Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 767 › Conversation 767-018

Nixon & Ehrlichman on George Romney and HUD

Friday, August 11, 1972 · 11:09 AM–11:10 AM ET · Oval Office ·2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Ehrlichman, John D.Conversation767-018 onTape 767StartFriday, August 11, 1972 at 11:09 AMEndFriday, August 11, 1972 at 11:10 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 767-018 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and John Ehrlichman discussed the impending resignation of HUD Secretary George Romney and his recent efforts to secure a private meeting with the President. They reviewed Romney’s tactical attempts to leverage potential resignation rumors to gain approval for additional staffing from the Office of Management and Budget. Nixon ultimately authorized the requested personnel increase through Caspar Weinberger while planning to address Hurricane Agnes relief efforts during the broader meeting with Romney and General George A. Lincoln.

Audio

Download MP3 · 2.8 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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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 · Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).

for this meeting.
And he'll make the point that he's been trying to get a meeting with you for three weeks to talk about his future plans.
So the meeting will have two segments.
You'll have this meeting about Agnes with George Lincoln and everybody present.
And he'll ask to talk to you.
He may ask to talk to you privately.
He may want to try and finesse, you know.
All right.
All right.
I think he's just playing a little game and he may be stirring this all up with the idea that we're going to cave on the additional employees or something.
terrible pressure, and if I can't have additional employees, I'll have to leave.
Ziegler confronted him directly just now and said, are you going to resign or not?
And he said, well, I've been living with that rumor for two years.
So why don't you just do this so I don't have to come around?

NARA Description

On August 11, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:09 am to 11:10 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 767-018 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 767-18

Date: August 11, 1972
Time: 11:09 am - 11:11 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with John D. Ehrlichman.

       George W. Romney
            -Forthcoming press conference
                  -Announcement of resignation
                        -Ronald L. Ziegler
                              -Possible photograph with the President
                  -Previous requests for a meeting with the President
            -Meeting with the President
                  -Hurricane Agnes flooding

                                        (rev. Nov-03)

                         -Gen. George A. Lincoln
                   -Possible private meeting with the President
                         -Possible motives
                               -Request for additional employees
                                     -Office of Management and Budget [OMB]
                                     -Possible resignation
                                           -Ziegler’s previous meeting with Romney
                                     -The President’s instructions
                                           -Approval for additional employees
                                                 -Caspar W. (“Cap”) Weinberger

Ehrlichman left at 11:11 am.

Also recorded on August 11, 1972

  • 767-011 9:28 AM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander P. Butterfield, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:28 am and 9:35 am.
  • 767-012 9:28 AM · 25 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:28 am and 9:35 am.
  • 767-013 9:28 AM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:28 am and 9:35 am.
  • 767-016 9:35 AM · 47 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Stephen B. Bull, John D. Ehrlichman, Ronald L. Ziegler, Henry A. Kissinger, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:35 am and 10:36 am.
  • 767-017 10:36 AM · 32 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, Peter M. Flanigan, Peter G. Peterson, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:36 am to 11:08 am.
  • 767-019 11:11 AM · 43 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:11 am and 11:15 am.
  • 767-020 11:15 AM · 1 hr 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon, George W. Romney, Gen. George A. Lincoln, Norman V. Watson, Samuel C. Jackson, John D. Ehrlichman, Manolo Sanchez, Stephen B. Bull, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:15 am to 12:22 pm.
  • 767-021 12:23 PM · 38 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Donald E. Johnson, John F. Evans, Jr., John D. Ehrlichman, Stephen B. Bull and White House photographer, Ronald L. Ziegler, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon, Donald McI. Kendall, Mrs. Donald McI. Kendall, Donald McI. Kendall, Jr., Kent C. Kendall, Peter M. Flanigan, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:23 pm to 1:02 pm.

All 41 conversations from August 11, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 767-018, August 11, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/767-018 (accessed September 18, 2026).