Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 190 › Conversation 190-008

Nixon phone call with Camp David Operator on Camp David

Wednesday, May 17, 1972 · 7:33 PM–7:44 PM ET · Camp David Hard Wire

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Camp David OperatorConversation190-008 on Tape 190 (tape position 00:31:01–00:32:42)StartWednesday, May 17, 1972 at 7:33 PMEndWednesday, May 17, 1972 at 7:44 PMRecording deviceCamp David Hard WireSourceNixon Library record for 190-008 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon consulted with the Camp David operator to conduct a technical test of the communications equipment within the Aspen Lodge. The exchange served primarily as a functional check of the taping system and internal telephone lines. No substantive policy matters or political discussions were addressed during this brief procedural interaction.

Audio

Download MP3 · 106.1 MB

This conversation has not yet been cut into its own clip, so the player above contains the full tape segment shared with neighbouring conversations. It begins about 00:31:01 into the tape and ends around 00:32:42.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

31:28Ok, let's see, let's try it out.
31:32Let's try it out.

NARA Description

On May 17, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 7:33 pm and 7:44 pm. The Camp David Hard Wire taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 190-008 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 190-8

Date: May 17, 1972
Time: Unknown between 7:33 and 7:44 pm
Location: Camp David Hard Wire

The Camp David operator talked with the President.

[See Conversation No. 131-17]

Also recorded on May 17, 1972

  • 190-006 6:40 PM · 10 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Beverly J. Kaye, and unknown person(s) met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 6:40 pm and 7:33 pm.
  • 131-016 7:33 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at 7:33 pm.
  • 131-017 7:33 PM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 7:33 pm and 7:44 pm.
  • 190-007 7:33 PM · 34 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at 7:33 pm.
  • 131-018 7:44 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at 7:44 pm.
  • 190-009 7:44 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at 7:44 pm.
  • 131-019 7:49 PM · 31 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone at Camp David from 7:49 pm to 8:20 pm.
  • 190-010 7:49 PM · 10 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 7:49 pm and 8:20 pm.

All 63 conversations from May 17, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 190-008, May 17, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/190-008 (accessed September 18, 2026).