Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 137
Nixon White House Tape 137 (August 11, 1972 – August 13, 1972)
20 conversations · Camp David Study Table · about 41 min of released audio
Featuring Nixon, Colson, Haldeman, Ehrlichman, Kissinger
President Nixon contacted the Camp David operator to facilitate an urgent connection with National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger. This brief interaction served solely as a logistical request to initiate a secure line for an upcoming consultation. No further policy discussions or substantive developments occurred during this brief communication.
President Nixon and Henry Kissinger discuss logistics for an upcoming trip and review ongoing foreign policy matters, specifically concerning Vietnam and Soviet-Egyptian relations. They analyze the risks associated with Ramsey Clark’s trip to North Vietnam and potential North Vietnamese attempts to influence the 1972 U.S. election by leveraging prisoner-of-war negotiations. Kissinger provides an intelligence update on North Vietnamese military attrition, suggesting that significant losses may hinder Hanoi's ability to launch a major offensive in October.
President Nixon and Charles Colson strategized on how to politically weaponize former Attorney General Ramsey Clark’s recent criticisms of the administration’s Vietnam policies. They viewed Clark’s public opposition as hypocritical given his own role in escalating the conflict, and planned to use these remarks to shock the public. As a follow-up action, they agreed to task John Mitchell with pressuring George McGovern to either address or repudiate Clark’s controversial statements.
President Nixon contacted the Camp David operator to facilitate a telephone connection with his Chief of Staff, H.R. Haldeman. This brief interaction served as a logistical bridge to initiate high-level administrative communication. No substantive policy matters were discussed during this specific exchange.
President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman discuss media strategy and public relations efforts regarding the administration’s political opposition. They evaluate recent statements by William P. Rogers, particularly his criticisms of Sargent Shriver and Ramsey Clark, while planning to have John Mitchell address the FBI-related issues to achieve greater impact than an alternative spokesperson. Additionally, the pair briefly reviews the positive performance of the stock market, which saw a significant point increase that day.
Edward R. F. Cox and Clarence D. Palmby engaged in a telephone conversation originating from the Camp David Study Table. The interaction involved coordination through the White House operator to facilitate communication between the participants. Given the presence of withdrawn material and the administrative nature of the call, no substantive policy discussions or significant presidential decisions were recorded in the available transcript.
President Nixon contacted the Camp David operator to facilitate a telephone connection with Charles W. Colson. This brief administrative exchange served solely as an instruction to initiate communication with a key White House advisor. No policy or substantive political matters were discussed during this request.
President Nixon and Charles Colson discuss strategies to undermine the credibility of Democratic vice-presidential nominee Sargent Shriver regarding his shifting position on the Vietnamization policy. The pair coordinates plans for Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird to attack Shriver’s record during upcoming platform committee testimony and emphasizes highlighting the administration's success in ending the draft. Additionally, they discuss press coverage of the Watergate lawsuit, expressing a dismissive attitude toward ongoing negative reporting by the Washington press.
President Nixon contacted the Camp David operator to facilitate an urgent communication with his Chief of Staff, H.R. Haldeman. The brief exchange served exclusively as a logistical request to place a telephone call. No substantive policy matters or further developments were addressed during this interaction.
President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman coordinated logistical arrangements for their departure from Camp David, focusing on managing press exposure by staggering helicopter flights for staff and family. They also discussed the impending resignation of HUD Secretary George Romney, with Nixon criticizing Romney’s handling of the situation and instructing Haldeman to have John Ehrlichman contact him for further guidance on the matter. The conversation reflects the President's desire to minimize negative media coverage while managing personnel issues similar to the prior departure of Wally Hickel.
President Nixon received a brief communication from a Camp David operator to facilitate an incoming call from domestic affairs advisor John D. Ehrlichman. The interaction served strictly as a logistical bridge to connect the President with a key staff member. No substantive policy matters or decisions were discussed during this brief exchange.
President Nixon and John Ehrlichman discussed the sensitive management of HUD Secretary George Romney's resignation and the potential appointment of Richard Van Dusen as his successor. They also strategized to exploit a Virgin Islands financial scandal involving George McGovern's supporters by leaking information to journalist Clark Mollenhoff. Finally, Nixon directed Ehrlichman to assemble a team, potentially involving Murray Chotiner, to conduct opposition research and identify compromising information on McGovern's major financial donors and associates.
President Nixon contacted the Camp David operator to facilitate a telephone connection with domestic affairs advisor John D. Ehrlichman. The brief exchange served as a logistical step to initiate a high-level administrative communication. No substantive policy discussions were recorded during this interaction.
President Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman engaged in a brief telephone consultation while at Camp David. The conversation was designated as a personal returnable item and no transcript remains available for public review. Consequently, the specific topics discussed and any resulting action items remain restricted and undocumented in the current historical record.
President Nixon initiated a brief administrative call through the Camp David operator to establish a connection with National Security Advisor Henry A. Kissinger. This interaction served as the necessary logistical step to facilitate a high-level consultation regarding sensitive foreign policy or national security matters. No substantive policy discussion occurred during this exchange, as the communication was strictly limited to securing the requested line.
President Nixon initiated a call through the Camp David operator to reach National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger regarding a non-urgent matter. Upon learning that both Kissinger and General Alexander Haig were currently unavailable, the President opted not to pursue the contact immediately. The exchange served as a brief administrative attempt to coordinate with key foreign policy staff.
President Nixon contacted the Camp David operator to facilitate an outgoing call to General Alexander M. Haig, Jr. This brief exchange served as a logistical request to establish communication with his assistant. No substantive policy matters were discussed during this connection attempt.
President Nixon and Alexander Haig coordinate the logistics of Henry Kissinger's upcoming diplomatic itinerary, which includes stops in Paris, Saigon, and Tokyo. The conversation also addresses the administration's public relations strategy regarding recent partisan claims about Vietnam peace offers, specifically praising the counter-narratives provided by William Rogers, Melvin Laird, and Henry Cabot Lodge. The two agree that after the scheduled announcements, the administration should remain silent to avoid building public expectations during the opposition's platform hearings.
President Nixon initiated this brief call to the Camp David operator to request a telephone connection with special counsel Charles W. Colson. The exchange served exclusively as a logistical step to facilitate direct communication with his aide. No substantive policy discussions or administrative decisions occurred during this brief interaction.
President Nixon and Charles W. Colson discussed the need to improve public relations support for Frank C. Carlucci regarding disaster relief efforts in Pennsylvania. The conversation shifted to political strategy, specifically managing Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird’s public comments on the all-volunteer army and Vietnam policy to avoid credibility issues. Nixon directed Colson to control the timing of these announcements, favoring a mid-September rollout, while also coordinating a response to political attacks from George McGovern and Democratic figures like W. Averell Harriman and Cyrus R. Vance.