Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 16 › Conversation 016-088

Nixon phone call with Haldeman on Camp David and Jerrold Schecter

Friday, December 10, 1971 · 7:53 PM–7:59 PM ET · White House Telephone · 7 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation016-088 on Tape 16 (tape position 03:17:44–03:24:23)StartFriday, December 10, 1971 at 7:53 PMEndFriday, December 10, 1971 at 7:59 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 016-088 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and H.R. Haldeman discuss the President's upcoming trip to Camp David and the planning for a television special featuring Julie Nixon Eisenhower. The conversation covers logistical arrangements for potential visits by Henry Kissinger and journalist Jerrold Schecter to discuss administration business, including the ongoing India-Pakistan War. Additionally, they review the President’s recent interview with Schecter, with Nixon emphasizing the importance of managing press perception and ensuring the positive tone of the resulting article.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 2 minutes of this recording (about 26% of it) is represented by only a few words. Listen to the audio rather than relying on the text below; a corrected transcript is queued.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Oh, Bob, you got the word that we're going forward on the Julie special.
Yeah, Julie may have told you.
I don't know if you heard her separately.
I had a long talk with her.
She said to take one more stab at it tonight.
Rose said she did a superb job.
Yeah, she did.
I'm going to drive up to Camp David now at 8.30.
I feel that it's good for me to get away.
Did you check the choppers?
No, I felt I should drive.
I think that the chopper is, you know, it's foggy and everything.
I don't want to fart around in the air.
So I said after 8.30 I'll leave.
Anybody?
Anybody you want to go?
No, everybody's
That's right.
I know.
Henry could come up tomorrow if you want.
Okay, good.
He could be free at noon and come up.
I also want to do it, but I want to talk to Ron about the Indian Packers.
Right, right, sure.
Yeah, it's all about that.
He probably won't.
I was going to say he may call you tomorrow.
That's fine.
I'll take the call.
Okay.
Sure.
Okay.
He should call me.
He should.
I'll call him next.
I'll make everything go.
I'll call him.
Well, everything, I think we're in good shape on that.
You know, you've got to say this.
By God, McGregor has done a fantastic job.
Has he?
I gave Schechter an hour, actually.
But it was all right.
Did you take him over to the residence?
Oh, good.
I took him the whole thing.
I was thinking, too, that if it's all right with me, if he would come up tomorrow and I could show him the room, it's perfectly all right.
Is that a yes?
I think it's a good thing, really, that he sees the room where I do the real work.
Did you mention that to him at all?
Oh, of course.
No.
But, uh... What's that about him?
About him?
Not the court.
No.
Now, he could go up on the same chopper with Henry.
He'd go up with Henry on the chopper.
Then he could send me back, uh... Yeah.
...by car, something like that.
Mm-hmm.
Then have Ollie or one of Ollie's people go up so that Ollie can get some shots at Camp David that he doesn't have for his private collection.
You know, for this thing.
Okay.
It would be a good time to get those shots.
I'll walk around.
You don't want pictures of the stretchers?
No.
I don't think you should give time to them.
No, there should be no picture of Schechter at Camp David.
All I should have pictures.
I don't think time should have a picture up there.
Don't you agree or do you?
No, I don't think they should.
Yes, I agree they should not have a picture.
But I think it isn't a bad idea at all.
You arranged that with Ross.
But I think we gave Schecter a good feel of the thing.
I don't know how you'll write it, but I gave him a good feel of the whole thing.
I was very outgoing, and I told him my feelings about the press, that I understood completely.
I never was personal.
I never let it interfere with the, you know, things like that.
Okay.
Well, that should help you in full tone.
I do.
I love it because I understand what you're saying.
Right.
Well, we've got to make this piece as good as it can be, and it'll be better if I give a little time.
We may have no excuse for not doing well.
Everything else on salvo?
Yeah.
It really was a good day getting ready for this.
All right.
I had a good talk with Conway afterwards, too, about the fact that he was in good shape.
Then up there, none of you need to go, you know what I mean, do what you have to do, because I know all of you are busy.
Stay here, do your job, get ready for a trip.
I'll be up there.
That's all.
But if Henry can come up, fine.
But if Henry feels that India-Pakistan is more important, he doesn't need to come up.
Let Schechter drive up.
Okay.
Okay?
Sure.
You work it out with Ron.
Right.
Fine.
Also, you might check with Ron to see how Schechter felt about the interview.
I would like to have a feeling as to how he feels.
Okay?
But I would have a little, before I see him, I'd like to know how Schechter feels.
Okay?
Right.
Ron can check that out.
Okay.
All right.
Thank you.
Right.

NARA Description

On December 10, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 7:53 pm to 7:59 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 016-088 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 16-88

Date: December 10, 1971
Time: 7:53 pm - 7:59 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.

     Julie Nixon Eisenhower's TV Special
           -Rose Mary Woods

*****************************************************************

*****************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 06/18/2019.
32s segment cleared for release. 28s remain closed as 016-088-w001.]
[Personal Returnable]
[016-088-w001]
[Duration: 28s]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

*****************************************************************

[Personal Returnable]
[016-088-w001]
[Duration: 32s]

     Julie Nixon Eisenhower's TV special
           -Positive attributes
                 -Dogs
                 -Decorations
                 -Thelma C. (Ryan) (“Pat”) Nixon

*****************************************************************

     The President's schedule
          -Camp David
               -Drive
               -Helicopter
               -Timing
               -Henry A. Kissinger
                      -Talking paper
                      -Trip to Camp David
               -India-Pakistan War
                      -Possible telephone call
               -William P. Rogers
               -Clark MacGregor
               -Jerrold L. Schecter
                      -Interview
                            -Duration
                      -Possible trip to Camp David

                           -Helicopter
                                 -Kissinger
                           -Oliver F. (“Ollie”) Atkins
                                 -Photographs
                                       -Schecter
                                       -Time
                           -Ronald L. Ziegler
                     -Interview
                           -President's style
                           -Press
                     -Possible article
          -Christmas television special
          -John B. Connally
               -Tax bill
          -Camp David
               -Trip [to Azores]
                     -Kissinger
                           -India-Pakistan War
                     -Schecter
                           -View of interview
                                 -Ziegler

Also recorded on December 11, 1971

  • 016-089 7:59 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:59 pm and 8:01 pm.
  • 016-090 8:01 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 8:01 pm.
  • 016-091 8:01 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:01 pm and 8:06 pm.
  • 016-092 8:06 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 8:06 pm to 8:09 pm.
  • 016-093 8:09 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:09 pm and 8:12 pm.
  • 016-094 8:09 PM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:09 pm and 8:12 pm.
  • 016-095 8:12 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and George E. Allen talked on the telephone from 8:12 pm to 8:15 pm.
  • 016-096 8:15 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 8:15 pm.

All 10 conversations from December 11, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 016-088, December 11, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/016-088 (accessed September 18, 2026).