Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 200 › Conversation 200-017

Nixon phone call with Ehrlichman on Railroad industry and Labor policy

Wednesday, August 9, 1972 · 1:47 PM–1:52 PM ET · Camp David Hard Wire · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ehrlichman, John D.Conversation200-017 on Tape 200StartWednesday, August 9, 1972 at 1:47 PMEndWednesday, August 9, 1972 at 1:52 PMRecording deviceCamp David Hard WireSourceNixon Library record for 200-017 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and John Ehrlichman discuss the political implications of a railroad industry issue, weighing the risks of appearing to favor big business versus the necessity of protecting jobs. The conversation shifts to a leaked report regarding Secretary Elliot Richardson's alleged opposition to a land giveaway, prompting the President to express frustration over the inaccuracy of the leak. Nixon ultimately grants Ehrlichman the latitude to manage these legislative and public relations concerns while seeking to understand the source of the misinformation.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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You wanted to talk to me about that railroad thing a little more?
I talked to Mopi last night.
Mopi says planning it as a pollution.
What advice do you have for planning a pollution?
Well, then we have to do this.
Well, then we
Why do we have to be so obtrusive?
Big business?
Bailing on big business?
He says there are a lot of railroad workers, right?
Right, right.
Well, I think...
It may not be all that big a problem on the big business side.
I don't know about Chris, but it seems we always have this problem, don't we?
You help anything to save jobs, and you're helping business.
So if you feel that... Yeah.
All right, sure.
Sure, take the latitude.
Okay.
Good.
Okay.
I was noting in the post some piece with regard to the fact that Richardson apparently had recommended, at least was alleged to have recommended that we oppose this giveaway to the state, you know, and that sort of thing.
wasn't true or not i mean i mean understand i'm i'm totally against the goddamn thing but i i understood we had no choice how can we lit it though at this point yes for legislation putting a lid on but pointing out that we had no choice and uh did we delay them up actually or not
Of ATW?
I mean, does Elliot have any idea who leaked it?
I suppose not.
That's not true, is it?
That's true.
I knew when I saw it, I would rather laugh at the fact that, my God, this is one that we couldn't feel more strongly about.
If anything, we would have been doing it the other way.
Mm-hmm.
That's fine.
Okay, John.
Good, good.
Okay.

NARA Description

On August 9, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 1:47 pm to 1:52 pm. The Camp David Hard Wire taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 200-017 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 200-17

Date: August 9, 1972
Time: 1:47 pm - 1:52 pm
Location: Camp David Hard Wire

The President talked with John D. Ehrlichman.

[See Conversation No. 139-4]

Also recorded on August 9, 1972

  • 200-005 10:19 AM · 47 sec — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:19 am and 1:47 pm.
  • 200-006 10:19 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:19 am and 1:47 pm.
  • 200-007 10:19 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:19 am and 1:47 pm.
  • 200-008 10:19 AM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:19 am and 1:47 pm.
  • 139-003 1:05 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 1:05 pm and 1:47 pm.
  • 200-015 1:05 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 1:05 pm and 1:47 pm.
  • 200-016 1:05 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 1:05 pm and 1:47 pm.
  • 139-004 1:47 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 1:47 pm to 1:52 pm.

All 23 conversations from August 9, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 200-017, August 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/200-017 (accessed October 12, 2026).