Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 20 › Conversation 020-087
Nixon, Haldeman & Buchanan on Press relations and Vietnam War
Wednesday, February 9, 1972 · 3:38 PM–11:59 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min
AI Summary
H. R. Haldeman and Patrick Buchanan review the President’s recent press conference, assessing its effectiveness and impact on public perception. They discuss the substance of Nixon’s delivery, particularly his handling of Vietnam questions and his strong stance on busing. The conversation highlights the administration's strategic timing regarding busing legislation in light of the President’s upcoming trip to the People's Republic of China.
Audio
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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.
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NARA Description
On February 9, 1972, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, President Richard M. Nixon, and Patrick J. Buchanan talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:38 pm and 11:59 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 020-087 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 20-87
Date: February 9, 1972
Time: Unknown after 3:38 pm
Location: White House Telephone
H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman talked with the White House operator; the President can be heard in the
background.
Request for a call to Patrick Buchanan
Unknown book
Haldeman talked with Buchanan.
Public relations
-President's handling of press conference
-Substantive issues
-Eloquence
-Coverage of desired points
-Delivery
-Pace
-Length
-Wire coverage
-Vietnam questions
-Questions and answers preparation
-Nguyen Van Thieu mention
-William P. Rogers
-Transcript
-Busing
-Congressional action
-The President’s forthcoming trip to the People’s Republic of China
[PRC]
-Forthcoming meeting
-Questions on Haldeman
-George S. McGovernAlso recorded on February 9, 1972
- 020-084 2:52 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone from 2:52 pm to 2:57 pm.
- 321-012 2:57 PM · 8 sec — 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 2:57 pm and 3:15 pm.
- 321-013 2:57 PM · 23 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 2:57 pm and 3:15 pm.
- 321-014 3:15 PM · 16 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Manolo Sanchez, and John D. Ehrlichman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:15 pm to 3:40 pm.
- 020-086 3:36 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 3:36 pm to 3:38 pm.
- 321-015 3:40 PM · 32 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building on an unknown date, sometime between 3:40 pm on February 9, 1972 and 12:29 pm on March 8, 1972.
- 321-016 3:40 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building on an unknown date, sometime between 3:40 pm on February 9, 1972 and 12:29 pm on March 8, 1972.
- 321-017 3:40 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building on an unknown date, sometime between 3:40 pm on February 9, 1972 and 12:29 pm on March 8, 1972.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 020-087, February 9, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/020-087 (accessed October 2, 2026).