Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 15 › Conversation 015-131
Nixon phone call with Haldeman on Senate adjournment and Staff coordination
Tuesday, November 23, 1971 · 7:20 PM–7:27 PM ET · White House Telephone · 9 min
AI Summary
President Nixon and H.R. Haldeman discussed rescheduling the President's upcoming appointments to accommodate a potential early departure for California, contingent on the status of Senate adjournment. They focused on consolidating meetings with advisors like John Connally, George Shultz, and Henry Kissinger into a luncheon, while postponing or shifting other meetings with individuals such as James Schlesinger, Najeeb Halaby, and Peter Wilson. The two decided to tentatively plan for a 3:00 pm departure, maintaining flexibility based on legislative developments throughout the day.
- Presidential schedule
- Senate adjournment
- Staff coordination
- White House logistics
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
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Hello.
I just talked to McGregor.
He thinks that the Senate may try to stay in tonight, fairly late.
Stay in fairly late tonight, and that tomorrow they will have only, you know, nothing to do.
So, yeah.
Now, in the event of that, I was looking at my afternoon schedule.
I think what we'll do is to move the...
the meeting that I had scheduled, you see, I said at 4.30 I'd meet with Connolly at all.
What we might do is to move, is to, after we meet with Connolly and Byrne, it'll 12 or 12, whatever it is, 11.30, 11.30, but after we finish that, maybe we just have the group and I'll have lunch with them, you see.
Set it up over EOB, you know, something like that, and
do the whole bit right then and get that done with.
How does that sound to you?
What group is it then that you want to do at 4.30?
Well, I had planned, I told, we've got to have some meeting, you know, about this whole thing.
Maybe we just get the whole group at lunch, you see, rather than at 4.30, you see.
I'd be Connelly, myself, Schultz, and this is your course.
I have lunch tomorrow.
Then what is the thing in the afternoon?
Do you have to have that?
No, it's just a second.
He just had to say hello to Pete Wilson at 4.
Yeah.
He could come earlier, couldn't he?
I would assume so, yeah.
Well, try to get him in, in fact, get him early in the morning if you want, say at 9 o'clock, rather.
Let's see, you have 9.45, now you've added...
I know, but you could move the other fellow in at 9 if you want.
Now, what else is in the afternoon?
Well, Pete would just be for a few minutes to say hello.
Yeah.
Well, why don't you get him in in the morning, 9 o'clock, rather.
9.30 or so, yeah.
do that?
I think so.
You can move in at 9.30. Who else was there in the afternoon?
Schlesinger at 3 and Halleby at 3.30.
Well, you can move Halleby at... Do you want to try to leave earlier than 5?
Oh yes, that's what I meant.
I thought we ought to leave, say, around 3 o'clock or something like that.
Yeah.
Now, uh,
The Halliburton thing is something that could really be put off the car as well.
So although he may be down for that, that was, you know, he talked to you and then... Well, you could have him at 3 o'clock and finish at 3.30 and then take off and see.
You have Schlesinger.
That could be put off, couldn't it?
Oh, sure.
The Schlesinger thing, I actually think, could be postponed and see.
do the uh yeah yeah move halibut up to three or we could try and move halibut well you can move halibut at 230 and i think you can i think postpone messenger and have uh halibut 230.
and we go right into a lunch right after we finish the others.
What do you do with Arthur about, hopefully, noon or 12.30?
Well, 12.30.
12.30.
Well, we'll figure 12.30.
12.30.
He meets at 11.30.
We have lunch at 12.30 to 1.30.
Yeah.
Well, or have lunch at 2 o'clock.
Yeah.
Make that run, and then we do Halibut at 2.30.
Halibut at 2.30 or even 2 o'clock.
Have done that.
OK.
Try to move that, move Schlesinger off, and have the other group at noon lunch, OK?
Oh, yes, yes.
Well, I've got to do that.
That would be at 12.
What time do we sing, Arthur?
Arthur's at 11.30.
Well, the Rogers meeting should be at 12.30 then.
