Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 148 › Conversation 148-016

Nixon phone call with Haldeman on Vietnam negotiations and Henry Kissinger

Wednesday, October 11, 1972 · 6:57 PM–7:00 PM ET · Camp David Study Table · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation148-016 on Tape 148StartWednesday, October 11, 1972 at 6:57 PMEndWednesday, October 11, 1972 at 7:00 PMRecording deviceCamp David Study TableSourceNixon Library record for 148-016 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman coordinate the arrival schedule and briefing protocol for Henry Kissinger following his Vietnam peace negotiations in Paris. They confirm that Kissinger should report to Secretary of State William P. Rogers immediately upon his return before meeting with the President. Nixon expresses confidence in the negotiations despite the lack of a clear breakthrough, opting to wait until Kissinger is refreshed to receive a full debriefing.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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yeah well kennedy has heard from their contact he has not heard from them and the contact says they are staying overnight and coming back in the morning they finished apparently so late that the airport closed at 11 they would have to have opened it to his lab yeah and uh they are not back in touch pagan and henry are not back in touch so he has not heard from them they know that we're that he's trying
to get through to them and they'll get them as soon as they get them where they can talk again.
Okay.
But what this guy, the contact said was that they, as he understood it, were planning to leave at 10 in the morning.
10 in the morning, Paris time or our time?
Paris, which would get them here at about 1, yeah, about 1 o'clock.
All right.
That's just perfect.
He used to report to Rogers immediately.
Okay.
Don't you agree?
Yeah.
and get that done, and then when I come back, when I come back, he can stand by to report to me.
But let him report to Rogers immediately, have a talk with Rogers immediately about what he can.
Don't you agree?
And then I don't mind seeing him with Rogers, but I want to talk to him.
This works out fine, because then you don't really have to.
Yeah.
Well, if he could talk to Rogers, and then he talks to me, and then the following day we could meet for a public thing.
Good.
right so that's that's it he said that apparently they they just figured they were completely beaten it was easier to stay there and come back in the morning yeah oh i understand that yeah well they probably just reached an impasse you know they can't do it now midnight there yeah i know they've been at it for yeah yeah sure and uh i think if they if they hadn't
If they've made any breakthrough, Bob, they let us know.
Don't you agree?
Yeah.
So I wouldn't worry about it.
They did the best they could.
I'm sure it's one of those clouded things.
That's right, sure.
We agreed on all the nine points except the important one.
But it's all right.
That's right.
That's what it looks like.
But at least they fought it all day long.
And it's good that they're coming back, and we'll see them when they're fresh.
Right.
But if you could give Rogers a little fill-in.
But before he sees me, that's the important thing.
Then he can see me so they can really have a good talk.
Don't you agree?
Yes, sir.
And what time will we be back from Atlanta?
Gosh, it's 5.30?
5.30, I think, yeah.
5.30, all right.
I'll take it to be sure.
It's about that.
Well, that's soon enough.
I can just figure that he can... We'll get together with him.
Okay, fine.
All right.

NARA Description

On October 11, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 6:57 pm to 7:00 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 148-016 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 148-16

Date: October 11, 1972
Time: 6:57 pm - 7:00 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table

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

[See Conversation No. 219-24]

        Vietnam negotiations
            -Henry A. Kissinger's schedule
                 -Col. Richard T. Kennedy’s report
                     -Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
                 -Paris
                 -Meeting with William P. Rogers
                 -Meeting with the President
                 -Public discussion
            -Status

                -Amount of time
            -Kissinger’s schedule
                -Rogers
                    -The President
                -Arrival time back from Atlanta

Also recorded on October 11, 1972

  • 148-015 6:52 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 6:52 pm and 6:57 pm.
  • 219-022 6:52 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 6:52 pm and 6:57 pm.
  • 219-023 6:52 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 6:52 pm and 6:57 pm.
  • 219-024 6:57 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 6:57 pm to 7:00 pm.
  • 148-017 7:00 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 7:00 pm and 7:01 pm.
  • 219-025 7:00 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 7:00 pm to 7:01 pm.
  • 148-018 7:01 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 7:01 pm to 7:02 pm.
  • 219-026 7:01 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 7:01 pm to 7:02 pm.

All 48 conversations from October 11, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 148-016, October 11, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/148-016 (accessed October 25, 2026).