

NARA Description

On January 4, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:48 am and 11:51 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 833-014 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 833-14

Date: January 4, 1973
Time: Unknown between 11:48 am and 11:51 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Ronald L. Ziegler.

       Gerald L. Warren's press briefing
                                                -35-

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                           Conversation No. 833-21 (cont’d)

             -Contents

       Washington, DC
           -Public opinion
                 -Congress
           -Attitude of country on war
                 -Palm Springs
           -December 1972 bombing of North Vietnam
                 -Opposition
                 Television [TV] coverage

       Press briefings
             -Second term reorganization

Ziegler left at 11:51 am.

Also recorded on January 4, 1973

833-012 11:33 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:33 am and 11:37 am.
833-013 11:37 AM · 12 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., Melvin R. Laird, William P. Rogers, Henry A. Kissinger, Adm. Thomas H. Moorer, Robert F. Froehlke, Gen. Creighton W. Abrams, Jr., Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft, Lt. Col. William L. Golden, Mrs. Alexander M. Haig, Sr., Patricia Haig, Alonzo Fox, Alexander M. Haig, Sr., Brian Haig, Barbara Haig, Frank Haig, Edward B. Meredith, Mrs. Edward B. Meredith, Mrs. George Meredith, Rose Mary Woods, Stephen B. Bull, and Oliver F. ("Ollie") Atkins met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:37 am and 11:48 am.
833-015 11:51 AM · 35 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:51 am and 11:55 am.
833-016 11:51 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:51 am and 11:55 am.
833-017 11:55 AM · 46 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Elliot L. Richardson, Henry A. Kissinger, Stephen B. Bull, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:55 am to 12:42 pm.
833-018 12:42 PM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:42 pm and 12:45 pm.
833-019 12:42 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:42 pm and 12:45 pm.
833-020 12:45 PM · 15 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, Gerard C. Smith, Stephen B. Bull, and Oliver F. ("Ollie") Atkins met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:45 pm to 1:01 pm.

All 47 conversations from January 4, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 833-014, January 4, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/833-014 (accessed October 13, 2026).