{"conversationCode":"188-009","tapeNumber":188,"conversationNumber":9,"identifier":"37-wht-conversation-188-009","startDateTime":"1972-05-18T21:56:00.000Z","endDateTime":"1972-05-19T00:22:00.000Z","startDate":"18-May-1972","startTime":"5:56 PM","endDate":"18-May-1972","endTime":"8:22 PM","dateCertainty":"certain","timeCertainty":"estimated","participants":"Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. (\"Bob\"); Kissinger, Henry A.;","description":"On May 18, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. (\"Bob\") Haldeman, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:56 pm and 8:22 pm. The Camp David Hard Wire taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 188-009 of the White House Tapes.","locationCode":"CDHW","recordingDevice":"Camp David Hard Wire","latitudeEstimated":39.648333,"longitudeEstimated":-77.465,"chronCode":3,"chronRelease":"Third Chronological Release","chronReleaseDate":"28-Feb-2002","aogpRelease":null,"aogpSegment":null,"lastModified":"2015-07-27T17:04:10.235Z","findingAid":"Conversation No. 188-009\n\nDate: May 18, 1972\nTime: Unknown between 5:56 pm and 8:22 pm\nLocation: Camp David Hard Wire\n\nThe President dictated a memorandum for H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.\n\n     Charles W. Colson\n          -Responsibility during Haldeman's absence\n               -Acknowledgements to editorial writers\n                    -President's decision on Vietnam blockade\n\nThe President dictated a memorandum for Henry A. Kissinger.\n\n     New York Times story\n         -Anthony Lewis\n         -Morale in North Vietnam\n\n     Administration press efforts\n         -Leaks\n               -Morale in North Vietnam\n                     -Richard M. Helms\n\n       Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542\n\n**************************************************************************\n\nBEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1\n[National Security (B) withdrawal reviewed under MDR guidelines case number LPRN-T-MDR-\n2014-015. Segment exempt per Executive Order 13526, 3.3(b)(1) on 04/29/2019. Archivist:MAS]\n[National Security]\n[188-009-w001]\n[Duration: 1m 3s]\n\n       INDIA-PAKISTAN\n\nEND WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1\n\n**************************************************************************\n\n     India-Pakistan\n                -Timing\n                     -President’s trip to Soviet Union\n                -Responsibility\n                     -Gen. Alexander M. Haig, Jr.\n\n     John B. Connally trip\n          -Importance\n          -Mode of travel\n          -Destinations\n                -Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Peru\n          -Possible additional destinations\n                -Australia, New Zealand\n                     -Position\n          -Kissinger’s recommendation\n                -Time and date\n          -Departure\n                -Timing\n                -Idanell B. (“Nellie”) Connally\n          -George P. Shultz\n\n       Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542\n\n                 -Confirmation\n                 -Benefits of Connally’s trip\n           -Others’ recommendations\n                 -State Department\n           -Kissinger’s recommendations","filename":["188-009.mp3"],"tapeStart":"00:31:34","tapeEnd":"00:36:26","participantsList":["Nixon, Richard M. (President)","Haldeman, H. R. (\"Bob\")","Kissinger, Henry A."],"prevCode":"188-008","nextCode":"188-010","transcript":[{"start":0.03,"end":22.61,"text":"i want to be sure that the responsibility while we are gone to see that the best editorials columns and"},{"start":23.42,"end":42.68,"text":"to be able to get up a good letter today before he leaves, if you get on it right away."},{"start":47.87,"end":51.13,"text":"Counterbalance."},{"start":52.68,"end":70.53,"text":"Secondly, the line of stories appearing in the New York Times, Tony Lewis, we have to do far more than we are presently doing with regard to what is happening tomorrow in North Vietnam."},{"start":72.75,"end":76.5,"text":"I want you to find a way through Helms to have leaked out"},{"start":147.79,"end":158.01,"text":"we got every possible leak or story that we got now."},{"start":158.03,"end":164.6,"text":"We have made that responsibility working with whoever is left here on the news side."},{"start":166.5,"end":173.49,"text":"The Connelly trip is vitally important, not only from the standpoint of"},{"start":177.71,"end":183.74,"text":"but also in terms of, I believe, the good it could do in the foreign policy period."},{"start":184.46,"end":201.78,"text":"What I have in mind is that he should go first class with the presidential pipe aircraft to four countries in Latin America, Peru, Brazil, Argentina, and Colombia."},{"start":201.8,"end":206.7,"text":"To that, I think it might be well for him to go to Australia and New Zealand, two countries."},{"start":208,"end":213.54,"text":"who sturdily support us, and we still can't get attention because they are so far away."},{"start":216.77,"end":221.46,"text":"Another country further on around, wish we could stop that."},{"start":222.58,"end":228.62,"text":"On the way back, it might not be too bad an idea, period."},{"start":228.64,"end":234.51,"text":"This is a way out suggestion, but maybe this is the time for,"},{"start":246.03,"end":257.25,"text":"The first thing is to get some recommendations and meet by the end of the day, Friday, so that I can talk Conley now about his trip."},{"start":257.41,"end":267.2,"text":"It's my view, it is my view, that he and Mrs. Conley should leave on the trip days after we return, period."},{"start":268.4,"end":274.08,"text":"Even though Schultz may not be confirmed at that time, he will have been thoroughly indoctrinated"},{"start":274.93,"end":292.24,"text":"and uh congress leaving as a secondary the treasury might have the nanny benefit very a lot of people on the state or other about this thing just give me your own recommendation later today"}],"aiSummary":{"text":"President Nixon met with H. R. Haldeman and Henry Kissinger at Camp David to dictate memoranda regarding administrative management and foreign policy strategy. The discussion focused on establishing editorial accountability during absences, coordinating leaks through Richard Helms to counter negative reporting on North Vietnam, and planning a high-profile diplomatic trip for John B. Connally to Latin America and the Pacific. Nixon directed his staff to finalize recommendations for the Connally mission and strategic communication efforts by the end of the week.","topics":["John B. Connally","Media Relations","Vietnam War","Foreign Policy","Leaks","Diplomatic Missions"],"generatedAt":"2026-04-06T09:46:20.403Z"},"topicSlugs":["john-b-connally","media-relations","vietnam-war","foreign-policy","leaks","diplomatic-missions"],"audioDurationSec":292,"audioFiles":[{"file":"188-009.mp3","bytes":11693244,"durationSec":292.2,"bitrate":320140,"missing":false}],"audioIsShared":false,"audioProbedAt":"2026-09-18T02:19:33.323Z","findingAidSource":"nixonlibrary.gov subject log (2024-05), reslice-v2","findingAidUpdatedAt":"2026-09-18T08:43:00.999Z","transcriptGapSeconds":42,"transcriptGapShare":0.14,"transcriptQuality":"incomplete","audio":["https://nixon.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/audio/188-009.mp3"],"url":"https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/188-009","nixonLibraryUrl":"https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/white-house-tapes/188/conversation-188-009","license":"Public domain (U.S. Government work). AI-generated fields (transcript, aiSummary) are provided as-is without warranty."}