Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 203 › Conversation 203-013

Nixon phone call with Haldeman on Bipartisanship and Foreign Policy

Thursday, August 17, 1972 · 10:16 AM–10:54 AM ET · Camp David Hard Wire · 13 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation203-013 on Tape 203StartThursday, August 17, 1972 at 10:16 AMEndThursday, August 17, 1972 at 10:54 AMRecording deviceCamp David Hard WireSourceNixon Library record for 203-013 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman discussed strategies for countering political attacks by characterizing the opposition's campaign as a "low-road" effort defined by smear and fear tactics. They deliberated on potential speakers for a speech promoting bipartisanship in foreign policy, ultimately favoring John Connally to deliver a message emphasizing that peace should not be treated as a partisan political issue. Additionally, Nixon instructed that White House spokespeople, including Ron Ziegler, should remain distanced from these public rebuttals to maintain an elevated, non-partisan posture.

Audio

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NARA Description

On August 17, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 10:16 am to 10:54 am. The Camp David Hard Wire taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 203-013 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 203-13

Date: August 17, 1972
Time: 10:16 am - 10:54 am
Location: Camp David Hard Wire

The President talked with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.

[See Conversation No. 140-23; four items have been withdrawn]

Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 2 minutes of this recording (about 17% of it) is represented by only a few words. Listen to the audio rather than relying on the text below; a corrected transcript is queued.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Yeah, at the right time.
Couldn't get into the rules.
That operation is on.
That's right.
What it should be is just have them out there, hand in the mouth, as you do.
Give me one.
He's a first-class man.
That starts us with our... That would be a very good example of our open-door policy, Bob.
Well, he can make an absolute strict commitment.
Fine.
Fine.
Fine.
Yeah.
Sort of a respect there.
Now you're talking.
In other words, a white paper on it.
Right?
Also, going back to this earlier, and the interference of foreign policy.
Let's start with the Truman quote.
I would start with the Truman quote, and I'd say, did I prefer the Truman quote, if I could
and all of his troubles abroad, and there was no order, and other reports.
Now, here is the conduct of the Governor-Commissioner, and the negotiations are very active.
They're doing this.
Here is the record.
It just broke in.
No rhetoric.
No charge on the Patriot Committee.
Just say, not that one.
It's wrong.
Oh, hell no.
All right, how about eight?
Yeah.
I'll tell you, Margaret Smith would be better.
You know, her decoration across the projects kind of thing.
Yeah.
He doesn't think so, but we don't know.
Even now, it would be a big crisis.
That's my point.
On the other hand, it does point out our failure.
I'm just going to say I'm disappointed.
I'm sorry.
We're doing our best.
That has been.
No, no, they don't understand it.
How about that?
Well, well, why don't you...
I want to prompt you to it.
No, no, he's not going to do it.
how about frankly Margaret Smith sounds awfully good if she could do it or you could check around the city for relations well that I like yeah
I think that would be good.
But we should write it for him so as to keep the rhetoric down.
I think that's the best.
I really do.
If he bid on that at all, just say that I don't feel, frankly, that it ought to be done in a partisan format.
Secondly,
but I believe it could better come from a Democrat.
And third, that I think it would really be a very great shift.
They'll expect him to make sort of a slashy thing, but he could put it in terms of more thorough and an anchor along the lines.
And he said, I just want to talk about bipartisanship in foreign policy without indicating why he's for next week.
That's a
I think he's by far the best person to do it.
By far the best.
And also, I like the idea that he is getting involved in foreign policy for those reasons.
I just think it's great.
But let's ask him if he wants...
Well, it takes to get the facts, but then on the speech writing.
My colleagues will let him work on this.
The facts you don't understand.
lead back on mine and all the changes I've made to take all the partisanship out.
But I think Conley's by far the best.
Let's have bipartisanship.
Let's don't play politics with peace.
That should be the title of the speech.
Let's not play partisan politics with peace.
You know what I mean?
And then find out, congratulating the BFW.
I think that's the best.
I would call it.
No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
I want to keep Ron.
I want to keep Ron.
All clients stay out of it, too.
All of my house's spokesmen, they stay out of this kind of thing.
See?
It's just too close to us.
I think particularly since it's being given to me, I just keep going.
I get elevated to the state president of Texas.
Now, the only thing I would suggest to him,
I think that's so vicious.
Okay.
All right.
That's good.
I kind of feel it.
What I mean is, I don't want Ron to say a word.
What I mean is, the purpose of this is defending.
The purpose of this is they're charging low roll.
I want the charge and the word used that it's a dirty, low-road campaign.
A campaign of slander, lies, and vilification.
Got it?
On everything.
Yeah.
I want this to be the idea of a low road.
Let Dole say that too.
I tell them all that it started in the government, a low-growth campaign.
Well, they figure a better word, a campaign of smear and fear.
Yeah.
I haven't heard from Ron, so I assume he didn't do anything about that bitch.
No, there's that.
There's many, many more.
There's many more.
But I just think it's more important for the moment.
Long term, I just want to be sure you all understood.
A guardian has to be put on her so she doesn't get at anybody again.
And the other thing is that she's sick.
And that CPS is going to be screwed with regard to the handling.
and don't give one to CBS.
Perhaps.
And that's the way I do it.
Very obvious.

Also recorded on August 17, 1972

  • 140-019 9:57 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at 9:57 am.
  • 140-020 9:57 AM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at 9:57 am.
  • 140-021 9:58 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at 9:58 am.
  • 140-022 9:58 AM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 9:58 am and 10:16 am.
  • 203-010 9:58 AM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at 9:58 am.
  • 203-011 9:58 AM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 9:58 am and 10:16 am.
  • 203-012 9:58 AM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 9:58 am and 10:16 am.
  • 140-023 10:16 AM · 12 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Camp David operator, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 10:16 am to 10:54 am.

All 62 conversations from August 17, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 203-013, August 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/203-013 (accessed November 2, 2026).