Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 227 › Conversation 227-001

Nixon phone call with Haldeman on Cabinet appointments

Sunday, November 19, 1972 · 12:15 PM–1:01 PM ET · Camp David Hard Wire · 5 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation227-001 on Tape 227StartSunday, November 19, 1972 at 12:15 PMEndSunday, November 19, 1972 at 1:01 PMRecording deviceCamp David Hard WireSourceNixon Library record for 227-001 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and H.R. Haldeman met at Camp David to discuss staffing decisions and potential cabinet appointments for the second term. They evaluated various candidates for high-level positions, emphasizing the need for political loyalty and effective public relations, including the potential appointment of a woman to a major cabinet role like Commerce or Interior. The President instructed Haldeman to coordinate with George Shultz to ensure specific political appointments were offered and finalized.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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He has another function.
And I want to know whether he's up to that.
That's really what he's up to.
Because I think that's important for us all before we move on.
Well, I know I'll ever be with the management because of the substance.
I didn't give a damn about that.
I didn't talk to anybody like a big ladies man and all that.
I was
Days out of this, why not?
He could be a lady's man for five minutes.
That's all.
Do you realize that?
That's all.
In fact, his failure to see the substance is what concerns me.
Back off.
Off the coast.
We talked to him.
I worked it out.
Whatever the duty was being.
Having his office physically in the White House.
We could get somebody else to leave.
Hold on.
It's going to be a very good one to get out of the way and ask him what he'd like to announce.
And I said, what date?
Take it to the 20th.
Don't force it on him.
Now, do we have any idea yet about Redstone?
Yeah.
What he wants to do.
I'll offer him a capital solution.
Because I'm not going to have anybody in there for a month, or two months, or six months, and then delete it from our office.
That's bad.
So let's just stop.
I lean very strongly.
If Chuck can get this sentence to accept it, I think I'm going to take credit for the labor job.
I have reasons for doing this to him.
That's not what I like.
That's not what I like.
Because Brennan wants to cut the guts out of the Jewish clack over there, see?
That's how you say it.
Coastal control.
That's how you say commerce.
And it opens up transportation.
Both of those.
The impression that they want, you know, the mic on recession.
You see?
Yeah.
I know.
But I understand that's not changed.
Right.
Right.
Well, that's right.
But you understand, now that transportation can keep bread, we can get bread for life, fine.
That doesn't mean, though, that in transportation and in commerce, I think it should be my two candidates are the one.
My woman is the first choice.
I just think it would be a hell of a good signal to the party.
It's a good signal to the women.
It's a good signal to the public.
the business community, the hell of a business community wants.
And you have to put, you have to draw the trust of Dr. Keppel's people, but it doesn't make all that much difference.
I just think it has a hell of a sound to it.
I don't know anything.
And she'd be a hell of a salesman for us.
And she isn't shopwired.
So we've got to have a little flair, a little flair.
I don't think so.
I'm afraid it's, I think it's, she might be, but with all that oil and stuff out there, I'm not sure.
I guess she could be my car then.
My car then.
Commerce or Interior.
Then we could have her come away and have her do it.
It's not that, that only leaves us then.
That would mean all this, all this, however it would only work out provided
go with the scally of the U.N. from having to go up the wall and just brutalize him because he's not going to do it.
When he comes, it's my intention to do it.
And Shultz has got to brace up and be a man here to offer him the deputy's job over there.
Right?
You weren't in the conversation with Shultz when Shultz served.
Well, he didn't have anybody else.
Anyway, let's just point out we've got to have a political man in that job.
Tell Erdman to work that out with Schultz.
Because, see, I can't see these guys tomorrow without telling them to offer it.
Bush has that.
I don't want Bush.
But I don't want to push Bush up to the cabinet.
Although, if he didn't take that, he is another possibility for the Congress, John.
I need some of these answers for everybody.
I don't know what to be able to tell everybody to get out.

NARA Description

On November 19, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 12:15 pm and 1:01 pm. The Camp David Hard Wire taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 227-001 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 227-1

Date: November 19, 1972
Time: Unknown between 12:15 pm and 1:01 pm
Location: Camp David Hard Wire

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

[See Conversation No. 155-1]

Also recorded on November 19, 1972

  • 155-001 12:15 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 12:15 pm and 1:01 pm.
  • 155-002 1:04 PM · 31 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 1:04 pm to 1:05 pm.
  • 227-002 1:04 PM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 1:04 pm to 1:05 pm.
  • 227-003 1:05 PM · 22 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 1:05 pm and 1:15 pm.
  • 227-004 1:05 PM · 20 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 1:05 pm and 1:15 pm.
  • 155-003 1:15 PM · 15 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 6:59 pm.
  • 227-005 1:15 PM · 15 sec — Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon, Tricia Nixon Cox, and Julie Nixon Eisenhower met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 1:15 pm and 6:59 pm.
  • 227-006 1:15 PM · 15 sec — Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 1:15 pm and 6:59 pm.

All 45 conversations from November 19, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 227-001, November 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/227-001 (accessed October 9, 2026).