Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 155 › Conversation 155-015
Nixon, Haldeman & Ehrlichman on New York trip and Henry Kissinger
Monday, November 20, 1972 · 1:42 PM–1:46 PM ET · Camp David Study Table · 4 min
AI Summary
President Nixon consulted with H. R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman to finalize logistical arrangements for an upcoming family trip to New York and to coordinate the scheduling of political meetings at Camp David. The participants discussed hotel accommodations, the timing of a secretive meeting with Henry Kissinger to avoid premature press attention, and the importance of balancing Republican leadership presence at Camp David by inviting Barry Goldwater to meet alongside Nelson Rockefeller. Additionally, they reviewed progress on RNC personnel matters, including directives for John Mitchell to mobilize key committee staff.
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Yeah.
I have Mr. Haldeman now, sir.
Yeah.
You can just put one of your people on this so they can get the thing rolling.
The New York trip is on.
Okay.
And I would like to have the appointments Friday here as early as possible so that we could see, because I've got to get clothes and all that sort of jazz.
All right.
You want to do it up here or down there?
You can do the Friday appointments down there if you want to.
At the White House?
I'm not going to be in—oh.
You said you want to go down there to get the clothes and all that.
Would it be easier for you to go down?
I think— Here's your point.
Either first thing in the morning or even Thursday night?
Well I suppose what we could do, we could go down Thursday night, helicopter down and then have the appointments there and then fly from Andrews.
I think that's the best thing, fine.
But I'd like them still fairly early, because they want to shop Friday afternoon in New York.
Okay.
You want to leave at— I will stay Friday.
We'll leave at approximately eleven o'clock or so, or twelve.
Eleven o'clock.
Whenever we can.
Okay.
We'll leave by eleven.
We would like to, as I said, Trisha, all will be going, including Julie Sue.
We'll need a four-bedroom suite.
If the Presidential is open, fine.
If not, we'll take just one of their four-bedroom suites at the Waldorf.
And it'll be for Friday night and Saturday night.
Good.
Okay.
Yes, sir.
And Julie's working with Claudia on setting up the other— Yeah, I'm letting Julie work all that out.
Okay.
Nobody else will have to work on that.
Okay.
As soon as she gets the word, I will.
And you'll be with Henry up there?
Yes, I'm going to have the meeting with him up there.
And do you want to put this out?
Oh, hell no.
Right.
No, no, no.
Don't put a thing out.
No, we'll just put it out the day—I don't want the press to plan for it.
Right.
We'll put it out Friday morning.
Right.
We just decided to go to New York.
Right, good.
So otherwise they'll—that's right, explain.
If you say you're going to New York now, they'll say, why the hell is he going to New York and what about Kissinger and all that and so forth and so on.
We'll do it Friday morning and then indicate Henry will be there and we'll meet there.
That's the way we'll handle it.
So don't tell Ron anything, please, right now.
Just have the appointment made, and that'll do it.
Okay.
Yes, sir.
That's good.
Were you able to get Mitchell yet?
Yes.
Any suggestions or anything you need to know?
He had one good idea.
He said he's going to get the thing in motion, but he said Lee Nunn is the guy to move around with the committee and get that going.
So he'll call him?
Yeah.
Good.
And he's getting him started right now on that.
Good.
And he'll talk to Dole?
Yeah.
Good.
Good.
Then we'll get Dole up.
We've got to get Clements up.
Oh, one other thing.
Is Rockefeller going to come?
Yes.
Just a second.
John's here.
What time is Rockefeller?
Tomorrow?
Yeah.
He'll be here tomorrow morning.
Fine.
Invite Goldwater, too, then.
Goldwater should be invited as a former—okay.
I just got to get a little balance in that.
I don't need to have Scott.
I've talked to him on the phone.
Yep.
But don't you think there's something to say to having Goldwater?
Sure.
Have Rockefeller?
Yep.
That's a good idea.
Let's just invite him.
Well, and give him the pitch on Elliott and some of that, too.
Yeah.
And Elliott and Rogers and what you're going to do to bust things up there.
Right.
Right.
Right.
Right.
And Rogers.
That would be damn good.
Fine.
All right.
Have Goldwater Wednesday if you can.
Fine.
Okay.
NARA Description
On November 20, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and John D. Ehrlichman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 1:42 pm to 1:46 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 155-015 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 155-15
Date: November 20, 1972
Time: 1:42 pm - 1:46 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table
The President talked with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
[See Conversation No. 228-3]
The President's schedule
-Trip to New York
-Friday's appointments
-Location
-Camp David
-Return to Washington, D.C.
-Clothing
-White House
-Helicoptor
-Trip to New York
-Departure from Andrews Air Force Base
*****************************************************************
[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]
-Trip to New York
-Shopping
-Departure
-Timing
-Accommodation requirements
-Waldorf-Astoria Hotel
-Tricia Nixon Cox
-Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
-Timing
-Julie Nixon Eisenhower
-Claudia Val
-Arrangements
-16-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 155-15 (cont’d)
[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
*****************************************************************
-Meeting with Henry A. Kissinger
-Publicity
-Notification of press
Timing
-November 24, 1972
-Ronald L. Ziegler
*****************************************************************
[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]
Republican National Committee [RNC]
-Haldeman telephone call to John N. Mitchell
-Lee R. Nunn
-Robert J. Dole
-William P. Clements, Jr.
-Nelson Rockefeller’s forthcoming trip to Camp David
Haldeman conferred with John D. Erhlichman at an unknown time between 1:42 pm and 1:46
pm.
-Arrival
-Barry M. Goldwater
-Invitation to Camp David
-Balance
-Previous conversation with the President
-Meeting with Goldwater
-Elliott L. Richardson
-William P. Rogers
-Changes
-Goldwater
-Time of meeting
[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
*****************************************************************
-17-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUMAlso recorded on November 20, 1972
- 228-002 1:21 PM · 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 1:21 pm and 1:42 pm.
- 228-003 1:42 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 1:42 pm to 1:46 pm.
- 155-016 1:46 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 1:46 pm and 2:05 pm.
- 228-004 1:46 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 1:46 pm and 2:05 pm.
- 228-005 1:46 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 1:46 pm and 2:05 pm.
- 155-017 2:05 PM · 16 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone at Camp David from 2:05 pm to 2:21 pm.
- 228-006 2:05 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 2:05 pm to 2:21 pm.
- 155-018 2:21 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 2:21 pm and 2:26 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 155-015, November 20, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/155-015 (accessed October 9, 2026).