Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 130 › Conversation 130-004

Nixon phone call with Haldeman on Byrd Amendment and Legislative strategy

Thursday, May 18, 1972 · 5:44 PM–5:45 PM ET · Camp David Study Table · 59 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation130-004 on Tape 130 (tape position 00:05:00–00:05:58)StartThursday, May 18, 1972 at 5:44 PMEndThursday, May 18, 1972 at 5:45 PMRecording deviceCamp David Study TableSourceNixon Library record for 130-004 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and H.R. Haldeman briefly conferred regarding the administration's outreach strategy following a recent legislative vote. Nixon inquired about the status of replies to correspondence from VIP supporters and proposed sending personalized 'one-liner' acknowledgments to the 47 senators who voted in favor of the Byrd Amendment. Upon reflection, they collectively decided to abandon the direct outreach to the senators, opting instead to rely on the personal calls Nixon had already initiated.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Yeah.
I just wanted to be sure that something was underway to reply to the
uh to the vips on the uh the letters and wires and so forth are we doing something on that or are we not trying to we are going to yes yeah i see that you know there are some that will expect replies the vips particularly and right the others should all get them that'll all be cleaned up right well yes so it's underway the second point is i wonder if one-liners ought to go to that 47 that voted with us on that bird amendment uh speak yeah i think they should speak to clark you can say jim i
I want you to know, I mean, how much I appreciated your vote on the Byrd Amendment.
Well, I don't know.
Let me check with Crockett.
Maybe not.
Maybe we don't want him to.
Well, the point is some of them weren't doing it to be with us.
Right, right.
Okay, skip it.
Let's skip it.
I called a couple of them.
That's enough.
Okay.
Okay.
Fine.

NARA Description

On May 18, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 5:44 pm to 5:45 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 130-004 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 130-4

Date: May 18, 1972
Time: 5:44 pm - 5:45 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table

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

[See also Conversation No. 188-6]

     Replies to VIP's

     Byrd Amendment
          -Letters to President's supporters
                -Clark MacGregor
          -Calls from President

Also recorded on May 18, 1972

  • 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.
  • 188-006 5:44 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 5:44 pm to 5:45 pm.
  • 130-005 5:45 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:45 pm and 5:55 pm.
  • 188-007 5:45 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:45 pm and 5:55 pm.
  • 130-006 5:55 PM · 33 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 5:55 pm to 5:56 pm.

All 90 conversations from May 18, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 130-004, 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/130-004 (accessed October 10, 2026).