Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 235 › Conversation 235-023

Nixon phone call with Kennedy on Alexander Haig and Camp David

Saturday, December 9, 1972 · 7:46 PM–7:48 PM ET · Camp David Hard Wire · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Kennedy, Richard T. (Col.)Conversation235-023 on Tape 235StartSaturday, December 9, 1972 at 7:46 PMEndSaturday, December 9, 1972 at 7:48 PMRecording deviceCamp David Hard WireSourceNixon Library record for 235-023 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Colonel Richard T. Kennedy coordinated logistics for the arrival and scheduling of Alexander Haig, who was expected to return late that night. Nixon instructed Kennedy to ensure Haig rested upon his arrival before traveling to Camp David to meet with the President the following afternoon. This brief exchange served to finalize the itinerary for upcoming consultations regarding the administration's ongoing objectives.

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 25% 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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Oh.
Yeah.
Yeah.
You were, uh, you wanted to have a message or something?
Yes, I did.
Right.
Fine.
Right.
Right.
Right.
Right.
Very good.
Good, send that off and that's ready.
When Al gets in, late tonight, right?
Fine.
Have him go, uh, well, uh, where will he go when he gets in?
Go home.
Right.
Right.
Now, should he, uh, should he come here, or should I meet him there?
What would be the best thing?
All right.
Well, tell him when he gets in in the morning to have a good sleep and come up here about tomorrow about noon.
Fine.
I'll see you right in the afternoon.
I'll get my message out.
Okay.
Bye.
Okay.

NARA Description

On December 9, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Col. Richard T. Kennedy met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 7:46 pm to 7:48 pm. The Camp David Hard Wire taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 235-023 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 235-23

Date: December 9, 1972
Time: 7:46 pm - 7:48 pm
Location: Camp David Hard Wire

The President talked with Col. Richard T. Kennedy.

[See Conversation No. 157-42]

Also recorded on December 10, 1972

  • 157-042 7:46 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Col. Richard T. Kennedy talked on the telephone at Camp David from 7:46 pm to 7:48 pm.
  • 235-024 7:48 PM · 42 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 7:48 pm and 7:55 pm.
  • 236-001 7:30 AM · 31 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, Julie Nixon Eisenhower, and Helene (Colesie) Drown met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 7:30 am and 8:30 am.
  • 236-002 7:30 AM · 34 sec — William Hirsch and unknown person(s) met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 7:30 am and 8:30 am.
  • 236-003 7:30 AM · 15 sec — Julie Nixon Eisenhower, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon, and Helene (Colesie) Drown met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 7:30 am and 12:00 pm.
  • 034-027 9:50 AM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:50 am and 9:55 am.
  • 384-001 9:50 AM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 9:50 am and 9:55 am.
  • 384-002 9:50 AM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 9:50 am and 9:55 am.

All 19 conversations from December 10, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 235-023, December 10, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/235-023 (accessed October 10, 2026).