← 219-019219-021 →

Conversation 219-020

TapeTape 219StartWednesday, October 11, 1972 at 4:45 PMEndWednesday, October 11, 1972 at 5:00 PMParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Recording deviceCamp David Hard Wire
AI Summary

President Richard Nixon and H.R. Haldeman met at Camp David to coordinate the President's upcoming travel schedule to the South and finalize logistics for the accompanying press pool. They also discussed strategies to leverage negative campaign themes against George McGovern, specifically targeting his positions on amnesty, the Vietnam War, and prisoners of war to sharpen the distinction between the candidates. Additionally, the pair reviewed recent civil unrest, including a hostage incident in Washington, D.C., and evaluated the effectiveness of the local police force.

1972 Presidential CampaignGeorge McGovernPresidential schedulingVietnam War policyCivil unrestPublic relations
AudioNARA Description

On October 11, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 4:45 pm to 5:00 pm. The Camp David Hard Wire taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 219-020 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 219-20

Date: October 11, 1972
Time: 4:45 pm - 5:00 pm
Location: Camp David Hard Wire

The President met with H.R. ("Bob") Haldeman.

        The President's schedule
            -Atlanta
                -Florida
                -Length of trip
                -Henry A. Kissinger's travel plans
                -Press pool
                     -Possible numbers
                -Possible speech theme
                     -The South

                                      (rev. Oct-06)

                    -Material delivery
                       -Swimming

       Hostage incident
           -Interruption of baseball game on television
           -John D. Ehrlichman
           -Blacks
           -Lorton
           -District of Columbia jail
           -Shirley Chisholm
           -Washington, DC
                -City employees
                -Police force
                     -The President's view
                     -The President's October 10, 1972 meeting
                -Crime

       1972 election, media coverage
           -Ronald L. Ziegler
           -Democratic campaign practices
               -Kevin P. Phillips's paper
               -Demonstrators
               -Republican National Convention
               -Robert J. Dole
               -George S. McGovern
               -San Francisco

*****************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 7m 43s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

*****************************************************************

       Issues

                                     (rev. Oct-06)

            -[McGovern]
                -Amnesty
                -Vietnam War
                -Prisoners of war [POWs]
                -Bombers in Thailand
                -South Vietnam

*****************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 1m 53s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

*****************************************************************

        The President's schedule
            -Kissinger

*****************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 13s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

*****************************************************************

Haldeman left at 5:00 pm.
Transcript (AI-Generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

You know, I don't need it now, but when I get back tonight, I should have, uh, whatever she gets, they, uh, they're glad.
So, uh, give me a little buck for you.
What is it, about an hour and a half by now?
Yeah.
I'll do most of it then.
Fine.
It's worth it to be, uh, you know, 11, uh, you know, 10 or something.
Yeah, it's not much.
Is that a red road today?
Yep.
And what are the latest thoughts on that?
I'm not getting serious.
I guess we're out of time now, you know?
Oh, I think that's fair.
Yeah.
All of the plans, you know, about how many will be there and so forth, we've got to go forward and press forward.
Right.
Okay, I understand the issue, I do.
Right.
Right.
It's too late to do any work on that.
Those people, they don't need to do anything with them anymore.
They're not, they're our people.
They're our people.
They're working people, not public people.
Yeah.
Yeah, if you want to, we can probably get a set up here.
Yeah, I'm going to go to the front.
I'm going to go back.
Okay.
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
You're well paid, but there's a lot of, you know, tough police force.
It makes a difference, you know.
The police force is tough.
You know, I'm not expecting a lot.
I didn't see that.
We've seen people lost yesterday and in October.
The story, yes.
You see, it's just Hawaii.
It's just, you know, you've been tied right to it.
And all of a sudden, we're writing about what we're doing on the ground.
I am.
Well, they have to realize that it's not permanent.
It's certainly not the same one that they've got it.
You know what I mean?
Good God, demonstrators, violence, and all that sort of thing.
What the hell are they talking about?
But what happens, aren't they?
What the hell do you think?
Do you think they were behind that?
Of course they were, sir.
I think that's a perfect answer on that.
You know, once they know you've been serving those Germans, do you think they're from government people or they're serving that type of people?
Sure, and that occurred in that Los Angeles episode.
The time was just correctly approved.
They're making a call to other headquarters.
I mean, it's not to get the goddamn issue right out there, so that there's no question about what the hell this election is about.
You know what I mean?
There's been a tendency, really, to forget.
You know, they forget what the hell that this son of a bitch has been for amnesty, and fuck out, and all the rest.
He's trying to debate, and the rest of all of that went on for a while.
Do you agree?
I mean, our graduation, it's there, and it's been around, but it's brought us back up, certainly resurrected.
The whole issue of, uh, the whole issue, Bob, of, uh, no question I haven't seen answer any of the stats there, no.
And no question about, about the D.O.W.
release that said, well, I'm going to be a bomber in Thailand.
I'm sure he had a hell of a, hell of a lot of leverage there.
We've already covered a person, haven't we?
← 219-019219-021 →