Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 31 › Conversation 031-047

Nixon phone call with Haldeman on Herbert W. Kalmbach and John B. Connally

Sunday, October 15, 1972 · 8:48 PM–8:55 PM ET · White House Telephone · 4 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation031-047 on Tape 31StartSunday, October 15, 1972 at 8:48 PMEndSunday, October 15, 1972 at 8:55 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 031-047 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and H.R. Haldeman discussed strategies to mitigate negative press coverage regarding Herbert Kalmbach and campaign political activities appearing in the New York Times. They decided to adopt a defensive posture by directing John Connally to go on the offensive against dirty campaign tactics, while simultaneously coordinating a hardline response for Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler. Additionally, the pair briefly touched on Vietnam, dismissing recent public comments by Paul Warnke regarding the lack of a potential peace settlement.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Hello.
Mr. Haldeman.
Yes, sir.
Combox not available, which he's going to stay unavailable.
We can reach him, but he's... Is his name in it?
His name is in the time story.
And it's identified as personal attorney for the president or something like that.
It's not played up at all for some reason.
They're playing up and I think they're after trying to get the White House tie rather than the other thing.
Sure.
I think they know that Kambach, you know, you're going to have trouble hanging it on a guy that's been a political bag man all along anyway.
Okay.
I think that's right.
I think anything we do is only going to add to the story and we're better off to follow the other route.
And then I think, let Conley go on the offensive on it.
Not on the attacks so much as just what the hell's happened in this election.
And he can slam the dirty campaign as clearly an attempt to cover the other stuff up.
Well, the time's through to get a ride, but he'll only ride for a couple days, Bob.
That's right.
In my view, I don't think he can ride any longer than that.
The Post will play the hell out of it.
The whole hell let him play it.
That's right.
If they don't have that, they'll have something else, because they aren't going to quit on anything.
No, no.
I'd rather have them talk in a sense.
It's a small comfort, but you'd rather have them be on this than on some other thing that's more, that gets the votes.
Yeah.
Does John have any other view on it?
He thinks that's the way we should do it.
Yep.
He said they went full circle on it, trying out all the various things.
Right.
Just to see whether we were overlooked or something.
And there were varying views as to— Because, of course, Ziegler's going to be hit on it.
That was the thing they were working on, what Ziegler should handle tomorrow.
And they've worked that out.
We're going to run through that quickly in the morning.
Right.
And basically, we're going to have him hardline us.
Right.
That's the best thing to do.
Okay.
I wouldn't worry about it.
I just figured that that's part of the game.
Too bad that it has to be.
Yeah, well, they're throwing their big punch now, frankly, though.
They're in a position they're in.
And they're throwing it now.
They haven't got any.
They're just going to keep scrambling around.
Warneke, I guess, announced today that there was no possibility of a Vietnam settlement.
That's good.
They did?
Yeah.
It was this thing on the radio.
I couldn't figure out whether he gave a speech or put out a statement or what.
Well, let them—what they do there is—I mean, we have our own game.
We'll just play it and let them— Absolutely.
If it comes out fine, if it doesn't, we'll just— Or I'll completely apply it however it comes.
Sure, sure.
That's the way to do it.
Okay, very good.

NARA Description

On October 15, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 8:48 pm to 8:55 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 031-047 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 31-47

Date: October 15, 1972
Time: 8:48 pm - 8:55 pm
Location: White House Telephone

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

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 3m 8s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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        Campaign practices
           -Herbert W. Kalmbach
                -New York Times story
                -Political role
                -Donald H. Segretti
           -Strategy
                -John B. Connally's possible response
                -New York Times, Washington Post
                -Ronald L. Ziegler's possible response to question

        Vietnam
            -Paul C. Warnke's comments on settlement possibility
                -White House response
                     -The President’s view

Also recorded on October 16, 1972

  • 031-046 8:28 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:28 pm and 8:48 pm.
  • 799-001 7:30 AM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 7:30 am and 8:30 am.
  • 799-002 8:30 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:30 am and 8:34 am.
  • 799-003 8:30 AM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:30 am and 8:34 am.
  • 799-004 8:34 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:34 am and 8:50 am.
  • 799-005 8:34 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:34 am and 8:50 am.
  • 799-006 8:50 AM · 26 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 8:50 am to 9:29 am.
  • 799-007 9:29 AM · 24 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:29 am and 9:32 am.

All 97 conversations from October 16, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 031-047, October 16, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/031-047 (accessed October 1, 2026).