Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 2 › Conversation 002-016

Nixon phone call with Haldeman on Vietnam War and Clark MacGregor

Tuesday, April 20, 1971 · 7:30 PM–7:33 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation002-016 on Tape 2 (tape position 00:15:56–00:18:16)StartTuesday, April 20, 1971 at 7:30 PMEndTuesday, April 20, 1971 at 7:33 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 002-016 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 417187999 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon expressed frustration to H. R. Haldeman regarding a meeting with Republican Senators, specifically criticizing Clark MacGregor for allegedly prompting legislators like Howard Baker to push for an end to the Vietnam War. Nixon felt MacGregor mistakenly believed the President was uninformed on congressional sentiment and failed to effectively manage the discussion to better align with administration goals. Haldeman was tasked with holding a candid debriefing with MacGregor to address this tactical failure and was also instructed to expedite the release of relevant poll data.

Audio

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NARA Description

On April 20, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 7:30 pm to 7:33 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 002-016 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 2-16

Date: April 20, 1971
Time: 7:30 pm - 7:33 pm
Location: White House Telephone

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

     President's meeting with Republican Senators
          -Henry A. Kissinger
          -Clark MacGregor
          -Howard H. Baker, Jr.
                 -Vietnam
          -Haldeman's possible conversation with MacGregor
          -Edward J. Gurney
          -J. Caleb Boggs
          -George H.W. Bush
          -Press

     Polls

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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I didn't want to mention it while Henry was there but I think the real weakness of the meeting today was that Clark probably subconsciously felt that he had to have the fellows like Baker and all the others or about four or five of them you know tell me that we had to end the war and that so therefore he wanted him to because he had told me that of course and he wanted them to tell me well now
God damn it, he didn't have to do that, you see.
I knew that before.
And Clark should have finessed that in advance.
And you've got to have a candid talk with Clark on this.
I knew what they all felt about the war.
I knew it more deeply than they did.
I mean, I've forgotten more about politics than they'll ever learn.
But Clark, you know, sat there and he's with egg in his face.
But he sort of thought, well, this is great here.
Finally, Baker is telling him what he ought to hear, and Gurney is telling him what he ought to hear, and Boggs is telling him what he ought to hear.
See my point?
Now, maybe I'm unfair, but I just really feel that that was Clark's mistake, that he was really trying to get across to me something I already knew and that somebody, maybe you or somebody else, didn't tell him for Christ's sakes.
I knew all that stuff.
And the purpose of this meeting was to gun these guys up to, you know, to stand up for something.
Now, if they're going to be just a bunch of old farts, screw them.
That's my attitude.
Okay.
Let me, I'll cover that with him because I don't think that's, I know that isn't what he intended.
What did he intend?
Because he mentioned afterwards that he was concerned that they had
I don't mind the raising the question.
The point is that he should not have instigated him to raise it.
And I think he did because he felt that I hadn't heard it.
God damn it, Bob, I read all of his memoranda, and I read George Bush's memoranda, and I read the press.
I know more about this than Clark will ever learn.
You know that.
Sure.
Why does he have to have them come and tell me this?
Well, I honestly don't think he did, but maybe they did.
Okay.
Well, then, have a talk with him.
Right.
Fine.
In the meantime, for God's sakes, get out the poles.
I mean, why do we take them unless we get them out?
Yep.

Also recorded on April 20, 1971

  • 483-022 6:22 PM · 20 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 6:22 pm to 6:44 pm.
  • 002-015 6:44 PM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:44 pm and 7:30 pm.
  • 483-023 6:44 PM · 18 sec — United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 6:44 pm and 7:00 pm.
  • 002-017 7:33 PM · 2 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:33 pm and 7:34 pm.
  • 002-018 7:34 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 7:34 pm.
  • 002-019 7:40 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 7:40 pm to 7:43 pm.
  • 002-020 7:43 PM · 2 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:43 pm and 7:45 pm.
  • 002-021 7:45 PM · 13 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 7:45 pm to 7:57 pm.

All 56 conversations from April 20, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 002-016, April 20, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417187999). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/002-016 (accessed November 4, 2026).