Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 44 › Conversation 044-149

Nixon phone call with Bull on Presidential travel and Camp David

Wednesday, April 11, 1973 · 1:34 PM–1:37 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Bull, Stephen B.Conversation044-149 on Tape 44StartWednesday, April 11, 1973 at 1:34 PMEndWednesday, April 11, 1973 at 1:37 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 044-149 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon coordinates the logistics of his upcoming trip to Camp David with his aide, Stephen B. Bull. Nixon expresses a desire for privacy and solitude, explicitly requesting to drive himself without an escort, motorcade, or staff accompaniment. He further instructs Bull on his return schedule by helicopter and notes his intention to use the time away primarily for reading and working on an energy message.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

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Hello.

Yes, sir.

Steve Bell.

Steve, I've decided that I'm going to drive up there because I want to see some of the flowers and so forth in the way.

The way this will be worked out, and this is under the strictest orders, is the way I've taken the drives at San Clemente.

All right, sir.

And the way you do it is to simply tell Ron that you can press about a half hour.

I'm afraid I'll leave at

The party thing will leave about 3.30 from here with just the, you know, the follow-up car, sir.

The follow-up car plus a regular limousine-type car that I can sit in the back with the window in between and I'll take my briefcase.

And I don't have anybody with me.

And we can press half our letter that I've driven up to Camp David for tonight.

All right, sir.

And...

And he can, let's see, I think I'm working on the energy message.

Energy message, all right, sorry.

Would you like anyone to go with you?

No, I don't want anybody in the car.

I don't want to be bothered.

Do you want a secretary up there tonight, Mr. President?

No, no, no.

I won't need anybody.

I don't plan to do that kind of work.

I'm just going to do some reading.

All right, sir, fine.

I'm back by helicopter.

So they should plan to have the helicopter leave at 9 o'clock in the morning.

That's fine.

That'll get you back in time for the NFC.

And be sure that the helicopter is landed away from the trees because they're just to the point they'd be all blown off.

Yes, sir.

All right.

That's fine.

All right, sir.

I'll take care of it.

I understand.

We'll go drive.

But I don't want a motorcade, and I don't want an escort ahead.

No police escort.

Same way.

We went in San Clemente, and they can be informed half-hour or half-hour afterwards.

Fine.

Thank you, sir.

Bye.

NARA Description

On April 11, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone from 1:34 pm to 1:37 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 044-149 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 044-149

       Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542

Date: April 11, 1973
Time: 1:34 pm-1:37 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Stephen B. Bull.

       President's schedule
             -Camp David
                    -Transportation
                          -San Clemente
                    -Ronald L. Ziegler's briefing
             -Energy message
             -Return to Washington, DC
                    -Helicopter
             -National Security Council [NSC] meeting
             -Transport
                    -Motorcade

Also recorded on April 11, 1973

044-144 12:29 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Gerald R. Ford talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:29 pm and 12:34 pm.
893-016 12:34 PM · 1 hr 38 min — President Richard M. Nixon, John D. Ehrlichman, Gerald R. Ford, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:34 pm to 1:20 pm.
044-145 12:35 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Gerald R. Ford talked on the telephone from 12:35 pm to 12:39 pm.
044-146 1:20 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:20 pm and 1:28 pm.
893-017 1:20 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at 1:20 pm.
893-023 1:20 PM · 21 sec — Manolo Sanchez and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:20 pm and 2:59 pm.
044-147 1:28 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Tricia Nixon Cox talked on the telephone from 1:28 pm to 1:29 pm.
044-148 1:29 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:29 pm and 1:34 pm.

All 31 conversations from April 11, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 044-149, April 11, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/044-149 (accessed October 5, 2026).