Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 439 › Conversation 439-039

Nixon & Haig on Camp David and Brent Scowcroft

Wednesday, May 23, 1973 · 2:15 PM–3:27 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haig, Alexander M., Jr.Conversation439-039 on Tape 439StartWednesday, May 23, 1973 at 2:15 PMEndWednesday, May 23, 1973 at 3:27 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 439-039 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Alexander Haig met to coordinate the President's upcoming schedule and prepare remarks for a planned trip to Camp David. Nixon expressed concerns regarding his physical fatigue and the necessity of readying his notes for the excursion. They further discussed logistics involving General Brent Scowcroft's participation in the trip and broader administrative matters concerning Congressional relations.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Let me ask you this, I was wondering if you could come around 4 o'clock and discuss the special effects.
Let me see, this is what I would like to do.
I don't want to give up for them tomorrow.
I was thinking that after I did this, I'd be running all the time.
It's like, I can't save them.
You know, I need to get my notes ready for my remarks.
Now, I would have a pretty good idea if somebody went along, maybe Skullcroft could go along.
In other words, the idea is that if they're going to come to work, they still don't have enough money to put up a loan, so they're not buying.
So you might tell them to go out.
know his wife and who he wants to be uncomfortable with, too.
That, uh, main time, I'll see you in about, say, 4 o'clock.

NARA Description

On May 23, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:15 pm and 3:27 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 439-039 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 439-39

Date: May 23, 1973
Time: Unknown between 2:15 pm and 3:27 pm
Location: Old Executive Office Building

President talked with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

       President’s schedule
              -Meeting with Haig
              -Fatigue of President
              -Congress
              -Trip to Camp David
                      -Remarks
                      -Gen. Brent G. Scowcroft
                             -Scowcroft’s wife
                      -Meeting with Haig
                                             -32-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Also recorded on May 23, 1973

  • 046-170 1:19 PM · 48 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone from 1:19 pm to 1:20 pm.
  • 439-035 1:19 PM · 46 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:19 pm to 1:20 pm.
  • 439-036 1:43 PM · 28 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:43 pm to 2:15 pm.
  • 439-037 2:15 PM · 10 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 2:15 pm and 3:27 pm.
  • 439-038 2:15 PM · 23 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 2:15 pm and 3:27 pm.
  • 439-040 2:15 PM · 25 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 2:15 pm and 3:27 pm.
  • 046-171 3:27 PM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at 3:27 pm.
  • 439-041 3:27 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 3:27 pm.

All 56 conversations from May 23, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 439-039, May 23, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/439-039 (accessed October 12, 2026).