Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 226 › Conversation 226-015

Nixon phone call with Haldeman on Personnel management and William Rogers

Friday, November 17, 1972 · 6:20 PM–6:24 PM ET · Camp David Hard Wire · 7 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation226-015 on Tape 226StartFriday, November 17, 1972 at 6:20 PMEndFriday, November 17, 1972 at 6:24 PMRecording deviceCamp David Hard WireSourceNixon Library record for 226-015 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman discuss the management of staff transitions and the need to exert firm control over key personnel, specifically regarding Secretary of State William Rogers. Nixon instructs Haldeman to handle upcoming meetings with a 'cold turkey' approach, ensuring that staff changes are executed decisively without allowing personnel to believe they are acting on behalf of their colleagues. Furthermore, Nixon directs Haldeman to reprimand Henry Kissinger regarding a subordinate's actions, emphasizing the necessity of maintaining strict administration oversight during these administrative shifts.

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 12% 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.

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I think the important thing to get across to Bill in the morning, and I, what I'm really trying to do is to encourage him to exercise the faith.
I mean, this is the right thing, and I'm sure he can do the same.
I think you should tell him that, Bill, I can't put you in the hole.
We have to think about it.
I was very relaxed about it and happy about it.
It's all worth having.
I think Bill's got to know what it is.
He must not get away with the idea that he's standing up and defending his colleagues.
Yeah.
He's got to act and put on that face.
Don't you agree?
That's how we do it.
say that, well, the available presence is now directly and directly connected to all of them.
We have everything worked out.
They're all very happy about it.
They're very happy.
We have other positions.
Some of them want to leave, or some of them are going to stay.
The only problem is we're going to kill a few.
So we've got to remember that this is what it's going to be.
And we have to run it.
I think there will be a cold turkey today.
He doesn't think he's putting himself in the position of defending his colleagues in the camp.
That's bullshit.
Bill never cares about his colleagues in the camp.
Never has.
He never cares about anybody but himself.
It might be nothing.
Okay.
What time is it?
Eleven o'clock tomorrow.
Now, don't tell him that we worked the Richardson thing out.
Don't tell him a goddamn thing.
I can't tell you about it because the president's giving us all the votes.
Do you have any other votes?
No, I'm calling.
What did he really say?
Because I was with other people.
About Colson.
What do you think?
Because he likes Colson.
Well, he realized it doesn't have to be close.
Yeah.
All right.
Well, of course we are.
All right.
All right.
All right.
Good, good, good, good.
All right.
All right.
All right.
All right.
All right.
In the morning, you're going to talk to Colson.
Even though Chuck thinks there's no chance.
I think there's a one in five chance, see?
What did you say?
You think there's one in five chance?
To me, I want his best man to be recommended.
I want him as early as possible in the next couple of weeks.
Small dinner here, can't wait for the White House where he gets some of the top labor people in.
So that I can sit with him.
about his future.
I will make the transition myself.
See?
Okay.
Anything else?
You're back.
You're back.
I'd like you to call Mr. Henry's hole and yell at him.
Perfect yell at him.
You know the name of the guy.
Why don't you just yell at him?
That's it.
Henry does these things a lot.
You know that.
Right, right, right, right.
All right.
Get out of Henry right away and tell him I hold him personally responsible for this because it's his man.
Get it in the first thing in the morning.
But he's not going to call me.
It's always when you call Henry, tell him the contact is clean and he'll get on with me.
Good.
Good.
You going back now?
Good.
Okay.
Well, I think everything's in good shape, don't you think so?
You talk to Rogers at 11 o'clock, lay it right on the line.
And you think it's possible that you might say the hell with it.
If he does, we accept it.
If he doesn't, fine, we accept him.
But we're going to accept the cold turkey turn.
That's the main thing.
We're going to name everybody in the department.
Everybody up and down the line.
There's not going to be Secretary of State to collate these men.
Okay?
Okay, bud.

NARA Description

On November 17, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 6:20 pm to 6:24 pm. The Camp David Hard Wire taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 226-015 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 226-15

Date: November 17, 1972
Time: Between 6:20 pm and 6:24 pm
Location: Camp David Hard Wire

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

[See Conversation No. 153-48]

Also recorded on November 17, 1972

  • 153-046 1:07 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Bryce N. Harlow talked on the telephone at Camp David from 1:07 pm to 1:15 pm.
  • 153-047 1:15 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 1:15 pm and 6:20 pm.
  • 226-014 1:15 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 1:15 pm and 6:20 pm.
  • 226-035 1:15 PM · 1 min — unknown person(s) met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 1:15 pm and 6:20 pm.
  • 226-036 1:15 PM · 21 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 1:15 pm and 6:20 pm.
  • 153-048 6:20 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 6:20 pm to 6:24 pm.
  • 153-049 6:24 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 6:24 pm and 8:33 pm.
  • 226-016 6:24 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 6:24 pm and 8:33 pm.

All 27 conversations from November 17, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 226-015, November 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/226-015 (accessed October 9, 2026).