Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 2 › Conversation 002-080
Nixon phone call with Haldeman on Civil Unrest and Law and Order
Tuesday, May 4, 1971 · 7:49 PM–7:52 PM ET · White House Telephone · 3 min
AI Summary
President Nixon and H.R. Haldeman discuss the administration’s strategy for responding to ongoing civil unrest and related legal issues, specifically advising a steadfast, "hard line" approach. Nixon emphasizes his refusal to yield to domestic critics or "do-good" lawyers, maintaining that the administration must prioritize public order over political optics. The conversation serves to reinforce internal resolve and ensure that subordinates remain committed to this firm stance despite negative media coverage.
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 2 minutes of this recording (about 72% 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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.
Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data
Each line starts with a timestamp button; press it to play the audio from that point.
NARA Description
On May 4, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 7:49 pm to 7:52 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 002-080 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 2-80 Date: May 4, 1971 Time: 7:49 pm - 7:52 pm Location: White House Telephone The President talked with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman. [A transcript of the following portion of this conversation was prepared under court order from December 1978 through March 1979 for Special Access 8, Ronald V. Dellums, et al. v. James M. Powell, et al., No. 71-2271. The National Archives and Records Administration produced this transcript. The National Archives does not guarantee its accuracy.] [End of transcript]
Also recorded on May 4, 1971
- 490-024 3:07 PM — President Richard M. Nixon, Manolo Sanchez, John D. Ehrlichman, George P. Shultz, unknown person(s), Ronald L. Ziegler, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, Stephen B. Bull, Walter E. Washington, Arthur F. Burns, Paul W. McCracken, Paul A. Volcker, Richard G. Kleindienst, and John B. Connally met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:07 pm to 6:19 pm.
- 002-073 4:10 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:10 pm and 4:20 pm.
- 002-074 4:20 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Walter E. Washington talked on the telephone from 4:20 pm to 4:22 pm.
- 002-075 4:22 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:22 pm and 4:27 pm.
- 002-076 4:29 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Richard G. Kleindienst talked on the telephone from 4:29 pm to 4:31 pm.
- 002-077 4:31 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:31 pm and 7:46 pm.
- 002-078 7:46 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John B. Connally talked on the telephone from 7:46 pm to 7:47 pm.
- 002-079 7:47 PM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:47 pm and 7:49 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 002-080, May 4, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/002-080 (accessed October 12, 2026).