Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 2 › Conversation 002-008

Nixon phone call with Connally on Texas drought and Clifford M. Hardin

Tuesday, April 20, 1971 · 3:47 PM–3:48 PM ET · White House Telephone · 1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Connally, John B.Conversation002-008 on Tape 2 (tape position 00:09:14–00:10:17)StartTuesday, April 20, 1971 at 3:47 PMEndTuesday, April 20, 1971 at 3:48 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 002-008 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Treasury Secretary John Connally coordinated a briefing for a delegation including Secretary of Agriculture Clifford Hardin, General George Lincoln, and Peter Flanigan regarding a scheduled federal response to the Texas drought. The President directed Connally to meet with these officials to review their itinerary and logistical maps before their departure. Furthermore, Nixon advised Connally to remain in Washington rather than join the trip to avoid unfavorable political optics.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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I have Secretary Conley.
Yes, sir.
Hi, John.
I'm sitting here talking with Cliff Harden and Abe Lincoln about the Texas trip.
They're going to leave tomorrow.
Pete Flanagan's with them.
I think it would be a good thing if they just came over to your shop when they finish here in a few minutes and check in with you and show you, you know, they've got the maps and the places they're going to go and the things they're going to do and so forth.
And I've just told him that we just released $10 million from the budget from something or other.
I mean, OMB, we got that done.
But would you do that?
Yes, sir.
Because Cliff said he talked to you last week, but I don't think he's talked to you.
He said he hadn't talked to you since you returned.
That's correct.
I think it's good you're not going.
I think for you to get here, it's better.
It'll look otherwise.
You know what I mean?
And after all, it's not my big week.
That's right.
And, uh, so if you, uh, could you see them if they come over to your shop?
Yes, sir.
Fine.
Well, they can come.
Anytime.
They'll come across the street.
All right.
Thank you.

NARA Description

On April 20, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and John B. Connally talked on the telephone from 3:47 pm to 3:48 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 002-008 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 2-8

Date: April 20, 1971
Time: 3:47 pm - 3:48 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with John B. Connally.

[See Conversation No. 483-17B]

     Texas drought
          -Connally's meeting with Clifford M. Hardin, Gen. George A. Lincoln, and Peter M.
                Flanigan
          -Trip to Texas
          -Appropriation
                -Office of Management and Budget [OMB]

Also recorded on April 20, 1971

  • 002-007 3:35 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:35 pm and 3:47 pm.
  • 483-017 3:35 PM · 33 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Clifford M. Hardin, Gen. George A. Lincoln, Peter M. Flanigan, White House photographer, White House operator, John B. Connally, James D. ("Don") Hughes, George H. Mahon, and Clark MacGregor met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:35 pm to 4:10 pm.
  • 002-009 3:48 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:48 pm and 3:54 pm.
  • 002-010 3:54 PM · 47 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and James D. ("Don") Hughes talked on the telephone from 3:54 pm to 3:55 pm.
  • 002-011 3:55 PM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:55 pm and 4:04 pm.
  • 002-012 4:04 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and George H. Mahon talked on the telephone from 4:04 pm to 4:07 pm.
  • 483-018 4:10 PM · 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, Ronald L. Ziegler, Fred Maroon, Manolo Sanchez, unknown person(s), and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:10 pm to 4:19 pm.
  • 483-019 4:20 PM · 51 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, John N. Mitchell, John W. Dean, III, White House photographer, Ronald L. Ziegler, unknown person(s), White House operator, and Sue Morrison met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:20 pm to 5:14 pm.

All 51 conversations from April 20, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 002-008, April 20, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/002-008 (accessed October 12, 2026).