Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 153 › Conversation 153-040

Nixon phone call with Haldeman on Second term reorganization

Friday, November 17, 1972 · 12:44 PM–12:45 PM ET · Camp David Study Table · 43 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation153-040 on Tape 153StartFriday, November 17, 1972 at 12:44 PMEndFriday, November 17, 1972 at 12:45 PMRecording deviceCamp David Study TableSourceNixon Library record for 153-040 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and H.R. Haldeman discuss the potential restructuring of executive appointments and diplomatic portfolios for the second term. The conversation centers on the feasibility of Peter G. Peterson’s new role, specifically regarding the impracticality of combining East-West trade duties with European Economic Council responsibilities. Consequently, Nixon instructs Haldeman to have George Shultz propose merging the EEC and NATO ambassadorships into a single, unified position.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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.
Mr. Haldeman?
Yeah.
There you are.
Hello.
One other thing that Henry raised, and we were talking with George on also, is on the Peterson point that...
A, the likelihood of his taking that isn't very good, and B, that there's no way realistically to combine an east-west trade responsibility, which has got to be based here with EEC, which has got to be based over there.
All right.
And he reopens the question of combining EEC and NATO so that you have one super ambassador in Europe.
All right.
Tell George to offer that.
Is that okay?
Tell George to offer that instead.
Right.
Okay.
Okay.

NARA Description

On November 17, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 12:44 pm to 12:45 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 153-040 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 153-40

Date: November 17, 1972
Time: 12:44 pm - 12:45 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table

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

[See Conversation No. 226-7]

       Second term reorganization
            -Peter G. Peterson
                  -Haldeman’s recent conversation with Henry A. Kissinger
                        -Haldeman’s and Kissinger’s conversations with George P. Shultz
                  -New position
                        -Problems
                              -Likelihood of acceptance
                              -East-West trade responsibility
                                    -European Economic Council [EEC]
                              -EEC and North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO]
                               ambassadorship
                                    -Instruction for Shultz

Also recorded on November 17, 1972

  • 153-039 12:40 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 12:40 pm to 12:43 pm.
  • 226-006 12:40 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 12:40 pm to 12:43 pm.
  • 226-007 12:44 PM · 43 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 12:44 pm to 12:45 pm.
  • 153-041 12:45 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 12:45 pm and 12:49 pm.
  • 226-008 12:45 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 12:45 pm and 12:49 pm.
  • 153-042 12:49 PM · 37 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 12:49 pm to 12:50 pm.
  • 226-009 12:49 PM · 34 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 12:49 pm to 12:50 pm.
  • 153-043 12:50 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 12:50 pm and 1:04 pm.

All 27 conversations from November 17, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 153-040, November 17, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/153-040 (accessed September 22, 2026).