Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 228 › Conversation 228-003

Nixon phone call with Haldeman on Public relations and Political appointments

Monday, November 20, 1972 · 1:42 PM–1:46 PM ET · Camp David Hard Wire · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation228-003 on Tape 228StartMonday, November 20, 1972 at 1:42 PMEndMonday, November 20, 1972 at 1:46 PMRecording deviceCamp David Hard WireSourceNixon Library record for 228-003 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman coordinate logistical preparations for an upcoming trip, focusing on managing public perception and scheduling meetings with key political figures. They discuss the importance of delaying official announcements to avoid premature speculation and finalize the guest list, which includes Nelson Rockefeller and Barry Goldwater. The conversation concludes with the President instructing Haldeman to hold off on contacting John Mitchell for the time being.

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 75% 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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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.
Yeah.
You can guess what I hear people on this, just so they can get the whole thing rolling.
The entire trip is on.
And I would like to have the appointments ready here as early as possible so that we can see what I've got to do.
Close over to the field.
We could go down there tonight and have the appointments there.
I think that's the best thing to do.
so you want to invite them still early or soon, because they want to show up Friday afternoon.
If you are, I'd like, I will stay, I will stay Friday, I will stay at a parking, we'll leave at approximately 11 o'clock or so, or 12.
We'll leave by 11.
To, uh, tonight.
Oh, Tricia, all of, all will be going, including two, she will report me for a bedroom suite.
If the presidential is open, fine, and I'm looking at practice, one of their four bedroom suites at the local.
You can say you're going to New York now, and they'll say, why the hell did you do that?
He's going to New York and what about Kissinger and all that and so forth and so on.
We'll do it Friday morning and then indicate and we will be there and we'll meet there.
That's where we'll end up.
Let's not tell Ron anything because right now we just have the appointment made.
All right.
Are we able to get Mitchell yet?
Any suggestions or any orders?
I'll just hold him.
Oh, one other thing.
Is Rockefeller going to come?
Yeah.
I don't need to have Scott.
I haven't talked to him in a long time.
There's something to say that I have Goldwater here and I have Rockefeller.
And Elliot and Roger.
Thank you.

NARA Description

On November 20, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 1:42 pm to 1:46 pm. The Camp David Hard Wire taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 228-003 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 228-3

Date: November 20, 1972
Time: 1:42 pm - 1:46 pm
Location: Camp David Hard Wire

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

       [See Conversation No. 155-15]

Also recorded on November 20, 1972

  • 228-002 1:21 PM · 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 1:21 pm and 1:42 pm.
  • 155-015 1:42 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and John D. Ehrlichman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 1:42 pm to 1:46 pm.
  • 155-016 1:46 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 1:46 pm and 2:05 pm.
  • 228-004 1:46 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 1:46 pm and 2:05 pm.
  • 228-005 1:46 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 1:46 pm and 2:05 pm.
  • 155-017 2:05 PM · 16 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone at Camp David from 2:05 pm to 2:21 pm.
  • 228-006 2:05 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 2:05 pm to 2:21 pm.
  • 155-018 2:21 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 2:21 pm and 2:26 pm.

All 33 conversations from November 20, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 228-003, November 20, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/228-003 (accessed October 9, 2026).