Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 220 › Conversation 220-004

Nixon phone call with Ehrlichman on Federal spending and Bureaucracy

Saturday, October 14, 1972 · 3:50 PM–3:53 PM ET · Camp David Hard Wire · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ehrlichman, John D.Conversation220-004 on Tape 220StartSaturday, October 14, 1972 at 3:50 PMEndSaturday, October 14, 1972 at 3:53 PMRecording deviceCamp David Hard WireSourceNixon Library record for 220-004 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and John Ehrlichman discuss the strategic benefits of a 20% federal spending limitation, noting its utility in enforcing bureaucratic discipline and shifting blame to Congress. They also coordinate a planned appearance in Philadelphia, framing the event as a non-gimmicky, bipartisan return to constitutional principles. Finally, they briefly address the ongoing political fallout and potential witness appearances related to the Watergate-linked hearings involving John Mitchell and others.

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 57% 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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Well, we can't hear anything new, right?
Good.
Actually, the 20% limitation basically got the best of both worlds.
It gives us a reason for cutting, you know what I mean, a little discipline with bureaucracy.
And on the other hand, it gives us discretion, right?
And a chance to blame Congress still.
Right.
Right.
Bob, incidentally, did talk to that fellow.
He's just delighted.
Philadelphia.
Yeah.
Yeah, apparently.
It's a great idea.
Of course, it is.
It is a good idea.
But don't you think it really is a good idea?
Yeah.
It's just going to be a picture, and I think your idea is standing out front.
Of course, we have a weather problem.
We've got to watch.
But if we can, we'll find a way to get out there.
Yeah.
Right, right.
And I think that it really isn't too gimmicky because of the sense that the mayor invited us, he's a Democrat, the mayor is constitutional, and that's where it all began, and now we're making this change back to the Constitution, right?
So, anyway, okay, yeah.
Yeah, you don't have to unless there's something I need to know.
They're still sort of billing for the day.
I see that it's kind of still puffing and puffing with these analysis hearings and so forth.
It's just such a damn problem.
Coming this late, it is a blatant thing, of course.
But, you know, it's quite a parade that he has Mitchell and Keith.
You can't, you can't blame any, Mitchell would have to appear.
And so it stands.
We keep the White House on it.
It's like a privilege over the others.
Of course, they'll be pretty good witnesses.
Right.
Just, just one of those.
Okay.

NARA Description

On October 14, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 3:50 pm to 3:53 pm. The Camp David Hard Wire taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 220-004 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 220-004
Date: October 14, 1972
Time: 3:50 pm -3:53 pm
Location: Camp David Hard Wire
The President talked with John D. Ehrlichman.
[See Conversation No. 149-4]

Also recorded on October 14, 1972

  • 149-001 3:45 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 3:45 pm and 3:46 pm.
  • 220-001 3:45 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 3:45 pm and 3:46 pm.
  • 149-002 3:46 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Tricia Nixon Cox talked on the telephone at Camp David from 3:46 pm to 3:49 pm.
  • 220-002 3:46 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Tricia Nixon Cox met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 3:46 pm to 3:49 pm.
  • 149-003 3:49 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 3:49 pm and 3:50 pm.
  • 220-003 3:49 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 3:49 pm and 3:50 pm.
  • 149-004 3:50 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 3:50 pm to 3:53 pm.
  • 220-005 4:05 PM · 19 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and unknown person(s) met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 4:05 pm to 4:30 pm.

All 36 conversations from October 14, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 220-004, October 14, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/220-004 (accessed October 10, 2026).