Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 861 › Conversation 861-012
Nixon & Ziegler on Henry Kissinger and Vietnam
Thursday, February 22, 1973 · 11:28 AM–11:37 AM ET · Oval Office · 9 min
AI Summary
President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler met to review the public reception of Henry Kissinger’s recent press briefing regarding the release of U.S. prisoners in Vietnam and the establishment of liaison offices with the People's Republic of China. The pair also coordinated the President's upcoming attendance at the White House Correspondents Association dinner and his declination of an invitation to the Gridiron dinner. Finally, they discussed entertainment arrangements for White House events, specifically focusing on the involvement of Sammy Davis, Jr. and the potential participation of Sonny and Cher.
- Henry Kissinger
- Vietnam
- PRC
- White House Correspondents Association
- Public Relations
- Sammy Davis Jr.
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.
Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data
Each line starts with a timestamp button; press it to play the audio from that point.
NARA Description
On February 22, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:28 am to 11:37 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 861-012 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 861-12
Date: February 22, 1973
Time: 11:28 am - 11:37 am
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Ronald L. Ziegler.
Henry A. Kissinger's briefing
-11-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 861-12 (cont’d)
-Time
-Length
-Release of John T. Downey, Robert J. Flynn and Philip E. Smith
-Liaison office
-Questions
-Aid to North Vietnam
-Defense
-Justification
-Laos
-Questions
-Communist victory
-1962 accords
-Middle East
-Visit of Hafiz Ismail
-People’s Republic of China [PRC]
-Communique
-Trip to Hanoi
-Television [TV] and radio coverage
PRC
-Liaison offices
-Washington, Peking
-Associated Press [AP] report
White House Correspondents Association dinner
-Acceptance publicized
Gridiron dinner
-Rejection
-Meeting with Gridiron invitation committee
-Timing
-Reason
-Vice President’s attendance
-William P. Rogers’s attendance
-President’s attendance
-12-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 861-12 (cont’d)
White House Correspondents Association dinner
-Gift
-Inkwell
-Thomas Jefferson quotation
-Entertainment
-Sammy Davis, Jr.
-Evening at the White House
Norman Vincent Peale
-Sunday worship service
Davis
-Call to Ziegler
-Thanksgiving
-Support for President
-Criticism by other blacks
-Letter
White House Correspondents Association dinner
-Sonny and Cher Bono
-Compared to Karen and Richard Carpenter
-Invitation
-White House pressure
-President’s choice
-Awards
-Edgar Allen Poe
-Presentation
-Watergate
-President’s presence
-Scholarship fund
Poe
-Gift to the President
-Eleanor Stegeberg McGovern [?]
-Cuff links [?]
-13-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 861-12 (cont’d)
Ziegler left at 11:37 am.Also recorded on February 22, 1973
- 861-011 11:14 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and William E. Timmons met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:14 am to 11:17 am.
- 861-013 11:37 AM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:37 am and 11:47 am.
- 861-014 11:47 AM · 33 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Charles S. Rhyne, Stephen B. Bull, John D. Ehrlichman, White House photographer, Norton Clapp, John Claerhout, George Freeman, Charles Marchetti, Randolph Scott, Gregory L. Beck, Sylvia Elizabeth Foster, Peter Guastella, Alan R. Johnson, Willis J. Johnson, Frank Nilson Martino, Jr., John Mason, Stanley Roach, John Scholten, Rich Stone, Harry Tobin, Timothy David Todd, William Lee England, Paul R. Ried, Amilcar Matos Perez, and Richard Louis Toler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:47 am to 12:21 pm.
- 861-021 12:21 PM · 35 sec — Stephen B. Bull and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:21 pm and 12:23 pm.
- 861-015 12:23 PM · 11 min — President Richard M. Nixon, John D. Ehrlichman, Walter E. Washington, Egil ("Bud") Krogh, Jr., Frank Frazier, William Bullock, Portial Bullock, Wilhelmina Thomas, Joseph Bullock, Mrs. Joseph Bullock, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:23 pm to 12:32 pm.
- 861-016 12:33 PM · 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:33 pm to 12:42 pm.
- 861-017 12:42 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:42 pm and 12:44 pm.
- 861-018 12:44 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:44 pm to 12:46 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 861-012, February 22, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/861-012 (accessed October 1, 2026).