Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 17 › Conversation 017-061

Nixon phone call with Morton on Jimmy Hoffa and J. Edgar Hoover

Saturday, December 25, 1971 · 9:34 AM–9:38 AM ET · White House Telephone ·4 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Morton, Rogers C. B.Conversation017-061 onTape 17 (tape position 02:34:33–02:38:50)StartSaturday, December 25, 1971 at 9:34 AMEndSaturday, December 25, 1971 at 9:38 AMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 017-061 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Secretary of the Interior Rogers C. B. Morton engaged in a holiday check-in regarding Morton's travel schedule, health, and upcoming administrative duties. Nixon advised Morton to remain firm against political opposition regarding the recent release of Jimmy Hoffa, citing public sympathy for Hoffa's ailing wife and information from J. Edgar Hoover suggesting Hoffa had been railroaded. The President also discussed his own upcoming meetings with Willy Brandt and Eisaku Sato.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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No.
Well, I just, you beat me to it.
Well, you an eastern char?
Over there, you're going to go hunting or anything?
Yes, sir.
Well, I just hope everything goes well, Rog.
You feeling good?
Feeling good, fine.
I hope you are.
You haven't fallen off any horses?
No, sir.
No, not yet, not yet.
No, we're not going to fall off any horses.
Yeah, you never would.
You're too good at... Well, you'll be going out to the Pacific pretty soon, won't you?
Yes, sir.
No, we disrupted.
We decided to...
I called it off, you know, and I talked to you about it.
I wondered about the time.
You may have to go out there later and go out maybe for one or two days.
But you won't have to do the whole... Good, well, that's better.
I think you should go by, but if you can, I mean, I'm just thinking of the amount of time that...
Oh, no, I'm here at the White House.
Are you?
Yeah, we're having the family here.
And I go to Florida for the meeting with Bront next week, and then I go to California the week after that for the meeting with Sato.
I'm having a rather easy beer time.
Well, I know you are.
But it's come a long ride.
Incidentally, don't back down if anybody takes you on on Hoffa.
That was the right thing to do.
We had to do it because the poor man's wife is very sick, you know.
And he looked, I think, people sympathetic.
Well, some people hate him so much.
It's because of Bobby Kennedy.
But Edgar Hoover told me last night that he, Edgar, testified the fact that Bureau didn't do the investigating.
He says that the fellow was really railroaded.
I think he was guilty, I understand.
But his being guilty and being railroaded, too.
Well, good luck, Rog.
Thanks a lot.
Bye.
Alright, bye.

NARA Description

On December 25, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Rogers C. B. Morton talked on the telephone from 9:34 am to 9:38 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 017-061 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 17-61

Date: December 25, 1971
Time: 9:34 am - 9:38 am
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Rogers C. B. Morton.

     Morton's schedule

     Morton's health

     Morton's schedule
          -Pacific
          -Time

**********************************************************************

[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 12/21/2017.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[017-061-w001]
[Duration: 2m 10s]

     Rogers C. B. Morton's schedule
         -Washington, D.C.
         -Votes
               -Western states
                    -Importance

     Rogers C. B. Morton’s message
         -Ohio

              -Parks
         -New York
         -Eastern United States
              -Morton’s schedule
                    -New York
         -Southern United States
              -Georgia
              -Florida
              -North and South Carolina
              -Florida
              -Texas
              -Alabama
                    -Morton’s weekend with Winton and Mary Kay Blount
                    -James B. Allen
                    -John J. Sparkman
                         -The President’s opinion

**********************************************************************

    The President's schedule
         -Florida
               -Meeting with Willy Brandt
         -California
               -Meeting with Eisaku Sato
                     -Timing

    James R. (“Jimmy”) Hoffa's release
         -Josephine (Poszynak) Hoffa
               -Health
                     -Public sympathy
         -Robert F. Kennedy
         -President's conversation with J. Edgar Hoover on December 24, 1971
               -Hoover's comments
                     -Hoover's testimony

Also recorded on December 25, 1971

  • 017-062 9:39 AM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John A. Volpe talked on the telephone from 9:39 am to 9:43 am.
  • 017-063 9:45 AM · 28 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone from 9:45 am to 9:50 am.
  • 017-064 9:53 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Lenore L. Romney, and George W. Romney talked on the telephone from 9:53 am to 9:56 am.
  • 017-065 9:57 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and William F. ("Billy") Graham talked on the telephone from 9:57 am to 9:58 am.
  • 017-066 9:58 AM · 20 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:58 am and 10:01 am.
  • 017-067 10:01 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Earl L. Butz talked on the telephone from 10:01 am to 10:02 am.
  • 017-068 10:06 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Claudia A. Johnson talked on the telephone from 10:06 am to 10:08 am.
  • 017-069 10:06 AM · 31 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:06 am and 10:08 am.

All 57 conversations from December 25, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 017-061, December 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/017-061 (accessed September 18, 2026).