{"conversationCode":"131-040","tapeNumber":131,"conversationNumber":40,"identifier":"37-wht-conversation-131-040","startDateTime":"1972-05-18T16:33:00.000Z","endDateTime":"1972-05-18T16:34:00.000Z","startDate":"18-May-1972","startTime":"12:33 PM","endDate":"18-May-1972","endTime":"12:34 PM","dateCertainty":"certain","timeCertainty":"certain","participants":"Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. (\"Bob\");","description":"On May 18, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. (\"Bob\") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 12:33 pm to 12:34 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 131-040 of the White House Tapes.","locationCode":"CDST","recordingDevice":"Camp David Study Table","latitudeEstimated":39.648333,"longitudeEstimated":-77.465,"chronCode":3,"chronRelease":"Third Chronological Release","chronReleaseDate":"28-Feb-2002","aogpRelease":"Abuse of Governmental Power Release","aogpSegment":"Segment 0","lastModified":"2015-07-27T17:04:10.235Z","findingAid":"Conversation No. 131-40\n\nDate: May 18, 1972\nTime: 12:33 pm - 12:34 pm\nLocation: Camp David Study Table\n\nThe President talked with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.\n\n[See also Conversation No. 191-18B]\n\n     Massachusetts Institute of Technology [MIT]\n         -John D. Ehrlichman\n         -George P. Shultz and Caspar W. (“Cap”) Weinberger\n              -Office of Management and Budget [OMB]\n         -Weinberger\n         -Funds cutoff\n              -Time","filename":["131-040.mp3"],"tapeStart":"02:26:03","tapeEnd":"02:26:27","participantsList":["Nixon, Richard M. (President)","Haldeman, H. R. (\"Bob\")"],"prevCode":"131-039","nextCode":"131-041","transcript":[{"start":1.19,"end":1.49,"text":"Yeah."},{"start":1.79,"end":2.07,"text":"Yes, sir."},{"start":2.92,"end":14.29,"text":"One thing that Ehrlichman has been dragging his feet on because of Schultz, and now that we got Schultz the hell out of the OBM and I want you to get Weinberger, I want those funds cut off for that MIT."},{"start":14.85,"end":15.03,"text":"Right."},{"start":15.05,"end":15.85,"text":"I know what you mean."},{"start":15.87,"end":20.11,"text":"All right, you get a hold of Weinberger and say, I want the goddamn funds, and I want him to know it now."},{"start":20.75,"end":21.21,"text":"Get it done."},{"start":21.37,"end":21.55,"text":"Right."},{"start":21.85,"end":21.97,"text":"Okay."}],"aiSummary":{"text":"President Nixon instructed H. R. Haldeman to direct OMB Director Caspar Weinberger to immediately terminate federal funding for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Nixon expressed frustration that John Ehrlichman had previously delayed this action due to influence from George Shultz. Haldeman confirmed he would relay the order to Weinberger to ensure the funding cutoff was executed as demanded.","topics":["MIT","Caspar Weinberger","Office of Management and Budget","funding","John Ehrlichman"],"generatedAt":"2026-04-06T08:23:24.906Z"},"topicSlugs":["mit","caspar-weinberger","office-of-management-and-budget","funding","john-ehrlichman"],"audioDurationSec":24,"audioFiles":[{"file":"131-040.mp3","bytes":956934,"durationSec":23.77,"bitrate":322038,"missing":false}],"audioIsShared":false,"audioProbedAt":"2026-09-18T02:19:32.999Z","audio":["https://nixon.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/audio/131-040.mp3"],"url":"https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/131-040","nixonLibraryUrl":"https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/white-house-tapes/131/conversation-131-040","license":"Public domain (U.S. Government work). AI-generated fields (transcript, aiSummary) are provided as-is without warranty."}