Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 188 › Conversation 188-010

Nixon phone call with Ehrlichman on Busing legislation

Thursday, May 18, 1972 · 5:56 PM–8:22 PM ET · Camp David Hard Wire · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ehrlichman, John D.Conversation188-010 on Tape 188 (tape position 00:36:26–00:39:48)StartThursday, May 18, 1972 at 5:56 PMEndThursday, May 18, 1972 at 8:22 PMRecording deviceCamp David Hard WireSourceNixon Library record for 188-010 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon directed John Ehrlichman to prepare for a pivot toward a constitutional amendment regarding busing legislation, expressing frustration over the lack of progress in Congress. Nixon argued that the administration's current, more moderate proposal was ineffective and that an amendment would provide a clear ideological battleground against the eventual Democratic presidential nominee. Ehrlichman was instructed to task staff with drafting the amendment for a potential rollout by September or shortly before the Republican National Convention.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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I've been doing a lot of thinking about the way our busing legislation is bogged down in the Congress period.
I know that the responsible position is the one that we have taken, period.
On the other thing, the very worst thing that can happen is to be responsible and also imminent
We are rapidly getting ourselves into that position, period.
I don't think anybody on our staff really believes that we're gonna get either the moratorium in the farm, in the farm that would be useful, and that the chances of getting the second half of the package is the last, period.
Under the circumstances, I believe we're going to have to come to a constitutional amendment
My view is that we should come out with a constitutional amendment about the 1st of September.
Put your staff to work on the very best possible form of a constitutional amendment so that I can be prepared to do so at that time and period.
This has the advantage of drawing the line for whatever Democratic candidate they finally select.
up the issue and even say some things which would indicate that they were not so robust as they seem to be.
We are not going to gain any grounding points, whatever, by being so responsible that we appear to be totally ineffective.
It may be that we want to move in a constitutional manner further, but in any event,
I have now reached the conclusion that we have to move the network by the first of September at the very latest period.
As a matter of fact, it may be that we will have to move in this room before the Republican convention.
Having a platform to fight on it isn't too good an idea.
In any event, it'll get the troops working on what we want to come up with.
and have in mind that this is the direction in which we're going to move.
In the meantime, all hands should do everything they possibly can to try to point out what our present proposal really is and try to sell it all over the country.
I'm inclined to think that it's too complex.
uh...

NARA Description

On May 18, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman 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 188-010 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 188-010

Date: May 18, 1972
Time: Unknown between 5:56 pm and 8:22 pm
Location: Camp David Hard Wire

The President dictated a memorandum to John D. Ehrlichman.

     Busing legislation
          -Status in Congress
          -Administration position
                -The President’s view
          -Moratorium
                -White House staff
                -Other parts of legislative package
          -Constitutional amendment
                -The President’s view
                -Timing
                -Staff work

**********************************************************************

[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 08/30/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[188-010-w002]
[Duration: 20s]

       Busing legislation
              -Constitutional amendment
                      -Advantages

       Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542

                                -Democratic candidate
                                      -Potential presidential nominee
                                      -Michigan primary
                                      -Position

**********************************************************************

     Busing legislation
                -Administration's position
                -Timing
                      -Republican convention
                           -Platform
                -Staff work
          -Administration's position
                -Publicity
                -The President’s view
                -Publicity
                      -Timing

Also recorded on May 18, 1972

  • 130-006 5:55 PM · 33 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 5:55 pm to 5:56 pm.
  • 130-007 5:56 PM · 2 min — Unknown person(s) and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 5:56 pm on May 18, 1972 and 11:59 pm on May 19, 1972.
  • 130-008 5:56 PM · 1 min — Unknown person(s), Camp David operator, Kenneth T. McLenden, and Robert Mahaffey talked on the telephone at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 5:56 pm on May 18, 1972 and 11:59 pm on May 19, 1972.
  • 188-009 5:56 PM · 5 min — 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.
  • 188-011 5:56 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:56 pm and 8:22 pm.
  • 188-012 5:56 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:56 pm and 8:22 pm.
  • 188-013 5:56 PM · 40 sec — Unknown person(s) met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 5:56 pm on May 18, 1972 and 11:59 pm on May 19, 1972.
  • 188-014 5:56 PM · 20 min — Unknown person(s), Camp David operator, and Kenneth T. McLenden met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 5:56 pm on May 18, 1972 and 11:59 pm on May 19, 1972.

All 90 conversations from May 18, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 188-010, 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/188-010 (accessed October 10, 2026).