H.R. “Bob” Haldeman∇: [a37:41] Well, the [Daniel] Ellsberg∇ thing’s building up kind of nicely now. He’s disappeared.
President Nixon: Has he?
Haldeman: Which ain’t bad at all.
President Nixon: Good.
Haldeman: The FBI∇ called on his home, and he and his family haven’t been seen for a week. And they’re starting to build up a story on Ellsberg. And we’ve got the stuff Henry [Kissinger∇] told us about how he used to careen around Vietnam in a jeep killing everybody in black pajamas—
President Nixon: That’s right.
Haldeman: —with a carbine.
President Nixon: I must say, Henry certainly knows all these people, doesn’t he?
Haldeman: The Santa Monica Outlook has a big story on how Henry used to spend a lot of time at this guy’s apartment. Henry says he’s never been to the guy’s apartment.
President Nixon: Who has this story?
Haldeman: Santa Monica Outlook-—at his apartment in Santa Monica. A neighbor says he’s—-she, I guess it’s a woman—says she saw Henry Kissinger there frequently. [a38:35]
[There is a pause of approximately seven seconds.]
President Nixon: [a38:42] Henry must be torn on the Jewish business. Everyone of them is a Jew. [Leslie] Gelb∇.1 Ellsberg.
Haldeman: Henry doesn’t back off of this one at all, though. I mean, he is—
President Nixon: Oh, I know.
Haldeman: -—passionately. His argument is we’ve got to fight [unclear—-possibly “seem too weak”]. [a39:03]
1 Leslie H. Gelb was the director of policy planning and arms control for international security affairs at the Defense Department from 1967 to 1969. During this time, he served as the director of the Vietnam Study Task Force that produced the study known as the Pentagon Papers∇. (↑)