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Conversation 131-023

TapeTape 131StartThursday, May 18, 1972 at 7:59 AMEndThursday, May 18, 1972 at 8:05 AMTape start time01:33:03Tape end time01:39:07ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Recording deviceCamp David Study Table
AI Summary

President Nixon and H.R. Haldeman discussed political optics, specifically regarding Vice Presidential speculation and the administration's strategy for managing unfavorable press coverage. They evaluated the public response to the upcoming Soviet summit and the potential for a campaign to expose media hypocrisy regarding the President's Vietnam policies. Additionally, they deliberated the logistical and political implications of a presidential visit to George Wallace following his assassination attempt, while also assessing the anticipated developments in the Vietnam conflict.

Vice Presidential speculationMedia strategySoviet Union summitVietnam WarGeorge WallacePublic opinion polls
AudioNARA Description

On May 18, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 7:59 am to 8:05 am. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 131-023 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 131-23

Date: May 18, 1972
Time: 7:59 am - 8:05 am
Location: Camp David Study Table

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

[See also Conversation No. 190-17]

     Henry A. Kissinger

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[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 11/03/2017.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[131-023-w001]
[Duration: 51s]

     Vice Presidential speculation
          -John Connally
                -Columnists
          -Spiro T. Agnew
                -Party
                      -Tricia Nixon Cox’s attendance
          -Gallup poll
                -Support for Spiro T. Agnew
                -John Connally
                -Charles Percy
          -Effect on the President’s strength
               -Spiro T. Agnew
               -John Connally

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     Press coverage
           -George P. Shultz
           -John B. Connally
           -Soviet Union summit
                 -Washington Post editorial
                 -Impact
                 -Vietnam
           -President's previous speech on Vietnam blockade
                 -Charles W. Colson
                 -Parallel to Cambodia
                       -James Keogh
                 -Administration campaign against the press
           -George C. Wallace shooting

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

[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 11/03/2017.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[131-023-w002]
[Duration: 34s]

Press coverage
       -Democratic position
               -George C. Wallace’s ability to campaign
                     -George S. McGovern

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     Press coverage
           -Vietnam
                -South Vietnamese offensive
                -Kontum
                     -Date
                     -Ho Chi Minh’s birthday
                     -Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
                     -Date
                     -Effect
                           -Soviet Summit
                           -Expectations

     President's schedule
          -Wallace
               -Visit by President
               -Transfer to Walter Reed Hospital
               -Visit by President
                     -Logistics
                     -Location
               -Visitors
                     -Family
                     -Doctors
                     -Staff
                     -Hubert H. Humphrey
                     -George S. McGovern
Transcript (AI-Generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

Yes, sir.
Well, what's the dope this morning?
Just waiting for Henry to get over here.
Not very much.
The news is still pretty good.
The columnists are all running their Conley speculations.
Vice president now, is it?
Yeah.
Well, you know, Trisha's going to go to Ag News parties tomorrow night.
That'll screw him up a little.
That's all right.
Let him speculate.
Well, the Gallup poll came out yesterday showing Agnew as being the way up favorite choice of Republicans for vice president, way up from where he's been.
Of course, of course.
You know, 15 points or something.
Sure, sure, sure.
And Conley ties with Chuck Percy for fourth place.
Yeah.
Well, that's understandable.
He's not a candidate in the Republican side where his strength would come if you put him in as a
running mate.
See, Agnew doesn't add to me and then Connolly does.
That's the difference.
Yeah.
But anyway.
Right.
They're basically still very positive on, Chris, very positive on Schultz, very positive on Connolly.
Are they positive on Schultz?
Yeah.
Good.
Positive on Connolly.
I think we're through that one in pretty good shape except for some of the guys that will come in late and shoot it down.
Right, right.
And the Washington Post runs itself up an editorial saying they certainly are doing some momentous things at the summit.
Hope that I don't blow it.
And they spend all the rest of the time saying, gee, it would be terrible if it doesn't work out.
You mean work out why?
Because of Vietnam?
Or anything else, yeah.
They just can't bring themselves to decide that it's a good thing all the way around.
That's nice.
as how it'll be helpful if it does work out.
Yeah.
And that's really confusing them, that summit thing, I think.
Don't you think so?
They don't know what the hell to do about it.
They all predicted it.
I got Colson and, you know, I showed you how these exercises worked well.
I said, now look here.
I want you to go back and read what the editorial writers, the columnists, and the commentators said immediately after.
The mining speech.
Right, he's pulling all that out.
And he's pulling it out, and he says, it's the goddamnedest thing you ever read.
Sure.
Remember, it's what Keogh said when he went back and read about Cambodia.
He said he didn't realize that all these people were saying World War III, horrible thing, reckless to do.
That's right.
That's all there.
And I said, now hammer them on it and get a speech made on it and so forth.
In other words, make them eat their words, Bob.
They have the luxury of just popping off.
And then being forgotten when it doesn't happen.
That's right.
Nothing, nothing further than the Wallace thing.
Just a lot of confused attempt at trying to figure out what it really means.
A general conclusion that leaves the Democrats in a very difficult position.
And a lot of concern about how it, you know, where it all comes out.
They're building him into a campaigning force.
trying to say, even if he is paralyzed.
You mean he'll go out and campaign for McGovern, huh?
There'll be some pretty good news out of Vietnam.
They're continuing their offensive actions out of the
I guess tomorrow is the day we're supposed to get the bang on Khantoum because of Chimin's birthday.
We've been saying it for weeks, but maybe that's the day.
But my point is that they do do it.
I don't think that it's going to have all that much effect with us taking off the next day for the sun.
Do you think so?
I don't know.
Khantoum might.
No, I think that it's been pretty well discounted anyway.
And it's been expected to fall for a month now.
Yeah.
Day by day.
Do you have any further thoughts with regard to the visit to Wallace?
What is he going over there?
You don't know yet.
Don't know.
We'll have a better reading probably mid-day today.
All right.
And I think we ought to figure out what we do.
Well, there is a possibility.
Go to the other place.
You sent somebody out to look to see whether we could land near the other place and then drive to it.
Yeah, there's some possibilities, but it's...
I think I wouldn't mind even doing that, you know, just land near there in a parking lot and then just get the hell over there and see them.
How far is it from the White House, that other place?
Not very far.
You could drive in from there after you.
Well, it's probably a little better than a half-hour run.
We see it might be just as easy to drive if you have to get the helicopter and go in.
But on the other hand, the helicopter has some advantages, too.
If you can get a helicopter that can land five minutes away, that's the thing to do.
I think the idea of calling him is good, don't you?
The more I've thought about it.
If you just go out and call on him unexpectedly.
Has anybody else seen him except his family?
Some of it is campaign people.
Oh, sure, sure.
But not Humphrey or McGovern and all that.
I don't believe so.
That's not up to now.
Yeah.
Well, that's going to pose a problem.
Okay.
Bye.
Thank you.
All right.
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