Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 12 › Conversation 012-119

Nixon phone call with Buchanan on Supreme Court appointments and Conservatism

Monday, October 25, 1971 · 3:29 PM–3:30 PM ET · White House Telephone · 1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Buchanan, Patrick J.Conversation012-119 on Tape 12 (tape position 05:09:09–05:10:38)StartMonday, October 25, 1971 at 3:29 PMEndMonday, October 25, 1971 at 3:30 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 012-119 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Patrick Buchanan discuss the positive reception among conservatives following the President's recent Supreme Court nominations. The two men mock the mainstream media's prediction of a constitutional crisis, noting how analysts like Eric Sevareid and Dan Rather were forced to walk back their commentary after the announcement. Nixon emphasizes the importance of maintaining conservative support and expresses confidence that the nominees, specifically William H. Rehnquist, will easily overcome political opposition in the Senate confirmation process.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

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Hello?
Yes, sir.
Well, I think your conservatives ought to feel pretty good about the court now.
Well, they're elated.
Those were beautiful.
And, you know, we've...
despite all this sour grapes by some of the press because they were out on a limb, just amuses the hell out of me.
The country didn't give a damn about that.
They only care about who the hell's appointed, don't you think?
That's right, that's right.
In fact, you did it on television.
That's what they're interested in.
Those guys got, you hit that thing right on the head, the qualifications issue.
Well, the press trapped themselves on that, didn't they?
They really did.
You see, well, I guess you didn't get a chance to see it, but
Severide and Rather were just sort of swallowing their own spit after the announcement.
You know, Severide had gone on just before you went on saying, it looks like we're headed for a constitutional crisis.
And after it was over, well, he said, Dan, I guess there won't be much trouble confirming these fellows.
So it came off very well, very well.
Well, we keep, we've got to make our conservatives give us good marks on this, you know.
They usually are, oh, I always wonder what are you going to do for me lately?
That's right.
This is the major thing, Pat, the biggest thing we could do.
And also, it isn't just doing it, but it's getting it through.
Now, we'll get these through the Senate.
Right, right.
I don't think they can...
I think you're going to get some kind of opposition just because it's a political season.
Oh, they'll fight Rehnquist.
Yeah, but they can't get a majority.
They can't get anywhere near a majority.
Never, never, never.
Okay.
Okay, sir.

NARA Description

On October 25, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Patrick J. Buchanan talked on the telephone from 3:29 pm to 3:30 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 012-119 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 012-119

Date: October 25, 1971
Time: 3:29 pm- 3:30 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Patrick J. Buchanan, Jr.

[See Conversation No. 304-15]

     US Supreme Court appointees
         -Conservatives
              -Press
                    -[Arnold] Eric Sevaried
                    -Dan Rather
         -Senate confirmation for nominees
              -William H. Rehnquist

Also recorded on October 25, 1971

  • 012-118 3:15 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:15 pm and 3:29 pm.
  • 304-011 3:15 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:15 pm and 3:29 pm.
  • 304-012 3:15 PM · 28 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:15 pm and 3:29 pm.
  • 304-013 3:15 PM · 15 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 3:15 pm and 3:29 pm.
  • 304-015 3:29 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Patrick J. Buchanan met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:29 pm to 3:30 pm.
  • 012-120 3:30 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:30 pm and 5:22 pm.
  • 012-121 3:30 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:30 pm and 5:22 pm.
  • 304-016 3:30 PM · 1 hr 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, and John D. Ehrlichman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:30 pm and 4:35 pm.

All 50 conversations from October 25, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 012-119, October 25, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/012-119 (accessed October 9, 2026).