Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 5 › Conversation 005-145

Nixon phone call with Stennis on Vietnam War and Pentagon Papers

Wednesday, June 23, 1971 · 3:16 PM–3:18 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Stennis, John C.Conversation005-145 on Tape 5 (tape position 04:26:35–04:28:39)StartWednesday, June 23, 1971 at 3:16 PMEndWednesday, June 23, 1971 at 3:18 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 005-145 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon calls Senator John C. Stennis to express his appreciation for the Senator's legislative support regarding Vietnam policy following a recent vote. Nixon reflects on the negative impact of the Pentagon Papers on administration efforts and discusses the potential formation of a Senate select committee to review the documents. The President explicitly endorses Stennis to chair such a committee, specifically contrasting Stennis's judicial temperament with that of Senator J. William Fulbright.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
I have Senator Stennis.
Yes, please.
Hello.
Senator Stennis.
Hello.
Hello, Mr. President.
John, I didn't want to bother you, but I don't want this day to go by without telling you I am really proud of the fight you've been putting up down there.
Well.
And by golly, in the end, it's going to come out all right.
Well.
Well, I'm afraid, the only thing I'm afraid is that the vote might be interpreted by, let me say there's some very sensitive talks going on now.
Yes.
Very sensitive, I can assure you.
Yes.
Now.
If they break down, it'll be because of the vote, and we're going to have to put the blame there.
But I don't want to do that, but if it does, we're going to have to do it.
But, boy, you and your people have done a marvelous job, and I just appreciate it.
I wouldn't blame you for putting the blame where it belongs.
I'm mighty sorry about that thing yesterday.
Oh, well.
That thing had built up.
I think this Pentagon paper stuff, it gradually undermined us a little.
Sure, sure.
You did a marvelous job.
all these weeks there because you did hold the dikes until yesterday and that was the mildest thing they had in sight.
Sure it was pretty mild that's right and we'll just go ahead and do it we'll do what's right and in the end we'll be judged that's coming out and it's going to come out all right.
I'm doing what I do because I think you were trying hard in the battle for us and well
We'll always be free to talk to each other.
You betcha I.
Now, on these papers, you know, I've agreed with my leadership.
And I told, for your information, probably you've already heard, I told Mike that I thought that the chairman of the committee should be you.
Now, because I think, frankly, you can preside over the thing if they have a select committee.
You know, it's like Russell did the other one.
You need a guy who's a judge and not some damn advocate like Furbright.
Yeah.
Okay?
Well, I hope that works out.
I just don't know what will be done.
Yeah, well.
I just don't know.
Just pick a good man if you don't do it, okay?
Thank you.
All right.
It was nice, and I appreciate your call, Jim.
All right.

NARA Description

On June 23, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and John C. Stennis talked on the telephone from 3:16 pm to 3:18 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 005-145 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 5-145

Date: June 23, 1971
Time: 3:16 pm - 3:18 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with John C. Stennis.

[See Conversation No. 258-45]

     Stennis’ legislative efforts on half of administration efforts in Vietnam
          -Vote 6/22

     Pentagon Papers
          -President's conversation with Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield
                -Stennis’ possible role in Select Committee
                      -Richard Russell (?)
                      -J. William Fulbright

Also recorded on June 23, 1971

  • 005-144 3:05 PM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 3:05 pm.
  • 005-147 3:09 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:09 pm and 3:25 pm.
  • 258-045 3:16 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John C. Stennis met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:16 pm to 3:18 pm.
  • 005-146 3:19 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 3:19 pm.
  • 258-046 3:19 PM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 3:19 pm.
  • 258-047 3:19 PM · 9 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 3:19 pm and 3:25 pm.
  • 005-148 3:25 PM · 36 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 3:25 pm.
  • 258-048 3:25 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 3:25 pm.

All 52 conversations from June 23, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 005-145, June 23, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/005-145 (accessed October 5, 2026).