Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 19 › Conversation 019-096

Nixon phone call with Haig on Netherlands and J. William Middendorf II

Wednesday, January 26, 1972 · 10:42 AM–10:43 AM ET · White House Telephone · 45 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haig, Alexander M., Jr.Conversation019-096 on Tape 19StartWednesday, January 26, 1972 at 10:42 AMEndWednesday, January 26, 1972 at 10:43 AMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 019-096 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon directs Alexander Haig to have Ambassador J. William Middendorf II join his upcoming meeting with the Prime Minister of the Netherlands to minimize the time commitment required from the President. By including the Ambassador, Nixon seeks to characterize the visit as a social call and create a scheduling buffer that allows him to excuse himself afterward. This arrangement serves to streamline the President's schedule by avoiding a planned individual follow-up session with the Ambassador.

Audio

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Yeah, look, have Mittendorf sit in with this Prime Minister.
Is there any reason he can't?
Otherwise, I've got to waste a half hour talking to him afterwards.
No, I think...
I mean, is there any reason?
not that i'm aware of sir yeah you know what i mean this guy really shouldn't be seeing even except he's a dutchman that's right jesus christ i mean it's a pure social call you know to crap around about some of the stuff of that but god damn it our ambassador sits in all right fine and it isn't the kind of private talk i usually have the ambassador sits in good and then i and then tell me i'm sorry but i'm tied up
Right afterwards, see?
Right.
See, because they have him on now for a half-hour meeting after the prime minister, and I just haven't got that much time to spend on Holland today.
Good, Mr. President.
Yeah, so, okay.
All right.

NARA Description

On January 26, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone from 10:42 am to 10:43 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 019-096 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 19-96

Date: January 26, 1972
Time: 10:42 am - 10:43 am
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

[See Conversation No. 656-10E]

     The President's schedule
          -The Prime Minister of the Netherlands
               -J. William Middendorf, II

Also recorded on January 26, 1972

  • 019-092 10:02 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:02 am and 10:11 am.
  • 656-008 10:02 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:02 am and 10:08 am.
  • 656-009 10:02 AM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Paul J. Fannin met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:02 am and 10:08 am.
  • 656-010 10:08 AM · 1 hr 54 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Henry A. Kissinger, Paul J. Fannin, White House operator, William P. Rogers, Stephen B. Bull, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., Barend W. Biesheuvel, J. William Middendorf, II, White House photographer, unknown person(s), and Baron Rijnard B. Van Lynden met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:08 am to 12:02 pm.
  • 019-093 10:11 AM · 43 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Paul J. Fannin talked on the telephone from 10:11 am to 10:12 am.
  • 019-094 10:12 AM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:12 am and 10:17 am.
  • 019-181 10:17 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and William P. Rogers talked on the telephone from 10:17 am to 10:18 am.
  • 019-095 10:18 AM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:18 am and 10:42 am.

All 102 conversations from January 26, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 019-096, January 26, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/019-096 (accessed October 6, 2026).