Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 24 › Conversation 024-125

Nixon phone call with Ehrlichman on Arthur H. Bremer

Monday, May 15, 1972 · 9:25 PM–9:27 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ehrlichman, John D.Conversation024-125 on Tape 24 (tape position 02:28:30–02:30:46)StartMonday, May 15, 1972 at 9:25 PMEndMonday, May 15, 1972 at 9:27 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 024-125 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 646314566 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and John Ehrlichman discussed the arraignment and custody of Arthur H. Bremer, the assailant of George C. Wallace, with Ehrlichman relaying FBI Director Felt's reports on Bremer's mental state, refusal to speak without an attorney, and the FBI's security measures. Nixon emphasized his desire for close control over the investigation, drawing a parallel to the "badly handled" John F. Kennedy assassination investigation, and instructed Ehrlichman to ensure the press is aware he is monitoring the situation, while also pushing for the swift appointment of an attorney for Bremer.

  • Arthur H. Bremer
  • George C. Wallace attack
  • FBI investigation
  • Presidential control
  • John F. Kennedy assassination investigation
  • Mental state
  • Legal representation
  • Arraignment

Audio

Download MP3 · 5.2 MB

This clip of the conversation was cut from the tape by the National Archives (catalog record ↗).

Listen to the full tape segment it comes from

Position in tape (archivists' log): 02:28:30 – 02:30:46

part B, 26:20

024a.mp3
024c.mp3

NARA Description

On May 15, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman talked on the telephone from 9:25 pm to 9:27 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 024-125 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 24-125

Date: May 15, 1972
Time: 9:25 pm - 9:27 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with John D. Ehrlichman.

[See also Conversation No. 339-14]

     Attack on George C. Wallace
          -Arthur H. Bremer
               -W. Mark Felt's report
                     -Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
               -Arraignment
               -Custody
               -Attorney
                     -Appointment
               -Age
               -Mental state
               -Writings in apartment
                     -Secret Service
               -Psychiatric exam
                     -Report
                     -Surveillance
               -The President's concern
                     -John F. Kennedy assassination investigation
                           -Handling
               -Investigation
                     -Control
                           -The President and Felt
                           -Reports
               -Attorney for Bremer
                     -Felt's opinion
                     -Interrogation
                     -Appointment
               -Arraignment
               -Custody
               -Attorney
                     -Appointment

Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was made by an AI model listening to the recording (gemini-3.8-flash) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Speaker names are the model's inference from the voices and the participant list. Words and names can still be wrong — verify against the audio and the finding aid before citing.

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).

NixonYeah.
OperatorI have Mr. Ehrlichman now for for you. There you are, sir.
NixonThank you.
NixonWhat are your reports?
EhrlichmanYes, sir. Felt tells me that they're going to arraign this fellow within about an hour before a United States magistrate. And then they're going to put him in the Baltimore County jail, which the FBI feels is the is the safest place to put him.
NixonRight.
EhrlichmanHe is refusing to talk to anybody until an attorney is appointed for him.
NixonWho's he want?
EhrlichmanWell, he doesn't know anybody. And they see he's he's from Milwaukee.
NixonHow old is he?
EhrlichmanAbout in his 20s and I don't know the exact age that they got.
NixonSo the 35 year old thing was incorrect.
EhrlichmanYes, sir.
EhrlichmanHe's he's obviously weird. The Secret Service has been in his apartment up in Milwaukee.
NixonI know they found some stuff there.
EhrlichmanOdd writings.
NixonYeah.
EhrlichmanAnd from the way they've had a psychiatrist look at him, and the psychiatrist reports that he's extremely disturbed, and is liable to do harm to himself. So, they have him under under Right. surveillance every minute. Good.
NixonGood.
NixonThe John, let me tell you my concern, Right. which I'm sure you're keenly aware of. The Kennedy thing was handled so badly.
NixonEverybody was blamed for it. I don't want us into this. I want everybody to know, and you get this I'm on top of this thing every minute.
EhrlichmanWell, I've passed that word in the strongest possible way to Felt.
NixonYeah, and pass it to the press.
EhrlichmanAll right. All right, good.
NixonWould you do that?
EhrlichmanYes, sir.
EhrlichmanNow, the only loose end in this is getting him an attorney.
EhrlichmanFelt is of the opinion that once he has an attorney, he'll talk.
NixonWell, let's get him one.
EhrlichmanAnd so we've got to get a federal judge, and get a judge to appoint an attorney for him, and we're we're Yeah. Get that attorney you can get.
EhrlichmanWe're on that.
NixonGet a good attorney, you know.
EhrlichmanRight.
NixonWho uh
EhrlichmanFirst step is to get him arraigned. Second step is to move him quickly into this maximum security jail Right. Baltimore County jail. Right, good. And then to get a federal judge, and see if we can get an attorney appointed for him.
NixonCan you work on the judge tonight?
EhrlichmanWell, I've I will work on it, and if at all possible, we'll get it done.
NixonGood deal.
EhrlichmanAll right, sir.
NixonJust be on top of it, John. Fine. Right.
EhrlichmanYes, sir. I sure will.

Also recorded on May 15, 1972

  • 024-122 9:19 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:19 pm and 9:23 pm.
  • 024-123 9:19 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:19 pm and 9:23 pm.
  • 339-011 9:19 PM · 35 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 9:19 pm and 9:23 pm.
  • 024-124 9:23 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 9:23 pm to 9:24 pm.
  • 339-013 9:23 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 9:23 pm to 9:24 pm.
  • 339-014 9:25 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 9:25 pm to 9:27 pm.
  • 024-126 9:29 PM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 9:29 pm to 9:35 pm.
  • 339-015 9:29 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 9:29 pm to 9:35 pm.

All 83 conversations from May 15, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 024-125, May 15, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 646314566). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/024-125 (accessed November 8, 2026).