Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 16 › Conversation 016-056

Nixon phone call with Mitchell on James R. Hoffa and Executive Office Building

Wednesday, December 8, 1971 · 3:43 PM–3:44 PM ET · White House Telephone · 40 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Mitchell, John N.Conversation016-056 on Tape 16 (tape position 01:58:54–01:59:34)StartWednesday, December 8, 1971 at 3:43 PMEndWednesday, December 8, 1971 at 3:44 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 016-056 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Attorney General John Mitchell coordinate a meeting to discuss the impending decision regarding James R. Hoffa. The President requests that Mitchell travel to the Executive Office Building to review the matter further before a later appointment. Mitchell confirms his availability and agrees to meet with the President shortly.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Hello, Mr. President.

Hi, John, how are you?

Very good, sir.

I hope you are.

Fine.

I was wanting to chat maybe a little about that Hoffa thing again.

Yes, sir.

You're pretty close to the time you have to make a decision.

Yes, sir, at your convenience.

Yeah, yeah.

Are you at your office now?

Yes, I am.

Yeah.

Could you come over to the EOB?

I certainly can, sir.

Or are you tied up?

No, I'm...

I think I can get over there in short order.

Fine.

I will do so.

Fine.

I don't have any.

I got somebody in at 4.30, but I have nothing before then.

So any time suits your convenience.

All right, sir.

I'll be over shortly.

Bye.

All right, sir.

NARA Description

On December 8, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and John N. Mitchell talked on the telephone from 3:43 pm to 3:44 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 016-056 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 16-56

Date: December 8, 1971
Time: 3:43 pm - 3:44 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with John N. Mitchell.

[See Conversation No. 307-21]

     James R. (“Jimmy”) Hoffa
          -Mitchell's location
                -President asks him to come to Executive Office Building [EOB]

Also recorded on December 8, 1971

016-055 3:40 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Arthur S. Flemming talked on the telephone from 3:40 pm to 3:42 pm.
307-020 3:40 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Arthur S. Flemming met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:40 pm to 3:42 pm.
307-021 3:43 PM · 38 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and John N. Mitchell met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:43 pm to 3:44 pm.
016-057 3:44 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:44 pm and 3:46 pm.
307-022 3:44 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:44 pm and 3:46 pm.
307-023 3:44 PM · 6 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 3:44 pm and 3:46 pm.
307-024 3:44 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:44 pm to 3:46 pm.
016-058 3:46 PM · 11 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 3:46 pm to 3:55 pm.

All 76 conversations from December 8, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 016-056, December 8, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/016-056 (accessed October 12, 2026).