Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 140 › Conversation 140-010

Nixon phone call with Haldeman on Press Relations and Henry Kissinger

Wednesday, August 16, 1972 · 3:58 PM–4:11 PM ET · Camp David Study Table · 7 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation140-010 on Tape 140StartWednesday, August 16, 1972 at 3:58 PMEndWednesday, August 16, 1972 at 4:11 PMRecording deviceCamp David Study TableSourceNixon Library record for 140-010 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman discussed their intense dissatisfaction with a recent, aggressive press interview of First Lady Pat Nixon, which the President characterized as an unfair 'inquisition.' Consequently, Nixon ordered the immediate cancellation of a planned interview between National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger and CBS correspondent Marvin Kalb, vowing to shift future media opportunities to other networks to punish CBS. The two also coordinated the President’s potential attendance at an upcoming Olympic team reception at the White House while reviewing security concerns regarding the event.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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I want you to, just so that he'll know what the problem is.
Talk to Ron?
No, just ask Ron to get the transcript, because apparently it was pretty vicious.
Okay.
And Ron, I know he doesn't have any responsibility in this field, but he has some, really, where she's concerned.
Remember, I wrote you a memorandum.
She really shouldn't do these things, because they bother her so much.
That's right.
They don't mean that much, but I guess the woman was pretty rough.
She's
She went into the, she says, well, you're known as Plastic Pat.
Your husband is known as Gloomy Dick or something like that.
Good lord.
And said that we understand that the relations between you and President Eisenhower were so cool that you were never on the second floor during the whole eight years, which, of course, is just bullshit.
We were there perhaps 50 times.
Incredible.
Any number of, of course, Chiefs of State on other occasions, too, but just all of the left wing
Horrible stuff.
Now, goddamn it, we don't have to take that kind of stuff.
Or do you agree?
I completely agree.
In the first place, there's no point in her doing an interview with someone like that at all.
That's right.
And for this reason, I'm going to be really tough now.
I want him to cancel right now.
He's not going to do that CBS thing with that son of a bitch.
This was CBS, you understand.
We'll just do it with NBC.
Cancel what thing?
You know the one that that goddamn Cobb wants to do?
Oh, oh, Henry's.
Okay.
He's to cancel it in about 15 minutes.
Is that clear?
It isn't set, so there's nothing to cancel.
All right, fine.
I just want him to know that he's not...
Right.
I will not approve his doing.
Right.
We'll get somebody else to do it.
Okay.
We'll offer it to a network, but I'm not going to have Cobb do it.
Okay, fine.
I mean, this kind of thing is...
and he's to get the transcript and uh yeah so because i think bob you've got to play a pretty rough game i mean we do have our i know ziggler isn't among them but we do have our soft heads who think the press is awful nice and this and that well god damn it now they wouldn't please this is an insulting kind of question you know yeah what about the checker speech of
Not one single question about her travels around the world and how she was received in China and Russia.
I mean, the big things.
Not one goddamn one.
But just a total son of a bitching inquisition.
And I want Ron to know that I'm Mr. Vance.
He is to be sure so that Cobb is not planning it.
Just to let him know, I'm sorry.
I just want you to know, I just can't do it.
Don't explain.
I just said don't count that in your capture plans.
Henry, we're going to have him do something else.
Okay.
Would you mind now?
No, it's fine.
I just think it makes me feel better to do it that way.
Right.
Cobb is out under all circumstances.
And then Ron can look this over and you'll see why.
Now, do you want to figure on going down tomorrow?
Well, I don't really have to.
It's a question really of your checking the...
the olympic thing might be a good thing but uh i'll uh i'll check what julie said about tomorrow around noon okay and determine it okay and you can just go down drop in at the last minute if that's what yeah tell me uh do we we just don't know yet we don't you can't tell me yet as to when they would all be foregathering
3 o'clock.
They'll be in the big room, the east room at 3 o'clock.
Yeah.
It's set as a reception.
Right.
At 3 o'clock.
It'll probably be a few minutes after 3, but I think that's the... Yeah.
Do that.
That's the only reason I think I'd be going back for it, wouldn't it?
Yep, it really is.
Well, whether it's worked out, I don't know.
It may not be.
Nope.
It would add something, but you'd counterbalance it with the risk.
I want Ron to do two things.
He needs to get a copy of that transcript.
Now, Connie ought to have her fat ass
They ought to have it already, I mean, but she probably hasn't, you know.
Ron would have had it, of course.
Just tell her to call Connie and tell her to have it.
If she doesn't have it, he's to call her and call the station and get it immediately.
Second, I want him to tell Cobb he is to say that, you know, we've been looking over the schedule here and we won't be able to do that.
Now just cut the goddamn thing off.
And if we can't get it from somebody else, we can't get it, but we can.
If nothing else, we'll get Howard Smith to ask the questions.
Okay.
Somebody will take the hour.
Yep.
Okay.
Now, anything else that developed since I last talked to you?
No, sir.
Quiet.
I don't mind doing the Olympic thing, as I said.
Okay, well, they're doing some discreet inside checking, trying to get a reading on what kind of guys there are in there, whether there are any, you know, real...
They can usually find out in advance.
They all talk a lot, you know, what they're planning to do.
The problem is they come from all over, and nobody exactly knows.
But we'll get a rating.
It just may be that there's a dirty work might have gone down there.
Yeah.
Under the circumstances.
Right.
Have you got any report on Magood, or do you have any chance?
Nope.
I won't have for a while.
Oh, that's right.
It's only 4 o'clock.
okay okay well ron will follow through right yes sir and then tell him i'd like for him to give me a report on what he thinks okay the same thing but uh i'm going to punish these cbs people now right there are other networks absolutely no question that's done done things and uh what i will do is simply do something for one of the other networks myself yeah and you know not that nbc is much better but we'll give them a crack cbs
pull this kind of shit, they're not going to get away with it.
They just aren't going to get away with it.
Okay.

