Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 318 › Conversation 318-013

Nixon, Haldeman & Butterfield on People's Republic of China

Wednesday, February 2, 1972 · 1:50 PM–1:56 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 6 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Butterfield, Alexander P.Conversation318-013 on Tape 318 (tape position 01:32:25–01:39:17)StartWednesday, February 2, 1972 at 1:50 PMEndWednesday, February 2, 1972 at 1:56 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 318-013 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon consulted with H. R. Haldeman regarding his upcoming schedule, focusing on balancing trips to Florida and Camp David with preparations for his historic journey to the People's Republic of China. The discussion also addressed public relations strategy, specifically evaluating the necessity of personal appearances at events like the National Prayer Breakfast to maximize political impact. Alexander P. Butterfield joined briefly to receive administrative instructions, while the President ultimately weighed the value of various appearances against the fatigue of his pre-trip workload.

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 39% 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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Well, I was wondering what your thought was on this kind of thing as to whether I ought to possibly try to do the Florida this weekend and the Camp David.
You know what I mean?
I'm just thinking, well, I could do, I guess, either my own influence.
How much worth that?
Well, I'd go both times if I go.
Yeah.
Well, there isn't any problem as I see it.
The real question is, I suppose, whether I'm determined.
That's sort of the best way to get as good a possible shape for the trip abroad.
I don't know.
I, of course, can't be able to do that.
I have to walk 30 minutes there.
And that I don't, you have to have a little time to get out, just to get outside.
You know, I go running, of course, but it's pretty cold.
It's cold.
It's a lot better here.
But I just think,
but I don't want to take that too hard.
Yeah.
Sort of reading things.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
It's fine if I want to stay.
I don't think there's...
I have no concern on the VR side right now.
I think that everybody, we know you, I hadn't really realized it, but you pointed out that the press was finding out about it on television a lot in January, you know, last week, so we've had a hell of a lot of exposure.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And, you know, even things, let's face it, like the prayer breakfast, which does make you brownie points in that respect, doesn't it?
They're going after that color thing on the 79.
On the action.
They're having several stages.
I don't think it's worth it.
I don't think it's worth you.
I don't think it's worth all that.
I don't think it's worth it.
I don't think it's worth all that.
I don't think it's worth all that.
Over half the Congress, half the Senate, the whole man, half the Supreme Court, the Congress, the Admin,
You renamed it National last year.
I think that's a hell of a start.
That's a start.
That's a start.
Although I must say, unless I'm out of town, I don't think I can do it.
But I think Daniel will be out of town.
We're just a thing to do.
I don't think we should ever get tired of something that happened to me this year.
All right.
Here.

NARA Description

On February 2, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:50 pm and 1:56 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 318-013 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 318-13

Date: February 2, 1972
Time: Unknown between 1:50 pm and 1:56 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

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

[Conversation No. 318-13A]

     The President's schedule
          -Florida
          -Camp David
          -Trip to People's Republic of China [PRC]
          -Camp David
                -Outdoor activity
                      -Weather
                -Travel time

Alexander P. Butterfield [?] entered and conferred with the President at an unknown time after
1:50 pm.

     Instructions

[End of conferral]

Butterfield left at an unknown time before 1:56 pm.

     The President's schedule
          -Public relations
               -Television
               -Press
                      -Television
               -Prayer breakfast
               -Sunday event
               -Forthcoming speech
                -Prayer breakfast

     Public relations
          -Promotion of events
                 -Congress
                 -Supreme Court
                 -Cabinet

     The President's schedule
          -Renaming of unknown event

[End of telephone conversation]

Also recorded on February 2, 1972

  • 020-020 1:40 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:40 pm and 1:48 pm.
  • 318-008 1:40 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:40 pm and 1:48 pm.
  • 020-021 1:48 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 1:48 pm.
  • 318-011 1:48 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 1:48 pm.
  • 020-022 1:50 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 1:50 pm.
  • 318-012 1:50 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 1:50 pm.
  • 020-023 1:56 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower talked on the telephone from 1:56 pm to 2:00 pm.
  • 318-014 1:56 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:56 pm to 2:00 pm.

All 71 conversations from February 2, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 318-013, February 2, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/318-013 (accessed October 12, 2026).