Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 238 › Conversation 238-015

Nixon phone call with Camp David Operator on Kenneth Rush

Saturday, December 30, 1972 · 12:38 PM ET · Camp David Hard Wire · 24 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Camp David OperatorConversation238-015 on Tape 238StartSaturday, December 30, 1972 at 12:38 PMEndSaturday, December 30, 1972 at 12:38 PMRecording deviceCamp David Hard WireSourceNixon Library record for 238-015 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon contacted the Camp David operator to facilitate an urgent communication with Deputy Secretary of Defense Kenneth Rush. The exchange was strictly logistical, as the President requested to be connected to Rush rather than receiving assistance from the operator for an alternative task. This brief interaction highlights the President's administrative efforts to maintain direct lines of communication with top defense officials while at Camp David.

Audio

Download MP3 · 0.6 MB

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

Hello?
Oh, oh, no.
No, no, no, no, don't bother.
I can pass it.
Try Mr.
Rush, the Deputy Secretary of Defense.

NARA Description

On December 30, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at 12:38 pm. The Camp David Hard Wire taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 238-015 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 238-15

Date: December 30, 1972
Time: 12:38 pm
Location: Camp David Hard Wire

The President talked with Camp David Operator.

[See Conversation No. 158-53]

Also recorded on December 30, 1972

  • 158-051 12:35 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Adm. Thomas H. Moorer talked on the telephone at Camp David from 12:35 pm to 12:37 pm.
  • 238-013 12:35 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Adm. Thomas H. Moorer met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 12:35 pm to 12:37 pm.
  • 158-052 12:37 PM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 12:37 pm and 12:38 pm.
  • 238-014 12:37 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 12:37 pm and 12:38 pm.
  • 158-053 12:38 PM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at 12:38 pm.
  • 238-016 12:38 PM · 26 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 12:38 pm and 12:40 pm.
  • 158-054 12:40 PM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at 12:40 pm.
  • 238-017 12:40 PM · 19 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at 12:40 pm.

All 64 conversations from December 30, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 238-015, December 30, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/238-015 (accessed October 11, 2026).