Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 380 › Conversation 380-016

Nixon alone in his EOB office on Second term reorganization

Thursday, December 28, 1972 · 12:39 PM–2:20 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 4 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President)Conversation380-016 on Tape 380StartThursday, December 28, 1972 at 12:39 PMEndThursday, December 28, 1972 at 2:20 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 380-016 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon dictates a memorandum to H.R. Haldeman regarding administrative reorganizations for his second term, specifically focusing on ambassadorial appointments in the Middle East. The President addresses the performance and suitability of figures such as Joseph S. Farland and Henry J. Tasca, while weighing the influence of Henry Kissinger. Additionally, Nixon instructs Haldeman and John Ehrlichman to manage fallout from recent comments made by Senator Charles Percy regarding the Vietnam War.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Memorandum of all, we have not yet made financial decisions in regards to the number of ships that are identified.

Uh, when you work on the plan, it's kind of like, uh, trying to avoid, uh, having questions with the steps and follow-up with questions.

So, uh, most of your office will be able to play, uh, and it's not, uh,

Thank you.

on the other hand

All right.

Thank you.

NARA Description

On December 28, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:39 pm and 2:20 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 380-016 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 380-16

Date: December 28, 1972
Time: Unknown between 12:39 pm and 2:20 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President dictated a memorandum to H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.

      Second term reorganization
           -Ambassadorships
                 -Middle East
                       -Joseph S. Farland
                       -Henry A. Kissinger
                       -Israel
                       -Haldeman’s forthcoming conversation with Peter M. Flanagan
                             -Henry J. Tasca
                             -Farland
                             -Tasca
                                   -Bureaucracy
                                   -View of Israel
                                   -Health

      Kissinger
            -Recent meeting with Charles H. Percy
                 -Percy’s recent trip to Asia
                 -Percy’s recent statement about Vietnam War
                 -Effect on loyalists
                 -Instruction for Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman
                       -Forthcoming conversation with Kissinger
            -Recent meeting with McGeorge Bundy
                                              -25-

                  NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                             Conversation No. 380-16 (cont’d)

            -Congressional, media relations

Also recorded on December 28, 1972

035-027 12:39 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:39 pm and 2:26 pm.
380-014 12:39 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:39 pm and 2:20 pm.
380-015 12:39 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:39 pm and 2:20 pm.
380-017 12:39 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:39 pm and 2:20 pm.
380-018 12:39 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:39 pm and 2:20 pm.
380-019 12:39 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:39 pm and 2:20 pm.
380-020 12:39 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:39 pm and 2:20 pm.
380-021 12:39 PM · 28 sec — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:39 pm and 2:20 pm.

All 76 conversations from December 28, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 380-016, December 28, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/380-016 (accessed October 10, 2026).