Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 140 › Conversation 140-053

Nixon phone call with Camp David Operator on H.R. Haldeman

Sunday, August 20, 1972 · 9:52 PM–10:32 PM ET · Camp David Study Table · 9 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Camp David OperatorConversation140-053 on Tape 140StartSunday, August 20, 1972 at 9:52 PMEndSunday, August 20, 1972 at 10:32 PMRecording deviceCamp David Study TableSourceNixon Library record for 140-053 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon contacted the Camp David operator to facilitate a telephone connection with his Chief of Staff, H.R. Haldeman. This brief interaction served solely as a functional administrative request to bridge communication between the President and his senior aide. No substantive policy matters or political strategies were discussed during this exchange.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

Mr. Holland, please.
Thank you, sir.

NARA Description

On August 20, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 9:52 pm and 10:32 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 140-053 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 140-53
Date: August 20, 1972
Time: Unknown between 9:52 pm and 10:32 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table

The President talked with the Camp David operator.

[See Conversation No. 206-21]

     Request for a call to H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman

Also recorded on August 21, 1972

  • 140-054 10:32 PM · 47 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 10:32 pm to 10:33 pm.
  • 206-022 10:32 PM · 38 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 10:32 pm to 10:33 pm.
  • 206-023 10:33 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:33 pm and 11:20 pm.
  • 206-024 10:33 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:33 pm and 11:20 pm.
  • 207-001 8:30 AM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 8:30 am and 10:26 am.
  • 140-055 10:26 AM · 13 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone at Camp David from 10:26 am to 10:41 am.
  • 207-002 10:26 AM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at 10:26 am.
  • 207-003 10:26 AM · 10 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 10:26 am to 10:41 am.

All 18 conversations from August 21, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 140-053, August 21, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/140-053 (accessed October 9, 2026).