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April 5, 1972

Introduction

This almanac page for Wednesday, April 5, 1972, pulls together various records created by the federal government and links to additional resources which can provide context about the events of the day.

Previous Date: Tuesday, April 4, 1972

Next Date: Thursday, April 6, 1972

Schedule and Public Documents

  • The Daily Diary files represent a consolidated record of the President's activities. Visit the finding aid to learn more.

    The President's day began at The White House - Washington, D. C.

  • The Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents made available transcripts of the President's news conferences; messages to Congress; public speeches, remarks, and statements; and other Presidential materials released by the White House.

    Digitized versions can be found at HathiTrust.

  • The Federal Register is the official daily publication for rules, proposed rules, and notices of federal agencies and organizations, as well as executive orders and other Presidential documents.

  • The Congressional Record is the official daily record of the debates and proceedings of the U.S. Congress.

Archival Holdings

Any selection of archival documents will necessarily be partial. You should use the documents and folders identified below as a starting place, but consult the linked collection finding aids and folder title lists and the collections themselves for context. Many documents to be found this way do not lend themselves to association with specific dates, but are essential to a complete understanding of the material.

  • Selective document listing

    President's Office Files

    The President's Office Files consists of materials drawn together by the Special Files Unit from several administrative subdivisions within the White House Office. It is the handwriting and sensitive papers sent to the Staff Secretary that now comprise much of the President's Office Files. Visit the finding aid to learn more.

  • The H. R. Haldeman Diaries consists of seven handwritten diaries, 36 dictated diaries recorded as sound recordings, and two handwritten audio cassette tape subject logs. The diaries and logs reflect H. R. Haldeman’s candid personal record and reflections on events, issues, and people encountered during his service in the Nixon White House. As administrative assistant to the President and Chief of Staff, Haldeman attended and participated in public events and private meetings covering the entire scope of issues in which the Nixon White House engaged in during the years 1969-1973. Visit the finding aid to learn more.

    • Transcript of diary entry (PDF)
      Wednesday, April 5.

      Everybody was highly pleased with the Wisconsin primary results, with especially Muskie-- I mean McGovern winning by such a wide margin, which thoroughly screws up the Democrats one more time. President wanted to be sure that we get people to follow-up on the line that Kennedy is now the obvious Democrat candidate. On the other hand, he wants to be sure we get everyone in our crew and the political campaign crew, to quit speculation on any other political ideas or outcome. He feels that McGovern and Wallace are both operating with cutting edges, the other candidates don't have them. Hubert cuts both ways, Muskie not at all, and that that's the reason for McGovern and Wallace doing so well at this point. He feels it should be a big effort now to smoke Teddy out and to move that line, with all of our resources, and then he liked my idea of waiting a few days and then having Connally give Teddy Secret Service protection on the basis of that general agreement that he's going to be the candidate.

      We went around a couple of more times on the drug speech with the Domestic Council crew feeling the President must go on television with it, so I talked to him about that and he agreed to do it on television, if they write a new speech and hold off until after his next press conference. He still likes the hotline idea which the others don't want him to do anything about except to refer to it. He feels, though, that if he goes on television he needs to announce some new program on drug abuse or something that has some importance to justify the use of TV.

      We got into more discussion on the Convention plans, the President now wants a daily report on the plan to move the Convention. He's concerned that we won't get the groundwork laid on the basic problem, that we should make the point that a crisis is developing on the question of whether the Convention will be ready. And he's afraid the wheels are starting to turn on the change and that we'll get the wrong story out for the wrong reason, that we've got an ideal opportunity now while Vietnam is the big news to get this thing out.

      President called a meeting of Tricia, Julie, David and Ed together with Dave Parker and me to discuss their scheduling. It was a little awkward, and didn't really cover much, except their problems on getting the right kind of stuff from our speech writers in terms of anecdotes, stories, examples, etcetera. The President expounded some of his theories on what they ought to be covering, but really didn't accomplish much of anything.

      President-- Rogers called me saying he wanted to see the President that he had nothing important, a few things he could cover, but he thinks he should see him for appearances sake, so that it looks like everybody's steadfast on the Vietnam move and all. He then said he is troubled some, first that if the South Vietnamese don't show the will to fight, and that we've got to be sure there's no stories on this. Secondly, that we not lose a lot of American pilots and thus get more POW's. A fairly obvious negative that hardly seems necessary for him to enumerate. He said he had canceled his press conference for this week but if things turn for the better over there he would reschedule it. A truly brave soul.

      Kissinger sat in the meeting which lasted for an hour. President called me in for the last half hour and we talked some about the environmental conference in Sweden, the idea of Rogers going there and making a big fanfare and also pushing Farland to be Ambassador to Iran, try to get that settled before the President goes.

      I guess he's made up his mind to go to Florida for the weekend, although he still goes back and forth a little bit, but Henry's pushing him fairly hard on it so I think we'll go from Philadelphia tomorrow.

      End of April 5.
    • Original audio recording (MP3)

  • The National Archives Catalog is the online portal to the records held at the National Archives, and information about those records. It is the main way of describing our holdings and also provides access to electronic records and digitized versions of our holdings. 

    The Catalog searches across multiple National Archives resources at once, including archival descriptions, digitized and electronic records, authority records, and web pages from Archives.gov and the Presidential Libraries. The Catalog also allows users to contribute to digitized historical records through tagging and transcription.

    Nixon Library Holdings

    All National Archives Units

National Security Documents

  • The President's Daily Brief is the primary vehicle for summarizing the day-to-day sensitive intelligence and analysis, as well as late-breaking reports, for the White House on current and future national security issues. Read "The President's Daily Brief: Delivering Intelligence to Nixon and Ford" to learn more.

  • The Foreign Relations of the United States series presents the official documentary historical record of major U.S. foreign policy decisions and significant diplomatic activity. Visit the State Department website for more information.

    Vol. VIII, Vietnam, January-October 1972

    The Easter Offensive, March 30-May 7, 1972

    Vol. XIV, Soviet Union, October 1971-May 1972

    U.S.-Soviet Relations and the Spring Offensive in Vietnam, March 30-April 18, 1972

    Vol. XIX, Part 1, Korea, 1969-1972

    Republic of Korea Troops in Vietnam and Force Modernization, April 1971-December 1972

    • 132. National Security Decision Memorandum 161, Washington, April 5, 1972

      Source: National Archives, Nixon Presidential Materials, NSC Files, Box 364, Subject Files, National Security Decision Memoranda, Nos. 145–264. Top Secret; Nodis. A copy was sent to Helms.

    Vol. E-2, Documents on Arms Control and Nonproliferation, 1969-1972

    Nuclear Test Ban Issues; Peaceful Nuclear Explosions

  • The Kissinger telephone conversation transcripts consist of approximately 20,000 pages of transcripts of Kissinger’s telephone conversations during his tenure as Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (1969-1974) and Secretary of State (1973-1974) during the administration of President Richard Nixon. Visit the finding aid for more information.

    Digitized versions can be found in the National Archives Catalog.

Audiovisual Holdings

Context (External Sources)