Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 156 › Conversation 156-020

Nixon phone call with Haldeman on Republican National Committee

Wednesday, November 29, 1972 · 10:10 AM–1:47 PM ET · Camp David Study Table · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation156-020 on Tape 156StartWednesday, November 29, 1972 at 10:10 AMEndWednesday, November 29, 1972 at 1:47 PMRecording deviceCamp David Study TableSourceNixon Library record for 156-020 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman coordinated the transition of George H. W. Bush from his role as UN Ambassador to Chairman of the Republican National Committee. The discussion focused on managing Robert Dole’s potential resistance to the leadership shift, with Nixon directing Haldeman to use a firm approach to ensure a seamless succession by the 20th of December. They also strategized the timeline for public announcements and transition periods to avoid conflicts with ongoing Middle East negotiations.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Mr. Haldeman.

Yes, sir.

Yeah.

I have now talked to Bush.

Okay.

And I told him that he should just stay, do nothing until he hears from Dole and that he should take an absolutely hard line that after the committee acts that we cannot have any gap in his being named national chairman.

It's all right for him to be speculated about it.

but he can't be named national chairman and then effectively be the U.N. ambassador.

And the new U.N. ambassador must be brought up and indoctrinated and so forth, so that it has to be on the 20th, right?

And that when he—and talking to Dole also, he should, of course, point out that—just wait until he hears from him.

Now, your line with Dole should be that, great, this is great, we got him.

Now, Bob, you've got to play this with great skill.

And this was a surprise to me and so forth.

It's concerning now.

And get him up here even Wednesday.

You know what I mean?

Yeah.

Talk about Wednesday, Thursday.

You know what I mean?

Right.

But don't push it back too far.

Okay.

And do you have any other views as to how to handle it?

No, I think that's right.

Because, yes.

because we've got to just hardline it with him now.

And then frankly, if it poses a problem, then we'll just start public—just let it go public.

Yep.

A little fight isn't going to be too bad either, I mean, if Dole wants to act like this.

Right.

And everybody's for, you know, people like Ford and the rest can speak up.

Yep.

And that we have to move in this way, but that he should do that and that he should—he says, should I talk to George?

You could say yes,

understand now, the President, based on his conversation, asked George if he would take it.

George said he would, and the President said, fine, you're my choice.

Okay.

And the 20th is the day, because it had to be that because of the Mideast negotiations.

Okay.

Right.

And then we have to get the new—so the quicker that we can get out the fact that Dole's being considered, then I can name a U.N. ambassador-designate to go up and work with

his, you know, a period of transition and get it done so that—because he cannot be in the U.N. a day after the National Committee acts.

See?

Right.

So therefore it's good to get it out this week.

Right.

I mean next week.

Okay.

All right, fine.

NARA Description

On November 29, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:10 am and 1:47 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 156-020 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 156-20

Date: November 29, 1972
Time: Unknown between 10:10 am and 1:47 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table

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

[See Conversation No. 232-11]

*****************************************************************
                                              -19-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                                Conversation No. 156-20 (cont’d)

[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]

       Republican National Committee [RNC]
            -The President’s talk with George H. W. Bush
                  -Approach to Robert J. Dole
            -Announcement
                  -Speculation
                  -Replacement at United Nations [UN]
                       -Timing
            -Dole
                  -Meeting with Haldeman
                       -Approach
                              -Public conflict
                                    -Gerald R. Ford
                              -Timing
                                    -Middle East negotiations
                                    -Announcement
            -Bush
                  -Replacement at UN
                       -Timing
                       -Transition

[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
*****************************************************************

Also recorded on November 29, 1972

156-012 10:10 AM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:10 am and 1:47 pm.
156-013 10:10 AM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:10 am and 1:47 pm.
156-014 10:10 AM · 10 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:10 am and 1:47 pm.
156-015 10:10 AM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:10 am and 1:47 pm.
156-016 10:10 AM · 10 min — President Richard M. Nixon and George H. W. Bush talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:10 am and 1:47 pm.
156-017 10:10 AM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:10 am and 1:47 pm.
156-018 10:10 AM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:10 am and 1:47 pm.
156-021 10:10 AM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:10 am and 1:47 pm.

All 33 conversations from November 29, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 156-020, November 29, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/156-020 (accessed October 22, 2026).