Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 204 › Conversation 204-006

Nixon phone call with Haldeman on personnel changes and staff management

Thursday, August 17, 1972 · 11:02 PM–11:04 PM ET · Camp David Hard Wire · 1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation204-006 on Tape 204StartThursday, August 17, 1972 at 11:02 PMEndThursday, August 17, 1972 at 11:04 PMRecording deviceCamp David Hard WireSourceNixon Library record for 204-006 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman briefly discussed the performance and professional shortcomings of an unidentified subordinate. Nixon expressed frustration with the individual's lack of precision and rigorous work ethic, ultimately determining that the person should be replaced. The pair agreed there was no immediate urgency to finalize the staff departure.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 1 minute of this recording (about 49% 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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

His stuff doesn't fit as well, basically.

It's a little sloppy.

But he doesn't have to.

I just have to tell him just to do it the way I want to.

I'm getting things off the wall.

I work with him some future time because he hasn't struggled as much as I have.

I think he better go.

There's no hurry.

No, no hurry.

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 11:02 pm to 11:04 pm. The Camp David Hard Wire taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 204-006 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 204-6

Date: August 17, 1972
Time: 11:02 pm - 11:04 pm
Location: Camp David Hard Wire

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

[See Conversation No. 140-31]

Also recorded on August 18, 1972

140-030 10:51 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:51 pm and 11:02 pm.
204-005 10:51 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 10:51 pm and 11:02 pm.
140-031 11:02 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 11:02 pm to 11:04 pm.
140-032 11:04 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 11:04 pm and 11:43 pm.
140-033 11:04 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 11:04 pm and 11:43 pm.
204-007 11:04 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 11:04 pm and 11:43 pm.
204-008 11:04 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 11:04 pm and 11:43 pm.
204-009 11:04 PM · 24 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, Camp David operator, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 11:04 pm on August 17, 1972 and 12:45 am on August 18, 1972.

All 22 conversations from August 18, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 204-006, August 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/204-006 (accessed October 12, 2026).