NARA Description

On August 16, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 3:58 pm to 4:11 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 140-010 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 140-10

Date: August 16, 1972
Time: 3:58 pm - 4:11 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table

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

[See Conversation No. 202-22]

*****************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 26s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

*****************************************************************

     Press relations
          -Previous interview of Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon [by Marya McLaughlin]

              -Transcript
                    -Ronald L. Ziegler
              -Ziegler
              -Interviews by Mrs. Nixon
                    -Memorandum from the President to Haldeman
              -Content
                    -Questions
                         -The President’s and Mrs. Nixon’s relationship with Dwight D.
                                Eisenhower
                                -Visits to White House residence
         -Henry A. Kissinger’s forthcoming interview with Marvin L. Kalb
              -The President’s instructions
                    -Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
                    -National Broadcasting Company [NBC]
         -Transcript of Mrs. Nixon’s interview
              -Ziegler
              -Questions during Mrs. Nixon interviews
                    -Checkers speech
                    -Travels to the People’s Republic of China [PRC] and Soviet Union

*****************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 2s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

*****************************************************************

    Media
        -Ziegler
              -Cancellation of Kissinger’s interview with Kalb

*****************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 1m 10s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

*****************************************************************

    The President's schedule
         -Olympic team reception
              -Julie Nixon Eisenhower
              -Timing
              -Location
                     -East Room

*****************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 1m 3s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4

*****************************************************************

    Media
        -Ziegler
              -Transcript of Mrs. Nixon’s interview
                   -Constance M. (Cornell) Stuart
              -Cancellation of Kissinger’s interview with Kalb
                   -Howard K. Smith

    Olympic team reception
        -The President's possible attendance
              -Background checks

    Jeb Stuart Magruder
         -Information

    Mrs. Nixon’s previous interview
         -Ziegler

                 -Forthcoming report
          -CBS
                 -The President’s view
                      -NBC

Also recorded on August 16, 1972

  • 140-008 3:45 PM · 22 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, Camp David operator, and Julie Nixon Eisenhower talked on the telephone at Camp David from 3:45 pm to 3:56 pm.
  • 202-020 3:45 PM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, Camp David operator, and Julie Nixon Eisenhower met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 3:45 pm to 3:56 pm.
  • 140-009 3:56 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 3:56 pm and 3:58 pm.
  • 202-021 3:56 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 3:56 pm and 3:58 pm.
  • 202-022 3:58 PM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 3:58 pm to 4:11 pm.
  • 140-011 4:11 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 4:11 pm and 9:06 pm.
  • 140-012 4:11 PM · 37 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 4:11 pm and 9:06 pm.
  • 202-023 4:11 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 4:11 pm and 9:06 pm.

All 33 conversations from August 16, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 140-010, August 16, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/140-010 (accessed October 13, 2026).