Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 188 › Conversation 188-006
Nixon phone call with Haldeman on Public Relations and Bird Amendment
Thursday, May 18, 1972 · 5:44 PM–5:45 PM ET · Camp David Hard Wire · 1 min
AI Summary
President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman briefly discussed the administration's protocol for responding to incoming correspondence, including letters and telegrams from VIPs and other supporters. Nixon directed Haldeman to ensure that official replies were being processed for these communications. The President also briefly considered drafting a personal acknowledgment to an individual regarding their vote on the Bird Amendment, though he expressed some hesitation about the political optics of such a move.
- Correspondence
- Public Relations
- Bird Amendment
- Administration Policy
Audio
NARA Description
On May 18, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 5:44 pm to 5:45 pm. The Camp David Hard Wire taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 188-006 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 188-006 Date: May 18, 1972 Time: 5:44 pm - 5:45 pm Location: Camp David Hard Wire The President talked with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman. [See Conversation No. 130-4]
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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.
Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data
Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Each line starts with a timestamp button; press it to play the audio from that point.
Also recorded on May 18, 1972
- 130-003 5:34 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:34 pm and 5:44 pm.
- 188-003 5:34 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:34 pm and 5:44 pm.
- 188-004 5:34 PM · 20 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Beverly J. Kaye met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:34 pm and 5:44 pm.
- 188-005 5:34 PM · 2 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:34 pm and 5:44 pm.
- 130-004 5:44 PM · 59 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 5:44 pm to 5:45 pm.
- 130-005 5:45 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:45 pm and 5:55 pm.
- 188-007 5:45 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:45 pm and 5:55 pm.
- 130-006 5:55 PM · 33 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 5:55 pm to 5:56 pm.
Related conversations
- Nixon phone call with Kissinger on Otis Chandler and Press relations April 16, 1971 · 3 min
- Nixon phone call with Kissinger on Melvin R. Laird and Laos April 20, 1971 · 3 min
- Nixon phone call with Connally on International monetary affairs March 14, 1972 · 9 min
- Nixon phone call with Haldeman on International monetary affairs March 14, 1972 · 2 min
- Haldeman & Ehrlichman on Higher Education Conference Report and School Busing June 6, 1972 · 2 min
- Nixon phone call with Haig on Watergate and Melvin Laird June 4, 1973 · 10 min
Cite this conversation
Conversation 188-006, May 18, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417174533). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/188-006 (accessed October 30, 2026).