12.15.
12.15.
And finish Arthur and then have lunch at 1 o'clock.
Right.
And to do the other meeting, finish that at 2, well, 2 or 3.30 to do an alibi, right?
Yeah.
Do an alibi at 2.
Yeah.
Alibi at 2.30 and try to leave a tree.
Might as well, you know.
Okay.
Now, we'll set it on that basis if the Senate doesn't go out.
I think they will.
I have a feeling they will.
moving in that direction.
That's right.
Why don't we do that?
Why don't we set it for three and then... We don't announce anything.
We'll announce it for three, but subject to the... We've got to tell them that...
Well, you could make that run and then do Halibut at 2.30.
Halibut at 2.30 or even 2 o'clock.
Have done with it.
If you're in the 2.30, leave at 3.
5.
Okay.
Try to move that.
Move Schlesinger off.
And have the other group at noon lunch.
Okay.
You had a... Bill Rogers...
Oh, yes.
Yes.
Well, I've got to do that.
That would be at 12.
What time do we see Arthur?
Well, the Rogers meeting should be at 12.30 then.
12.15.
12.15.
and finish Arthur and then have the have lunch at one o'clock right and uh to do the other meeting finish that at two well two or thirty thirty and do an alibi right yeah do the alibi at yeah alibi at 2 30 and try to leave a tree might as well you know okay uh now we'll set it
I think they will, I have a feeling.
They're moving in that direction.
Yes, if it would be just set up for three and just delay it.
That's right.
Why don't we do that?
Why don't we set it for three and then we don't announce anything?
We'll announce it for 3, but subject to the... Yeah.
We've got to tell them that... Well, you could tell them at 11 that I'm planning to leave at 3, depending upon... Because by 11, we'll have a pretty good picture of what the tenant's going to do.
Yeah.
We'll get the schedule cleared up so you can, and then if it doesn't work out, you can...
Right.
Right.
Okay.
Get off.
Okay, let's do that.
Bring Wilson in in the morning.
If we can't get him at 9.30, we'll run into him.
Yeah, he can come in any time.
Say hello.
Alright, fine.
Very good.
NARA Description
On November 23, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 7:20 pm to 7:27 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 015-131 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 15-131
Date: November 23, 1971
Time: 7:20 pm - 7:27 pm
Location: White House Telephone
The President talked with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
Senate adjournment
-Schedule
The President's schedule
-Meeting with John B. Connally and others
-Meeting with Connally and Arthur F. Burns
-Luncheon meeting
-Connally, George P. Shultz and Henry A. Kissinger
-Meeting with Peter B. Wilson
-Rescheduling
-Meeting with [James R.?] Schlesinger
-Meeting with Najeeb E. Halaby
-Departure time
-Schlesinger and Halaby meetings
-Rescheduling
-Meeting with Burns
-Halaby and Schlesinger meetings
-Meetings with William P. Rogers and Kissinger
-Burns meeting
-Time
-Halaby meeting
-Senate adjournment
-The President's departure for California
-Announcement
*****************************************************************
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 06/20/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[015-131-w001]
[Duration: 8s]
The President’s schedule
-Senate adjournment
-The President’s departure for California
-Rest in California
*****************************************************************
The President’s schedule
-Wilson meetingAlso recorded on November 24, 1971
- 015-129 7:16 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Clark MacGregor talked on the telephone from 7:16 pm to 7:19 pm.
- 015-130 7:19 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:19 pm and 7:20 pm.
- 624-001 12:00 AM · 3 sec — unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:00 am and 8:02 am.
- 015-132 8:02 AM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:02 am and 8:08 am.
- 624-002 8:02 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:02 am and 8:08 am.
- 624-003 8:02 AM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:02 am and 8:08 am.
- 624-004 8:02 AM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:02 am and 8:08 am.
- 015-133 8:08 AM · 37 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Clark MacGregor talked on the telephone from 8:08 am to 8:09 am.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 015-131, November 24, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/015-131 (accessed October 12, 2026).