Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 840 › Conversation 840-016
Nixon & Mansfield on Vietnam War and Ceasefire
Saturday, February 3, 1973 · 1:21 PM–1:23 PM ET · Oval Office · 7 min
AI Summary
President Nixon and Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield met to coordinate on administrative appointments and foreign policy developments. The two discussed potential candidates for a congressional committee, with Nixon expressing a preference for experienced figures like governors who could provide significant contributions. Additionally, Nixon provided a status report on the ongoing ceasefires in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, noting that current U.S. air operations serve as an incentive for continued compliance.
- Vietnam War
- Ceasefire
- Congressional Appointments
- Foreign Policy
- Diplomacy
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
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No, I'm sorry, I was just sitting here, as a matter of fact, I was just working with Henry on the very first thing.
He just announced, we just announced today, if you didn't catch it, that he's going to go from Illinois to McCain for another dialogue, so I just thought that was sort of the redemption.
What's that?
No, no, no, no, no.
No, he'll be back in the 19th.
No, I, no, he'll be back in the 19th, or the 19th or 20th.
It definitely depends whether he begins today or not, but that's it.
Maybe one I should tell you is not, it's coincidental with the other.
It's basically part of the contingent dialogue, but naturally each side will have a chance to bring any subject that they want.
So, in other words, it's a weird play, and actually very much that way.
We don't want to give it to Christ for the purpose of going
uh right
Right, right.
I'll tell Michael about it.
As a matter of fact, I've already, I'm on the way.
I told him to talk about it when he's over there.
He will.
He will.
Now, why don't you, my people...
That would be the time.
That would be the time.
Now, why don't you give another option to the case, if or any, at either of those times.
All right.
All right.
I'll do it.
I'll see that, uh, I'll see the intake.
I've already talked about it because of the request.
Let me ask you one other thing.
You mentioned to me a committee that I didn't get the, and I asked somebody, I think I asked Coleman about it, he said he didn't, to check with you.
Have you given us the note on that?
Because I don't know anything I haven't made a claim to yet, but, uh,
Yes.
When was it set up?
Is it something kind of, uh, I see, by the Congress?
Yeah.
Yeah.
I think you're right.
And, and, and I have not appointed a DM.
I have not appointed, what did you say?
Uh-huh.
The reason I ask that, when I got your, you know, you mentioned it to me, and I'm trying to check it out, and they didn't have their, I mean, it's one of those things, we didn't have it apparently, so, no, no, you don't, but I'll tell them to give me some names.
Now, these are civilians, are they going to be, I mean, not mine, they're not supposed to be congressional.
But can they be and say, for example, if I wanted to go and appoint a governor, would that not be proper?
A governor would be all right, but I was thinking of somebody, yeah, I was thinking of somebody like a, well, like a Rockefeller, who has assets, you know, they're experienced and could practically spend the money to,
to make a real contribution.
I don't know that we could get any of it, but I'm thinking people like that and the board of policy would be able to give it their supply.
All right, and I'll have at it, Mike, and see if we can find the, get our, I'm sorry, we've been sitting with some other people.
Yeah, right.
All right, all right.
We have finished the board.
I think you'll be pleased that you, I know you follow the papers, but I, of course, I've been spending all morning here going over it.
The reports of the ceasefire actually are very good at the moment.
There are six actions only and some Vietnam yesterday.
Four initiated by the North Vietnamese, the D.C. two by the South Vietnamese, both of which grew out of what happened the days before, but they took it into the place.
The Cambodian ceasefire is working extremely well.
She and a few men have just come along.
And so there's no action in Cambodia.
The Laotian one is still on track and we expect this is something that we don't want to be on a deadline.
We have no problem but we don't want to put them in either side of the position.
But we still think that our projection of 15 days after the 27th is in the involved part now.
the path that Mao and the others are leading, and as soon as that happens, of course, then our air activities will stop.
I know you expressed concern about that, but we have to continue the air activities, or, and frankly, in order to keep the curriculum, so that they'll make the ceasefire, that's what it is, but the air activities, they've been told that the air activities will be stopped the moment the ceasefire is agreed to, so they've got an incentive now to stop it.
I'll get some good names into the Wilson County.
You don't have any women on the field?
On yours?
Who?
Oh, you, Hunter?
Oh, yeah, well, fine.
I just wanted to be sure there was one woman.
Let me ask you, is there any black ones, for example?
Do you find any blacks in the area?
Oh, Scott, yeah.
Yeah, yeah.
Well, now, uh, you see, uh, you know, I'm just thinking, you know, all the sensitivities here, and the sport, and all the secret meetings, and what I mean.
It's even happening there.
I think some black ought to be on right then, but, uh, I just don't know whether anybody's qualified for anything.
NARA Description
On February 3, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Michael J. ("Mike") Mansfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:21 pm to 1:23 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 840-016 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 840-16 Date: February 3, 1973 Time: Between 1:21 pm and 1:23 pm Location: Oval Office Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield talked with the President. [See Conversation No. 43-20]
Also recorded on February 3, 1973
- 840-013 1:20 PM · 52 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at 1:20 pm.
- 840-014 1:20 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:20 pm to 1:21 pm.
- 840-015 1:20 PM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:20 pm to 1:21 pm.
- 043-020 1:21 PM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Michael J. ("Mike") Mansfield talked on the telephone from 1:21 pm to 1:23 pm.
- 043-021 1:23 PM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:23 pm and 1:33 pm.
- 840-017 1:23 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:23 pm and 1:32 pm.
- 840-018 1:23 PM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:23 pm and 1:32 pm.
- 840-019 1:32 PM · 24 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, Claudia A. Johnson, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:32 pm to 1:57 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 840-016, February 3, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/840-016 (accessed October 1, 2026).