Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 192 › Conversation 192-011

Nixon phone call with Mitchell on legislative votes and budget concerns

Friday, June 9, 1972 · 4:55 PM–5:07 PM ET · Camp David Hard Wire · 10 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Mitchell, John N.Conversation192-011 on Tape 192 (tape position 02:14:21–02:24:16)StartFriday, June 9, 1972 at 4:55 PMEndFriday, June 9, 1972 at 5:07 PMRecording deviceCamp David Hard WireSourceNixon Library record for 192-011 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and John Mitchell discussed the recent partisan vote on a legislative matter, with Nixon expressing satisfaction that no Republicans voted against it and hoping for a strong stance from the confirmed official. They also touched upon budget concerns, the potential for vetoing environmental bills to save money, and the need to manage legislative proposals like revenue sharing and welfare reform. Nixon also mentioned Ehrlichman's return and his instructions to find ways to veto environmental legislation.

Audio

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Position in tape: 02:14:21 – 02:24:16

part A, 1:19:03

192a.mp3
192b.mp3

NARA Description

On June 9, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and John N. Mitchell met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 4:55 pm to 5:07 pm. The Camp David Hard Wire taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 192-011 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 192-11

Date: June 9, 1972
Time: 4:55-5:07pm
Location: Camp David Hard Wire

The President talked with John N. Mitchell.

[See Conversation No. 172-4; one item has been withdrawn.]

Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was made by an AI model listening to the recording (gemini-3.8-flash) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Speaker names are the model's inference from the voices and the participant list. Words and names can still be wrong — verify against the audio and the finding aid before citing.

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NixonYeah, and so it was overwhelming, and only on a, purely partisan vote and not bad at that. Right. Well, we thought we'd have the
Nixonuh, at least, uh, a swearing-in for all three on Monday, have a Camp too, so, we can, we can, uh, start the week off with everybody in place.
NixonPlace, right. Let's see John Ehrlichman here shortly. He's arriving back from Stockholm.
NixonTold him to figure out some ways to, uh, veto some environment bills now. [chuckles] I hope we we sure have to save some money someplace or other. Where
NixonSerious. Oh, gosh. Unbelievable what we're in on, stuff. Hard to easy to do, when you look at the budget problem here. Big thing. It's really the outside, but, uh, you got to you got to realize the way the Congress goes. Unless we can veto these things,
Nixonwe can reach that outside number. $55 billion in '74, right?
NixonOh, but but that's a figure that's a figure that would that's a figure that would happen, though, as I understand it, if we got revenue sharing, and if we got welfare reform, and if we got, uh, the water bill, and if we got, uh, uh, all the other many things.
NixonWell, anyway, we'll see. We're glad you're through, and that you're you people are here under, under your return. So, that's fine, too.
NixonYeah, and then, you can That's right. That's right.
NixonRight.
NixonYes, sir.
NixonIt's $66 billion, I believe.
NixonYou have to You got Bowker lined up, though. Bowker is
NixonRight.
NixonYeah. Right. Right, right. Oh, Bowker obviously is uh he's open, isn't it? Well, he's pragmatic to try and work a deal out. But we've, uh, but we can't
Nixonwe can't allow allow Arthur with his tenacity to
Nixonforce onto something that we can't live with. That wouldn't do any good at all.
NixonWell, anyway, have a good weekend. Bye. Bye.
NixonMr. Mitchell, please.
Unknown[silence]
NixonYeah.
NixonThat's a fine picture of you and Kleindienst on the front page. I was surprised the [unintelligible] used such a good one.
NixonWhere's that taken?
NixonYeah, I just tried to call him this morning. He's in Philadelphia.
NixonI wonder what's he doing out there? Making a speech or something?
NixonYeah.
NixonYeah. You know, uh, the vote was good, John, wasn't it? Uh, not not, didn't lose a Republican. Even that Percy turned around, you know?
NixonOh, I see.
NixonWhy'd he do it?
NixonWhy do you think he did it?
NixonYeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think, too, that, uh, I just have a feeling, John, that, uh, you know, there's always a, it's sort of a, from that, after coming back from the Moscow trip and everything,
Nixonthese guys don't kind of want to be in the position of fighting the president too hard for every damn thing. What do you think?
NixonNot that they wouldn't love to do it, but, you know, they, they watch the wind.
NixonUh-huh.
NixonThey thought they were just too darned, uh, partisan, uh Which they were. They were. Well, thank god, you know, only 19 votes. That That really, uh,
Nixonreally is good. And I hope he's rough as hell on the people, too. You know, he shouldn't allow this to make him a little tender. You You understand what I mean?
NixonHuh?
NixonYou know what I mean? Uh, Connally mentioned that to me, uh, uh, he said, you know, he just hopes that Dick doesn't. Since so many people, when they go through a tough confirmation, then, sort of,
Nixonfeather the whip. He says, "Don't let him do it." And I think Connally's right. So, you let him, you know, keep him.
NixonRight. Well, he is a good follow.

Also recorded on June 9, 1972

  • 172-004 4:55 PM · 12 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John N. Mitchell talked on the telephone at Camp David from 4:55 pm to 5:07 pm.
  • 172-005 5:08 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at 5:08 pm.
  • 192-012 5:08 PM · 40 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at 5:08 pm.
  • 172-006 5:13 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at 5:13 pm.
  • 192-013 5:13 PM · 34 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at 5:13 pm.
  • 172-007 5:15 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Robert H. Finch talked on the telephone at Camp David from 5:15 pm to 5:23 pm.
  • 192-014 5:15 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Robert H. Finch met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 5:15 pm to 5:23 pm.
  • 172-008 5:26 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at 5:26 pm.

All 37 conversations from June 9, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 192-011, June 9, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/192-011 (accessed November 8, 2026).