Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 142 › Conversation 142-003

Nixon phone call with Haldeman on 1972 Presidential Campaign

Tuesday, September 12, 1972 · 8:49 PM–8:51 PM ET · Camp David Study Table · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation142-003 on Tape 142StartTuesday, September 12, 1972 at 8:49 PMEndTuesday, September 12, 1972 at 8:51 PMRecording deviceCamp David Study TableSourceNixon Library record for 142-003 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 417175331 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman discussed strategic adjustments to the President's upcoming campaign itinerary to maximize media impact and crowd optics. Nixon proposed adding a stop at an Indianapolis monument to leverage his ties to the Midwest and secure favorable television coverage, weighing this against the scheduled event at Rio Grande High School. The two agreed to evaluate the trade-offs in national versus regional coverage to ensure a stronger public display of support compared to George McGovern.

1972 Presidential Campaign
Media Strategy
Public Relations
Campaign Itinerary
Indianapolis
Texas

Audio

Download MP3 · 3.3 MB

NARA Description

On September 12, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 8:49 pm to 8:51 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 142-003 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 142-3

Date: September 12, 1972
Time: 8:49 pm - 8:51 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table

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

[See Conversation No. 210-5]

            The President's schedule
                -Trip to Texas
                    -Political situation
                         -California
                         -New York
                    -Stopping at monument in Indianapolis
                         -The President's appearance
                              -Type of statement
                                   -Mayor
                                   -The President's mother [Hannah Milhous Nixon]
                                   -Type of audience
                                      -Farmers
                                      -Chicago
                         -Rio Grande High School
                              -Television
                         -Television
                              -John B. Connally's reception
                              -Time of program
                              -Size of crowd
                         -Size of crowd
                              -Results
                                   -Comparison to George S. McGovern
                -Local interest in trip to Texas
                    -Rio Grande High School
                         -Ethnic groups
                -New Mexico, California
                -Additional preparations
                    -Oklahoma

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

Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).

Yeah.

Yes, sir.

I was thinking on the trip to Texas, I've been a little concerned about having the first thing that we do politically be the sort of Texas thing.

Of course, we will announce the California and New York things also.

But I think it would work in nicely.

Why don't we just stop at the monument in Indianapolis on the way out?

You could have one hell of a reception.

I could make a very non-political speech about the cities and the mayor and all that.

And in my mother's state, I've always made my first appearance in a campaign.

I wouldn't say started the campaign.

You know what I mean?

Sort of the old affection, the Hoosier business.

Got appeals to the farmers, to the Midwest, to Chicago.

You could get one hell of a play.

You'd lose the Rio Grande School for television.

Well, that's...

I know, I know.

Maybe that's okay.

I'm not sure.

You'd lose it for...

Yes, you do.

But it would run the morning show, and they'd probably pick it up for the following evening, too.

Because we're not going to run the Conley thing for television, particularly.

No, but it's a Friday night, so you'd have...

I see.

You don't have the...

Much on Saturday morning.

The monument is going to be bad for television, isn't it?

I mean, it'll show a huge crowd, you know.

Right.

You know, see, the crowd thing is what I think is just, basically I'm just thinking of the fact that McGovern is playing crowds right now.

We come in with one hell of a crowd, you know.

And you play the Rio Grande not as a national story, but as a Texas story.

As a Texas story, and it would carry to the ethnics and everything else, and we do it in a very...

low key and fine way and christ it's it'll go through texas like a and new mexico and california anyway let's look into that okay fine and uh i'll be back okay yeah good

Also recorded on September 12, 1972

142-001 8:44 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at 8:44 pm.
142-002 8:44 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 8:44 pm and 8:49 pm.
210-003 8:44 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at 8:44 pm.
210-004 8:44 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 8:44 pm and 8:49 pm.
210-005 8:49 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 8:49 pm to 8:51 pm.
142-004 8:53 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at 8:53 pm.
210-006 8:53 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at 8:53 pm.
142-005 8:58 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Tricia Nixon Cox talked on the telephone at Camp David from 8:58 pm to 9:00 pm.

All 35 conversations from September 12, 1972 →

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Nixon phone call with Eisenhower on Texas and Watergate hearings July 10, 1973 · 3 min
Nixon, Camp David Operator & Tower on Election 1972 and Senate October 29, 1972 · 3 min
Nixon & Rogers on Texas August 16, 1971 · 1 min
Nixon phone call with Scott on Vietnam War and 1972 Presidential Election February 8, 1972 · 2 min
Nixon phone call with Butz on 1972 Presidential Election and Farm Policy October 27, 1972 · 2 min

Cite this conversation

Conversation 142-003, September 12, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417175331). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/142-003 (accessed November 1, 2026).