Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 35 › Conversation 035-004

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on H. R. Haldeman

Tuesday, December 26, 1972 · 5:12 PM–5:13 PM ET · White House Telephone ·18 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation035-004 onTape 35StartTuesday, December 26, 1972 at 5:12 PMEndTuesday, December 26, 1972 at 5:13 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 035-004 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon contacted the White House operator to determine if H. R. Haldeman had already departed for California. The brief exchange focused on verifying Haldeman's current whereabouts and availability. Nixon ultimately instructed the operator not to initiate further effort to locate him if he had already left.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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).

Operator, is Mr. Haldeman left for California if he's here?

I'll talk to him if he's left.

Don't bother.

I'll check, Mr. President.

I'm not sure.

NARA Description

On December 26, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:12 pm and 5:13 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 035-004 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 35-4

Date: December 26, 1972
Time: Unknown between 5:12 pm and 5:13 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

       Request for a call to H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
            -Haldeman’s schedule
                   -Departure for California
                                               -10-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                        (rev. Oct.-07)

Also recorded on December 26, 1972

035-001 4:27 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:27 pm and 4:36 pm.
035-002 4:36 PM · 16 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 4:36 pm to 4:52 pm.
035-003 4:58 PM · 14 min — Charles W. Colson and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone from 4:58 pm to 5:12 pm.
035-005 5:13 PM · 11 sec — the White House operator and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone at 5:13 pm.
035-006 6:08 PM · 30 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:08 pm and 6:13 pm.
035-007 6:13 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 6:13 pm to 6:17 pm.
035-008 6:17 PM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:17 pm and 6:47 pm.
035-009 6:47 PM · 10 min — President Richard M. Nixon and George E. Allen talked on the telephone from 6:47 pm to 6:56 pm.

Cite this conversation

Conversation 035-004, December 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/035-004 (accessed September 18, 2026).