Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 14 › Conversation 014-118

Nixon phone call with Ehrlichman on John A. Volpe and Elliot L. Richardson

Monday, November 15, 1971 · 7:42 PM–7:45 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ehrlichman, John D.Conversation014-118 on Tape 14 (tape position 03:52:51–03:54:59)StartMonday, November 15, 1971 at 7:42 PMEndMonday, November 15, 1971 at 7:45 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 014-118 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and John Ehrlichman debriefed regarding a recent Cabinet meeting, specifically criticizing Secretary of Transportation John Volpe’s comical and repetitive presentation style. They discussed the logistics of 'Transpo '72,' with Nixon expressing concern that the event would lead to significant traffic issues. Additionally, they reviewed Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare Elliot Richardson’s performance, concluding that he had received the President's firm message regarding budgetary constraints.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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).
Yes, sir.
Haldeman tells me you prepared Volpe for that cabinet session.
I'll get him for that.
I didn't hear it all, but Haldeman.
My only criticism was you came in too soon.
You're right.
You could have sat it out another half hour.
You know, he's really a, really a, I just wish we could do more, but he is a little comical, isn't he?
He really is.
That thing had more laugh lines in it.
You know, I was, as you noted,
I'm sure trying to, you know, show some interest in his Romanian and Polish things, which all, of course, all of us knew.
Well, certain Bill Rogers and I knew in Laird, having seen him off.
But, you know, God damn it, he puts a lot of this.
He's hearing it for the first time.
He is something else, isn't he?
This Transpo thing is going to be the biggest traffic jam in the history of the United States of America.
It is.
I'll be damned.
It was nice to get out of the way so we don't have to do that anymore.
Well, anyway, it's done now.
I had him do it there.
I thought if he's going to bore me, he might as well bore the cat.
I gathered that.
Don't you agree?
Broaden the base.
Right.
But they now see why we don't do this, don't they?
Right, right.
And Elliot, I think, is now quite content.
He's made his case.
In his case, he carried out his commitment to the committee, to the conference.
Doesn't he have a hint, though, that I'm going to... Oh, absolutely.
He knows exactly.
I didn't listen as blunt as you suggested in the briefing paper because I felt like it really couldn't be.
No, I think that was fine.
But I mentioned the money.
He got the signal, and on the way out, he said, well, that he had discharged his commitment to the conference.
So I think with a little care and feeding, he's going to be all right now.
Well, good.
Good.
Because we just can't take this, John.
I'm not going to start down that very road.
No, I understand.
I understand.
I think he does, too.
Fine.
Okay.
Fine.

NARA Description

On November 15, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman talked on the telephone from 7:42 pm to 7:45 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 014-118 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 14-118

Date: November 15, 1971
Time: 7:42 pm - 7:45 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with John D. Ehrlichman.

     Previous Cabinet meeting
          -John A. Volpe
               -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman's conversation with the President
               -Ethnic background
                     -William P. Rogers and Melvin R. Laird

     Transpo '72
     Previous Cabinet meeting
          -Volpe
          -Elliot L. Richardson
                -Presentation
                      -The President's response

Also recorded on November 16, 1971

  • 014-115 7:23 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 7:23 pm to 7:26 pm.
  • 014-116 7:26 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:26 pm and 7:42 pm.
  • 014-117 7:26 PM · 4 sec — unknown person(s) and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:26 pm and 7:42 pm.
  • 014-119 7:50 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 7:50 pm.
  • 014-120 7:50 PM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:50 pm and 7:54 pm.
  • 014-121 7:54 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 7:54 pm.
  • 014-122 7:54 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:54 pm and 8:01 pm.
  • 014-123 7:54 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:54 pm and 8:01 pm.

All 90 conversations from November 16, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 014-118, November 16, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/014-118 (accessed October 12, 2026).