Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 131 › Conversation 131-022

Nixon phone call with Camp David Operator on White House administration

Wednesday, May 17, 1972 · 7:50 AM ET · Camp David Study Table ·30 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Camp David OperatorConversation131-022 onTape 131 (tape position 01:32:33–01:33:03)StartWednesday, May 17, 1972 at 7:50 AMEndWednesday, May 17, 1972 at 7:50 AMRecording deviceCamp David Study TableSourceNixon Library record for 131-022 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon coordinated morning communications with the Camp David operator to facilitate administrative outreach. He requested that General Alexander Haig return his call upon arriving at the office and instructed the operator to reach H.R. Haldeman only if he were already available at his desk. This brief exchange served to organize the President’s schedule for urgent internal staff consultations.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Hello.

Mr. President, General Haig's en route to his office.

Could he call you when he arrives there?

Yeah, I'll tell you.

I'll call him back because I think I'll have somebody here by then.

All right, fine.

Thank you.

Yeah.

Let me talk to Mr. Haldeman, but don't get Haldeman unless he's at his office.

In other words, if he's not at his office, just don't bother returning the call.

Fine.

Thank you, Mr. President.

NARA Description

On May 17, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at 7:50 am. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 131-022 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 131-22
Date: May 18, 1972
Time: 7:50 am
Location: Camp David Study Table

The Camp David operator talked with the President.

     Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
          -Location
          -Return call

     H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
          -Call
                -Location
                -Return call

Also recorded on May 17, 1972

131-021 7:46 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at 7:46 am.
190-013 7:46 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at 7:46 am.
190-014 7:50 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at 7:50 am.
190-015 7:50 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 7:50 am and 7:59 am.
190-016 7:50 AM · 57 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 7:50 am and 7:59 am.
190-017 7:59 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 7:59 am and 8:05 am.
190-018 8:05 AM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 8:05 am and 8:44 am.
190-019 8:05 AM · 16 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 8:05 am and 8:44 am.

All 63 conversations from May 17, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 131-022, May 17, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/131-022 (accessed September 18, 2026).