Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 149
Nixon White House Tape 149 (October 14, 1972 – October 15, 1972)
14 conversations · Camp David Study Table · about 37 min of released audio
Featuring Nixon, Ehrlichman, Cox, Colson, Kissinger
President Nixon contacted the Camp David operator to facilitate a telephone call to his daughter, Tricia Nixon Cox. This brief exchange served as a logistical request for the operator to connect the President to his family member. No further policy or administrative matters were addressed during this interaction.
President Nixon and Tricia Nixon Cox discussed the logistics and reception of the President's recent campaign travels through Missouri and West Virginia. They reviewed the public sentiment toward his re-election campaign in those states and touched upon the itinerary for Tricia’s husband, Edward Cox. Additionally, the conversation included brief updates on the President’s upcoming radio address and their personal social plans for dinner and a movie.
President Nixon initiated a brief telephone request through the Camp David operator to be connected with domestic affairs advisor John D. Ehrlichman. The call served as a logistical step to facilitate direct communication between the President and his senior aide. No substantive policy discussions occurred during this interaction as it was strictly an administrative task to establish contact.
President Nixon and John Ehrlichman discuss political strategy, focusing on the tactical advantages of a 20% federal spending limitation and planning for an upcoming revenue-sharing ceremony in Philadelphia with Mayor Frank Rizzo. The conversation also addresses the status of congressional adjournment regarding the debt ceiling and welfare legislation, as well as concerns regarding potential Watergate-related hearings by Senator James O. Eastland. They discuss the necessity of protecting the White House via executive privilege while acknowledging that individuals like John Mitchell might be compelled to testify.
President Nixon contacted the Camp David operator to facilitate an urgent phone call to his Assistant for Domestic Affairs, John D. Ehrlichman. The brief interaction served as a logistical request to establish communication with a key advisor during the President's stay at the retreat. No substantive policy matters were discussed during this specific exchange.
President Nixon communicated with the Camp David operator to coordinate a secure telephone call with John D. Ehrlichman. The operator notified the President that Ehrlichman would be reachable by phone within fifteen minutes. This interaction served primarily as a logistics bridge to facilitate a subsequent, more substantive discussion between Nixon and his top domestic policy advisor.
President Nixon contacted the Camp David operator to facilitate an immediate phone call with his Assistant to the President for Domestic Affairs, John D. Ehrlichman. The brief exchange served strictly as a logistical request to establish communication with Ehrlichman. No substantive policy discussions or decision-making occurred during this connection.
President Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman coordinate messaging strategy regarding pending legislation and press relations ahead of a planned media briefing. They discuss the potential veto of Social Security and water quality bills, framing them around spending limitations and congressional failure to adopt administration reforms. Furthermore, they strategize on countering negative press coverage related to Watergate and the US-Soviet grain deal by attacking journalistic bias, invoking comparisons to McCarthyism, and highlighting the failure of outlets to report on campaign violence against the President.
President Nixon contacted the Camp David operator to facilitate an urgent phone call to his special counsel, Charles W. Colson. The brief exchange served as a logistical request to establish a direct line of communication between the President and his advisor. No policy or substantive political matters were discussed during this connection attempt.
President Nixon and Charles Colson discussed political strategy regarding the 1972 presidential campaign, specifically focusing on how to neutralize negative press coverage surrounding the Watergate scandal. Nixon expressed satisfaction that the ongoing Congressional session kept him in Washington, allowing him to position himself as a fiscal guardian through veto battles. They finalized plans for a non-political revenue-sharing signing ceremony in Philadelphia to demonstrate presidential leadership and maintain public support. Both men agreed that the administration's policy accomplishments were overshadowing opposition attacks and that voters remained largely unmoved by Watergate-related allegations.
President Nixon initiates a brief telephone request through the Camp David operator to be connected with his National Security Advisor, Henry Kissinger. The exchange serves solely as a procedural step to establish communication with Kissinger regarding official business. No further discussion occurs during this short administrative interaction.
President Nixon consulted with the Camp David operator to establish contact with Henry Kissinger, who was currently meeting with General Creighton W. Abrams, Jr. Upon learning that Kissinger was occupied, the President instructed the operator to have Kissinger return the call whenever it became convenient. This brief exchange served to coordinate high-level communication regarding ongoing military or diplomatic affairs involving the General.
President Nixon contacted the Camp David operator to request the presence of his close friend and confidant, Charles G. "Bebe" Rebozo. The President directed the operator to ask Rebozo to travel to the Aspen lodge. This brief administrative communication served to coordinate a private social or strategic meeting between the two men.
President Nixon and Henry Kissinger discussed the status and strategy of ongoing Vietnam peace negotiations, emphasizing that a potential settlement should be pursued based on its own merits rather than election-year political considerations. Kissinger reported on his consultations with military officials like General Creighton Abrams and his plans for upcoming meetings with North Vietnamese negotiators and South Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu. The two agreed on the need to maintain flexibility to secure a viable deal while avoiding any appearance of a coalition government that could undermine the administration's position.