Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 188 › Conversation 188-002

Nixon phone call with Haldeman on Walter Reed Hospital and Secret Service

Thursday, May 18, 1972 · 5:30 PM–5:34 PM ET · Camp David Hard Wire · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation188-002 on Tape 188 (tape position 00:11:29–00:14:10)StartThursday, May 18, 1972 at 5:30 PMEndThursday, May 18, 1972 at 5:34 PMRecording deviceCamp David Hard WireSourceNixon Library record for 188-002 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman coordinate a secret visit to Walter Reed Hospital, discussing the logistics of avoiding public attention during the stop. The President also reviews plans to include a long-time associate in his official party, citing the individual's counsel and political alignment. They finalize the travel sequence for the upcoming trip, ensuring Secret Service coordination for the unscheduled hospital visit.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Hello?
Well, anything, uh, late news you know about?
I talked to Walter and, uh, yeah.
Is it all right?
I mean, is he, he's not okay, or how do we do it?
He's been a very old friend.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Well, how do we then, how do we say that we're taking him because he's from Russia or anything?
And, uh, yeah.
That's a part of my party.
Fine.
and I wanted to go along and do, because, you know, for counsel and so forth.
Good, good, good, good, good.
And he also is an anti-Dennis, which I'm pretty sure he's going to do.
The second point is that, talking to him about the other thing, my feeling is now that I will follow your plan and believe here about, you know, 9 o'clock.
How would that be?
Stop at Walter Reed, right?
And then drive over there, drive over there, and then come back to Walter Reed and see the Secret Service and then go on in.
Well, without telling anybody, we'll lay that on.
I don't want to advertise, but I don't think we need to tell anybody to do that.
Well, just say, well, tell the helicopter guy, I'm going to stop and see this, follow me.
That's right, Secret Service man, right.
But then, then, then, yeah.
And then, and then, well, there's Secret Service out there anyways.
We've got no problem in that respect.
Do you mind if I?
Secret Service and Holy Cross.
So, ours, you know, 10 minutes in advance.
Okay.

NARA Description

On May 18, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 5:30 pm to 5:34 pm. The Camp David Hard Wire taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 188-002 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 188-002

Date: May 18, 1972
Time: 5:30 pm - 5:34 pm
Location: Camp David Hard Wire

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

[See Conversation No. 130-2]

Also recorded on May 18, 1972

  • 130-001 5:20 PM · 2 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:20 pm and 5:30 pm.
  • 188-001 5:20 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:20 pm and 5:30 pm.
  • 130-002 5:30 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 5:30 pm to 5:34 pm.
  • 130-003 5:34 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:34 pm and 5:44 pm.
  • 188-003 5:34 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:34 pm and 5:44 pm.
  • 188-004 5:34 PM · 20 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Beverly J. Kaye met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:34 pm and 5:44 pm.
  • 188-005 5:34 PM · 2 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:34 pm and 5:44 pm.
  • 130-004 5:44 PM · 59 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 5:44 pm to 5:45 pm.

All 90 conversations from May 18, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 188-002, May 18, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/188-002 (accessed October 10, 2026).