Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 133 › Conversation 133-018

Nixon phone call with Haldeman on Speechwriting and Foreign Policy

Thursday, June 8, 1972 · 4:25 PM–4:26 PM ET · Camp David Study Table · 1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation133-018 on Tape 133 (tape position 03:03:24–03:04:34)StartThursday, June 8, 1972 at 4:25 PMEndThursday, June 8, 1972 at 4:26 PMRecording deviceCamp David Study TableSourceNixon Library record for 133-018 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman discuss Henry Kissinger’s critical assessment of a pending presidential speech, which Kissinger characterizes as overly euphoric and reminiscent of George McGovern’s tone. Haldeman relays Kissinger’s advice to avoid foreign policy rhetoric to maintain a position of supremacy, a sentiment with which Nixon concurs. The conversation concludes with a brief mention of Charles Colson’s concerns regarding an upcoming appearance at a Rotary event in Houston and an agreement to meet in person to finalize their approach.

Audio

Download MP3 · 2.7 MB

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

yeah mr haldeman for you yeah go ahead sir hello yes sir yeah uh henry's gone over the speech and uh he it's interesting i didn't give him your reaction at all i just said you wanted to get a feel of what he thought of it and he said it's it's too peacenicky and too euphoric yeah and he said it's not nixon at all yeah i know that he his whole strength is that he's been tough and peaceful where this sounds like mcgovern

Yeah, yeah.

And his view is that, in the first place, you shouldn't talk about foreign policy at all for a while, that you don't need it.

You'll detract from both Moscow and your congressional speeches, and that you're in a position of supremacy now, and you shouldn't put it to a test because the best you can do is come out even.

Well, I sort of had that feeling.

I've been sitting here working on the damn thing, Bob, and, you know,

Well, let's toss in some other negatives.

I was talking to Chuck again, and he said, God, I hope he isn't going to go down to Houston and do the rotary.

Come on over and let's talk about it over here.

Okay.

NARA Description

On June 8, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 4:25 pm to 4:26 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 133-018 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 133-18

Date: June 8, 1972
Time: 4:25-4:26 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table (telephone)

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

[See Conversation No. 193-25]

     Speech draft
          -Henry A. Kissinger's review
               -Tone
               -Style
                     -George S. McGovern
               -Discussion of foreign policy
                     -Impact
                     -Charles W. Colson
                          -Rotary speech

     Haldeman forthcoming meeting with the President

Also recorded on June 8, 1972

193-023 3:31 PM · 12 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 3:31 pm and 4:25 pm.
193-024 3:31 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 3:31 pm and 4:25 pm.
193-025 4:25 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 4:25 pm to 4:26 pm.
133-019 4:26 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 4:26 pm and 4:27 pm.
193-026 4:26 PM · 59 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 4:26 pm and 4:27 pm.
133-020 4:27 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone at Camp David from 4:27 pm to 4:31 pm.
193-027 4:27 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 4:27 pm to 4:31 pm.
193-028 4:31 PM · 37 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 4:31 pm and 5:20 pm.

All 27 conversations from June 8, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 133-018, June 8, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/133-018 (accessed October 8, 2026).