Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 130 › Conversation 130-002

Nixon phone call with Haldeman on Soviet Union summit and Dr. William Chase

Thursday, May 18, 1972 · 5:30 PM–5:34 PM ET · Camp David Study Table · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation130-002 on Tape 130 (tape position 00:01:51–00:04:53)StartThursday, May 18, 1972 at 5:30 PMEndThursday, May 18, 1972 at 5:34 PMRecording deviceCamp David Study TableSourceNixon Library record for 130-002 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman coordinated the logistics for adding Dr. William Chase to the official party for the upcoming Soviet Union summit. To avoid unwanted attention regarding a dentist's presence, they agreed to classify Chase as a staff member and emphasize his Russian heritage as his primary justification for joining the trip. Additionally, the pair finalized a covert plan for Nixon to visit Governor George Wallace at Holy Cross Hospital following a stop at Walter Reed, ensuring the Secret Service had sufficient notice to manage the move.

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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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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.
Hello.
Well, anything late news you need to know about?
No, I don't think there is.
I talked to Waller and... About Dr. Chase?
Yeah.
Yeah, we're putting him on.
Is it all right?
I mean, is he going to pay, or how do we do it?
No, no, we'll just put him on as a staff guy.
have to pay yeah you don't think there's any problem do you he's been in a very old friend there's a minor problem but i don't think it's worth worrying about it's just you know yeah it's just one more person but we have there's no problem getting hotel rooms i can just say that he's been a friend for many many years and he has done something and that because we have to say anything just say anything yeah fine i might break a tooth and that right
That was Henry's only concern was don't say that we're taking a dentist.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Well, how do we dent?
How do we say that we're taking him because he's from Russia or... An old friend and... And... Knows... Is from Russia, knows the country and... Yeah.
And you wanted him to come along as part of your... As part of my party.
Fine.
And...
It doesn't cost anything for him to come along.
That's right.
That's right.
And I think that is the case.
You know, he was...
He was born in Russia, wasn't he?
Yes.
Well, that's good.
He was born in Russia and I wanted him to go along and to sue because...
as to, you know, for counsel and so forth.
Yeah.
Good.
Good.
That's what we're doing.
Good.
Good.
Good.
And he also is a damn good dentist, which is a pretty good reason anyway.
Right.
The second point is that in talking to him about the other thing, my feeling is now that I will follow your plan and to leave here about, you know, 9 o'clock.
How would that be?
Stop at Walter Reed, right?
And then ride over there, drive over there, then come back to Walter Regency, the Secret Service, and then go on in.
Right.
Does that sound like a good deal?
Yep.
I think that's the way to do it.
Okay.
Well, without telling anybody, we'll lay that on.
I mean, I don't want to advertise, but I don't think we need to tell anybody, do you?
No, not until in the morning.
Well, who do you tell?
Well, we'll have to tell the helicopter guy, and we'll have to set up landing at Walter Reed.
Yeah.
Well, just say, well, tell the helicopter guy I'm going to stop to see this fellow.
We'll stop at Walter Reed to see the Secret Service.
That's right.
Secret Service man, right.
But then...
When you get there, you'll decide, gee, all it costs is just to go across the way.
Here, I'll go over.
And then... And then... Well, there's Secret Service out there anyway, so we've got no problem in that respect, aren't there?
See my point?
Yeah.
Yeah, but we'll have to get your car out there.
No, no, no, no, no.
Secret service at Holy Cross.
Oh, yeah.
So they can, ours can know ten minutes in advance.
That's right.
And they just beat it out there.
All right.

NARA Description

On May 18, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 5:30 pm to 5:34 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 130-002 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 130-2

Date: May 18, 1972
Time: 5:30 pm - 5:34 pm

Location: Camp David Study Table

The President talked with H. R. Haldeman.

[See also Conversation No. 188-2]

     The President’s forthcoming trip to the Soviet Union
          -Previous conversation with Dr. Walter Tkach
               -President's call
                      -Dr. William Chase
                           -Status
                           -Forthcoming trip
                                 -Cost
                                 -Henry A. Kissinger
                                 -Announcement
                                 -Background
                                 -Occupation

     President's visit to George C. Wallace
           -Departure time
           -Walter Reed Hospital
                 -Secret Service agent
           -Announcement
                 -Time
                        -Recipient
                        -Destinations
                             -Walter Reed Hospital
                             -Holy Cross Hospital
                                   -Secret Service protection

Also recorded on May 18, 1972

  • 130-001 5:20 PM · 2 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:20 pm and 5:30 pm.
  • 188-001 5:20 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:20 pm and 5:30 pm.
  • 188-002 5:30 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 5:30 pm to 5:34 pm.
  • 130-003 5:34 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:34 pm and 5:44 pm.
  • 188-003 5:34 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:34 pm and 5:44 pm.
  • 188-004 5:34 PM · 20 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Beverly J. Kaye met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:34 pm and 5:44 pm.
  • 188-005 5:34 PM · 2 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:34 pm and 5:44 pm.
  • 130-004 5:44 PM · 59 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 5:44 pm to 5:45 pm.

All 90 conversations from May 18, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 130-002, May 18, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/130-002 (accessed October 10, 2026).