Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 291 › Conversation 291-020

Nixon with unidentified visitors in his EOB office on H.R. Haldeman

Monday, October 18, 1971 · 5:45 PM–5:54 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 8 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation291-020 on Tape 291 (tape position 01:58:17–01:58:57)StartMonday, October 18, 1971 at 5:45 PMEndMonday, October 18, 1971 at 5:54 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 291-020 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon consulted with the White House operator to facilitate an urgent communication with his Chief of Staff, H.R. Haldeman. This brief interaction served as a logistical step to bridge the President and his top aide for further consultation. No additional substantive policy discussions were recorded during this brief exchange.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Horrible.

NARA Description

On October 18, 1971, 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 5:45 pm and 5:54 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 291-020 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 291-20

Date: October 18, 1971
Time: Unknown between 5:45 pm and 5:54 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with White House operator.

[See Conversation No. 11-120]

     Request for a call to H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman

Also recorded on October 18, 1971

  • 011-118 5:25 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:25 pm and 5:32 pm.
  • 011-119 5:32 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, and unknown person(s) talked on the telephone from 5:32 pm to 5:40 pm.
  • 291-019 5:32 PM · 10 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 5:32 pm to 5:40 pm.
  • 011-120 5:40 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:40 pm and 5:54 pm.
  • 011-121 5:40 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:40 pm and 5:54 pm.
  • 291-021 5:45 PM · 12 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 5:45 pm and 5:54 pm.
  • 011-122 5:54 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 5:54 pm to 5:58 pm.
  • 291-022 5:54 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 5:54 pm to 5:58 pm.

All 46 conversations from October 18, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 291-020, October 18, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/291-020 (accessed September 28, 2026).