Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 205 › Conversation 205-010

Nixon phone call with Haldeman on Busing and Education policy

Saturday, August 19, 1972 · 12:11 PM–12:14 PM ET · Camp David Hard Wire · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation205-010 on Tape 205StartSaturday, August 19, 1972 at 12:11 PMEndSaturday, August 19, 1972 at 12:14 PMRecording deviceCamp David Hard WireSourceNixon Library record for 205-010 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman discuss the strategic framing of an upcoming speech, specifically focusing on balancing discourse on education and busing. Nixon aims to avoid appearing overly focused on busing to maintain broad national appeal while still addressing concerns relevant to the Michigan press. He directs Haldeman to prioritize brevity and substance, expressing a desire to avoid distractions and maintain efficient use of his time and intellectual focus.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 2 minutes of this recording (about 60% 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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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.

I just like to get a couple of new ideas.

And I think, and I realize that he's not all on big speech and so forth, but he's also, he's offered to say something.

The busing thing, it doesn't mean I don't have to go on and on and on and on about busing.

It isn't going to be very good.

What I want is something that's a nothingness.

I'd like to talk to you about it.

1,000 words, 15 minutes, maybe 50 numbers.

But my point is, I like about 500 words on busing, to say the most, and 1,000 words on education.

So the national press knows that I'm just not very pandering to the busing crowd.

The Michigan press becomes a busing crowd.

Does that make sense to you?

We now are at the point, basically, that I really can't assimilate much more.

I'm going to look at prices, prices compared to something like that.

I don't want people to waste their time.

Also, I don't want to be diverted.

That's my problem.

But I don't want to say my brain is gone.

But it's probably not an individual.

Good, good, good.

That's fine.

NARA Description

On August 19, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 12:11 pm to 12:14 pm. The Camp David Hard Wire taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 205-010 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 205-10

Date: August 19, 1972
Time: 12:11 pm - 12:14 pm
Location: Camp David Hard Wire

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

[See Conversation No. 140-42]

Also recorded on August 19, 1972

140-039 11:49 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 11:49 am and 12:02 pm.
140-040 12:02 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 12:02 pm to 12:05 pm.
205-008 12:02 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 12:02 pm to 12:03 pm.
140-041 12:03 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 12:03 pm and 12:11 pm.
205-009 12:03 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 12:03 pm and 12:11 pm.
140-042 12:11 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 12:11 pm to 12:14 pm.
176-007 12:14 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 12:14 pm and 12:33 pm.
205-011 12:14 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 12:14 pm and 12:33 pm.

All 35 conversations from August 19, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 205-010, August 19, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/205-010 (accessed October 8, 2026).