Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 2 › Conversation 002-055

Nixon phone call with Haldeman on People's Republic of China

Wednesday, April 28, 1971 · 7:33 PM–7:45 PM ET · White House Telephone · 10 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation002-055 on Tape 2 (tape position 01:58:09–02:09:54)StartWednesday, April 28, 1971 at 7:33 PMEndWednesday, April 28, 1971 at 7:45 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 002-055 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 417188071 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and H.R. Haldeman discuss the management of diplomatic communications regarding the People's Republic of China and Vietnam, specifically emphasizing the need to avoid sensitive written cables to Secretary of State William Rogers. The President plans to address these foreign policy matters and potential diplomatic initiatives during an upcoming press conference rather than disclosing them prematurely to subordinates or the media. Additionally, the pair briefly reviews current domestic news, including developments in a Capitol bombing case and ongoing narcotics-related media reports.

Audio

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NARA Description

On April 28, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 7:33 pm to 7:45 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 002-055 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 2-55

Date: April 28, 1971
Time: 7:33 pm - 7:45 pm
Location: White House Telephone

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

     Stock market
          -Rise
          -Hobart Rowen

     Time magazine
          -Story on Edward M. (“Ted”) Kennedy
          -Charles W. Colson
          -Louis [Surname unknown]
          -Newsweek

     James D. Hodgson
          -President's conversation with George P. Shultz
                -Cabinet

     People’s Republic of China [PRC]
          -William P. Rogers
                -Statement of US-Soviet relations
                -Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
                -Vietnam
                -Haldeman's possible conversation with Rogers
                -President's press conference, April 29, 1971
                      -Trip
                -Rogers
                -President's conference with editors
                -Rogers

     John N. Mitchell
          -Henry A. Kissinger
          -Marshall Green

     Arrest in Capitol bombing case
          -Story in Washington Star

     Narcotics
          -Newspaper story
          -Colson
          -Kennedy

Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 5 minutes of this recording (about 53% of it) is represented by only a few words. Listen to the audio rather than relying on the text below; a corrected transcript is queued.

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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Never more than an hour and a half late.
Things like that.
Yeah, yeah.
The other thing is that, uh...
I would, uh...
I just told Schultz today that they... they should rush this in two minutes.
I just thought it would be a hell of a train, and it would inspire him.
It would probably inspire the whole goddamn cabin crew.
You know, really.
He should have seen it.
That's how to wait for it today.
Sorry, I'm also pretty upset about that too.
I'm upset.
You can't charge me unless they're trying to collide.
I know.
They can't charge me, so we're going to wait.
I said postpone the wait.
How can we be in time?
I'm not going to make a big decision like this in an absolute way.
So it's done.
It's done.
It's 8 o'clock in the morning.
I'll consent to graduate today.
I don't have time for that.
Oh Christ!
That's terrible!
So, Al was terribly disturbed, and he asked, and I told him to go ahead and do it, if he could send a cable from East to Rochester, something to do at Apple, because there'd be no further reception in Vietnam.
So, the kind of initiative on the trip, on the trip, and there's four reasons that you would explain on the trip.
Huh.
Yeah, so I told him to go ahead and do it.
Good.
Well now wait a minute.
Why don't you call him on the phone?
That's my phone.
Call him on the phone.
They always worry about that.
Oh, screw the worry.
There isn't anything to worry about.
The goddamn plane, nobody's going to do anything.
You know that.
That's just bullshit.
What the hell is he going to say, though, that there's a dividend for us?
What's the name?
Well, God, you don't say that.
Of course there is.
That's what we privately think.
But you don't say that.
That irritates both the Chinese and the Russians.
Both.
I don't want the thing I don't want to do with a thing that troubles your wires.
It makes me tell him what we're doing when he gets back.
He may not be ready.
Well, we just want him to get back.
You know, these days, with all the things that we're developing here, it's hard to get him back.
It's hard to get him back.
Why don't you just tell him?
Why don't you just call him and tell him what you've done?
You've got problems with senators.
Senators are a hell of a lot of people.
You've got to be cool with them.
Of course, I tell you what, I'll fool with Carr in the press conference the last meeting.
I'm going to say it's not helpful to say that.
You know what I mean?
I'm going to lay it out.
Maybe that's the best way.
If I send you a wire...
No, but I'm going to cover tomorrow night.
No, but after I say I didn't.
I'm not sure you ought to elevate us with wire.
I don't want to let him in on this game yet, you know.
I don't want to get...
I haven't done any reading.
I haven't stopped it.
It doesn't mean anything.
It doesn't mean anything.
Just let me hit it in the front.
It'll be out.
I don't care.
Just let me hit it in the front.
I don't care.
and I will comment on these things.
You know what I mean?
I'll hit it.
Word.
You know what I mean?
I'll hit it.
What the hell are you gonna do?
Don't.
I'd call him.
Okay.
Okay.
Okay.
Okay.
Okay.
Okay.
Maybe, maybe you're calling him and he'll start to pave the way.
What do you think?
He's probably going down there.
I don't think he's going down.
But don't do it by a wire.
That's the way to do it.
Okay.
He's calling.
I don't want to discuss it on the phone.
I want to do it on our property.
We shouldn't go beyond what the president said and said.
Answer to the editor.
Huh?
Alright, how's that?
What are you really trying to do?
The problem is, it escalates.
If it does one thing, it gets right ahead of us.
I have no more questions.
I appreciate that.
Okay.
You might have to pull off.
Yeah, way better than Dr. Patel, right?
Well, I don't think so.
You can't come by Dr. Patel.
Dr. Patel, huh?
No.
Yeah, and if I tell him, he doesn't do it.
Okay, fine.
I noticed also that the star plate takes the rest of somebody on the bomb.
Some girl, she's on a hippie pad or something.
So, it's a registered material, right?
Oh, okay.
Another dog's got a tail.
Yep.
They must have one.
Yep.
Also, another story, it's a kitty.
Bad stuff.
Narcotic stuff.
Yeah, I noticed that.
I didn't see Victoria, but I hope so.
Well, that's the layback.
That's the stuff to get around.
Yep, yep.
Are our guys making any decisions so far?
Both of them.
Seem to be a little surprised.
Hold on.
Hold on.
Hold on.
Hold on.
Hold on.
That's good.
Okay.

Also recorded on April 28, 1971

  • 002-056 7:45 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:45 pm and 7:48 pm.
  • 002-057 7:48 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 7:48 pm to 7:50 pm.
  • 002-058 7:52 PM · 50 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 7:52 pm to 7:53 pm.
  • 042-070 8:14 PM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:14 pm and 9:08 pm.
  • 252-021 8:14 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 8:14 pm and 9:08 pm.
  • 252-022 8:14 PM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 8:14 pm and 9:08 pm.
  • 042-071 9:08 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 9:08 pm.
  • 042-072 9:08 PM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:08 pm and 9:20 pm.

All 46 conversations from April 28, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 002-055, April 28, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417188071). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/002-055 (accessed November 3, 2026).