Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 40 › Conversation 040-050

Nixon phone call with Haig on Leonid Brezhnev and San Clemente

Tuesday, June 12, 1973 · 11:16 PM–11:17 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsHaig, Alexander M., Jr.; Nixon, Richard M. (President)Conversation040-050 on Tape 40StartTuesday, June 12, 1973 at 11:16 PMEndTuesday, June 12, 1973 at 11:17 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 040-050 ↗

AI Summary

Alexander M. Haig, Jr. informed President Nixon that Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev had agreed to visit San Clemente, while simultaneously canceling a planned stop in Houston. Nixon expressed enthusiasm for the visit, emphasizing his desire to host Brezhnev as a personal guest in his own home to facilitate private, secure, and relaxed discussions. Haig was instructed to confirm these arrangements with Soviet Ambassador Anatoliy Dobrynin and ensure the security and lodging details were settled for the upcoming summit.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

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I have General Haig calling.
Hello.
Mr. President?
Yeah.
Sir, I thought since you were up, I'd let you know that the Soviets now have agreed that Brezhnev would like to go to San Clemente.
Great.
And that's great.
But he doesn't want to go to Houston.
He wants to go straight to San Clemente.
Well, just he and I will go to San Clemente, you see.
Right.
And we'll land at the...
He's bringing his family.
Huh?
He's not bringing any family.
Fine.
Life or children.
Great.
That's marvelous.
and he goes to san clemente and he and i will have the greatest pictures in the world and we'll have two or three days of relaxation walking on the beach there'll be the great pictures and that'll make the trip outstanding but be sure that he knows that's what i want he's going to stay with me as my personal guest in my own house yes sir does he know that you better call to bring it and tell him to be sure to bring a nose
That it's in my house that he's going to stay, huh?
Fine, sir.
Excellent.
Okay.
Great, sir.
Who'd you get this message from?
I just talked to Scowcroft about it.
Well, who'd he get it from?
Well, he got it from Dobrynin, I'm sure, tonight.
Well... Yeah, from Dobrynin tonight.
If you could call Dobrynin back, then, either, even you or Scowcroft.
Okay, sir.
Do your best, but say that I am delighted and that I can assure him it will be one that is totally...
Not only secure, but pleasant.
Just he in our house on a base that is totally restricted so we can have long talks in my house.
He will stay in my house with me.
Boy, he'll love that.
All right.
That's good.
Fine.
Fine.
Right, right.

NARA Description

On June 12, 1973, Alexander M. Haig, Jr. and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone from 11:16 pm to 11:17 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 040-050 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 40-50

Date: June 12, 1973
Time: 11:16 pm - 11:17 pm
Location: White House Telephone

Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked with the President.

     President’s schedule
           -Leonid I. Brezhnev’s forthcoming visit
                 -San Clemente
                                        -Confirmation from Union of Soviet Socialist
                       Republics [USSR] government
                 -Houston
                       -Cancellation
                 -Travel companions
                       -Family
                 -Media coverage
                       -Photographs
                 -Haig’s conversation with Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
                 -Haig’s conversation with Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft
                       -Information of Bezhnev’s decision
                       -Dobrynin
                 -Telephone call to Dobrynin
                 -San Clemente
                       -Security
                       -Lodgings

Also recorded on June 13, 1973

  • 040-047 10:57 PM · 14 sec — White House operator and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone at 10:57 pm.
  • 040-048 10:59 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone from 10:59 pm to 11:02 pm.
  • 040-049 11:03 PM · 12 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 11:03 pm to 11:15 pm.
  • 040-051 11:17 PM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:17 pm and 11:26 pm.
  • 040-052 11:26 PM · 11 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Anatoliy F. Dobrynin talked on the telephone from 11:26 pm to 11:37 pm.
  • 040-053 11:37 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:37 pm and 11:38 pm.
  • 040-054 11:38 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone from 11:38 pm to 11:41 pm.
  • 040-055 11:41 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:41 pm and 11:51 pm.

All 95 conversations from June 13, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 040-050, June 13, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/040-050 (accessed October 9, 2026).