Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 130 › Conversation 130-006

Nixon phone call with Haldeman on Soviet Union summit and Public relations

Thursday, May 18, 1972 · 5:55 PM–5:56 PM ET · Camp David Study Table · 33 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation130-006 on Tape 130 (tape position 00:06:08–00:06:37)StartThursday, May 18, 1972 at 5:55 PMEndThursday, May 18, 1972 at 5:56 PMRecording deviceCamp David Study TableSourceNixon Library record for 130-006 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman coordinated the public messaging strategy regarding the President’s upcoming trip to the Soviet Union. They discussed the inclusion of specific, favorable editorial themes in the publication 'Monday' to reassure the public of the administration's foreign policy positioning. Haldeman confirmed that these materials, featuring strong rhetoric, were already being finalized for print.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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 think it might be well if Monday, I'm just looking at some of this editorial stuff, got out one of its businesses of editorial comment.
They are.
It's already... And you see there's some excellent lines like the finest hour and guts and some of that stuff.
Have they got some of that too?
Yep.
It's in print.
Good.
Okay.
It's out yet, but it's at the print.
I think because people like to know, they'd be reassured that they're on the right side.
Absolutely.
All right.
Fine.
They're doing it.
Fine.
Okay.
Okay.

NARA Description

On May 18, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 5:55 pm to 5:56 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 130-006 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 130-6

Date: May 18, 1972
Time: 5:55 pm - 5:56 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table

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

[See also Conversation No. 188-8]

     President's trip to Soviet Union
           -Editorial comments
                 -Preparation by Monday magazine

Also recorded on May 18, 1972

  • 188-008 5:55 PM · 31 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 5:55 pm to 5:56 pm.
  • 130-007 5:56 PM · 2 min — Unknown person(s) and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 5:56 pm on May 18, 1972 and 11:59 pm on May 19, 1972.
  • 130-008 5:56 PM · 1 min — Unknown person(s), Camp David operator, Kenneth T. McLenden, and Robert Mahaffey talked on the telephone at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 5:56 pm on May 18, 1972 and 11:59 pm on May 19, 1972.
  • 188-009 5:56 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:56 pm and 8:22 pm.
  • 188-010 5:56 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:56 pm and 8:22 pm.
  • 188-011 5:56 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:56 pm and 8:22 pm.
  • 188-012 5:56 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:56 pm and 8:22 pm.
  • 188-013 5:56 PM · 40 sec — Unknown person(s) met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 5:56 pm on May 18, 1972 and 11:59 pm on May 19, 1972.

All 90 conversations from May 18, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 130-006, 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/130-006 (accessed October 10, 2026).