Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 20 › Conversation 020-030

Nixon phone call with Haldeman on Edmund Muskie and Vietnam War

Wednesday, February 2, 1972 · 3:03 PM–3:06 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation020-030 on Tape 20 (tape position 00:59:49–01:02:02)StartWednesday, February 2, 1972 at 3:03 PMEndWednesday, February 2, 1972 at 3:06 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 020-030 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman discuss political strategy regarding a response to a recent speech by Senator Edmund Muskie. The pair debate whether to ignore the comments or launch a counter-attack to exploit Muskie's vulnerabilities on the Vietnam War. Nixon decides to draft a memorandum for Patrick Buchanan outlining specific talking points, while they consider potential surrogates, such as Hugh Scott or Secretary of State William Rogers, to deliver the rebuttal.

Audio

Download MP3 · 3.0 MB

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).

Hello.

Mr. Hallman, Mr. President.

Hello.

Oh, I had talked to, I just finished talking with Henry on this muskie thing and so forth.

I wondered if you were going to propose to Bill that he answer the thing, or if you had done so.

Well, working on what we do on answers, I think we probably should, but the question is, you know, if he doesn't get any play, whether we make a mistake by building him up.

I mean, by building up the attack.

Well, I wonder if you aren't getting a ride.

If you aren't missing an opportunity, however, to nail him with a... Maybe.

I mean, I'm just dictating a little memorandum to you for a discussion with Buchanan so that he can write up the talking points.

And I'll finish it within another 10 or 15 minutes.

But the point is that here's...

I mean, he is wide open on the...

idea.

First, those who got us into the war are sabotaging the President's efforts to get us out.

That's musky.

And so on down the line.

But you think the best thing to do is just to wait and let it get a ride first and then attack?

Not on the low level.

answer attack because whatever it rides with needs to ride with an answer.

Yeah, that's the point, yeah.

Well, I'll go ahead and dictate this answer and then send it over to you.

Okay.

Or dictate some talking points that maybe can be made and we'll see.

All right.

But who would be the low-level one that could do it?

Have you got any candidates?

Scott, maybe?

Let me check and see what we've got on the hill.

It depends.

If we can get

If something's gotten, if we've been trying to push that first, if something's moving on that and that's getting as much level as his thing is, it may be better to leave it there.

I don't know.

Maybe we want to escalate it and push it up with Bill.

All right, fine.

Well, let me just think my thoughts through first, okay?

Yes, sir.

NARA Description

On February 2, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 3:03 pm to 3:06 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 020-030 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 20-30

Date: February 2, 1972
Time: 3:03 pm - 3:06 pm
Location: White House Telephone

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

[See Conversation No. 318-25]

     Response to Edmund S. Muskie speech
          -Henry A. Kissinger
          -William P. Rogers
          -Strategy
                -The President’s memorandum to Haldeman
                     -Patrick J. Buchanan

                           -Talking points
                -Vietnam
                -Press coverage
                -Rebuttal
                      -Talking points
                      -Hugh Scott
                      -Rogers

Also recorded on February 2, 1972

318-025 3:03 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:03 pm to 3:06 pm.
020-031 3:06 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:06 pm and 3:17 pm.
318-026 3:06 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:06 pm and 3:17 pm.
318-027 3:06 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:06 pm and 3:17 pm.
318-028 3:06 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:06 pm and 3:17 pm.
318-029 3:06 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:06 pm and 3:17 pm.
318-030 3:06 PM · 6 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 3:06 pm and 3:17 pm.
318-031 3:06 PM · 29 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Hobart D. Lewis met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:06 pm and 3:17 pm.

All 71 conversations from February 2, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 020-030, February 2, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/020-030 (accessed October 23, 2026).