Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 22 › Conversation 022-150

Nixon phone call with Woods on Camp David and Vietnam War

Sunday, April 16, 1972 · 10:55 AM–2:25 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Woods, Rose MaryConversation022-150 on Tape 22 (tape position 05:47:31–05:49:14)StartSunday, April 16, 1972 at 10:55 AMEndSunday, April 16, 1972 at 2:25 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 022-150 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and his personal secretary, Rose Mary Woods, discuss the cancellation of a planned trip to Camp David due to inclement weather and coordinate Woods's availability for the remainder of the day. During the call, Woods relays supportive sentiments from Arthur Burns regarding the President’s recent decision to escalate Vietnam air strikes despite potential political fallout. Nixon emphasizes his resolve to avoid losing the war, citing the significant deployment of naval and air assets as evidence of his commitment.

Audio

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Yeah.
Miss Woods, sir.
Yeah.
Hello.
Hello.
Hi, Rose.
What I was calling you about is now I've been put off for a while.
We were thinking of going to Camp David for the afternoon, but there's a hell of a thunderstorm up there.
Oh, I see.
So we can't go.
I was over there at the office around the left about 5 or 12 and went to church and came on home.
No, no, I just called you to see if we, but we were going to go at 1 o'clock and we found we couldn't go.
couldn't make it yeah it looks a little like there might be a thunderstorm somewhere well i just ran into arthur burns as i was coming back into my building oh yeah and he said you know he said i i just have to tell you that i am so proud he said i know that that this could this what the president's having to do now could be politically bad it's the only honorable honest
Yeah.
Good for him.
He's done it, and he said, I've been telling everybody, he knows what the political consequences are.
He was so proud he got tears in his eyes.
I'm not worried about it.
Political or not, we're not going to lose the war.
That's the point.
And we don't need to.
That's the point.
No, we don't.
We're putting it all on the line, and they know it, too.
Yeah, well, that's... We sure got those ships and planes in there now like nobody's business.
Yeah.
Well, anyway, if you would like to... Are you free this afternoon and evening or not?
What is your situation?
Sure, I'm just working on, you know... Fine.
Well, why don't you stay free and we'll...
If we're not, we'll have dinner here or maybe on the boat or go up there at 4, 3.30 or 4, but we'll see.
Okay?
Okay.
I'll call you later.
Bye.
All right.
Bye.

NARA Description

On April 16, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:55 am and 2:25 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 022-150 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 22-150

Date: April 16, 1972
Time: Unknown between 10:55 am and 2:25 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Rose Mary Woods.

     Camp David
         -Postponement
              -Weather

     Woods’s schedule

     Vietnam
          -Air strikes
                -Arthur F. Burns
                      -Previous talk with Woods
                           -Support for the President
          -Political consequences

          -Ships and planes

     Woods’s schedule
         -Dinner
               -Sequoia
               -Camp David

Also recorded on April 16, 1972

  • 022-133 10:55 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:55 am and 1:00 pm.
  • 022-134 10:55 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:55 am and 1:00 pm.
  • 022-135 10:55 AM · 42 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:55 am and 1:00 pm.
  • 022-136 10:55 AM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:55 am and 1:00 pm.
  • 022-137 10:55 AM · 35 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and John V. Brennan talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:55 am and 1:00 pm.
  • 022-138 10:55 AM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:55 am and 1:00 pm.
  • 022-139 10:55 AM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:55 am and 1:00 pm.
  • 022-140 10:55 AM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:55 am and 1:00 pm.

All 45 conversations from April 16, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 022-150, April 16, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/022-150 (accessed October 19, 2026).