Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 18 › Conversation 018-045

Nixon phone call with Agnew on National security and Leaks

Monday, January 10, 1972 · 4:06 PM–4:08 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Agnew, Spiro T. (Vice President)Conversation018-045 on Tape 18 (tape position 01:32:01–01:34:17)StartMonday, January 10, 1972 at 4:06 PMEndMonday, January 10, 1972 at 4:08 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 018-045 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Vice President Agnew briefly exchanged pleasantries regarding a gift before turning to the pressing issue of unauthorized leaks of secret government documents. Agnew proposed a meeting with the President to discuss a potential legislative strategy intended to counter recent court rulings that restricted the executive branch's ability to define national security risks. The two agreed to coordinate a meeting for Thursday, allowing the President to balance the discussion with his upcoming work on the State of the Union address.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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The Vice President, Mr. President.

Hello.

Hello, Mr. President.

I just wanted to call you to tell you that I opened the present, and I'm delighted to have that razor, and I will now not blame the TV when I have the 5 o'clock shadow.

Well, it's a razor that I was just astounded with.

I received it as a Christmas present.

I never use an electric razor except...

I don't either.

I only use it to sort of shape up.

But I'll tell you honestly, Mr. President, this thing shaves as well as any blade razor I've ever seen.

Does it really?

Try.

I think you'll find it's outstanding.

I really...

At least for a touch-up.

It's fine.

And incidentally, we thought you'd just handle that very, very gracefully last night, and I'm very grateful.

I was glad to have a chance to welcome Mrs. Nixon.

That's right.

What I called you about, sir, before was, you remember my talking to you about my concern about the whole problem of secret documents?

Oh, yes.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I'd like very much to, if I could have a few minutes with you, maybe...

Friday or Thursday or Friday or some time to go over a couple of ideas I have with you on that.

Yeah, okay.

By that time we'll have a chance to sort of see it in perspective too, perhaps.

This is not specifically about the one incident.

This is an idea I have about

a potential way of correcting this whole problem of recurrences in this area.

It basically goes to the situation that the courts have said that they

qualified themselves to judge what may be harmful to the national security.

Yeah.

And I'm thinking specifically about a tactic involving some possible bipartisan legislation that might close this off in the future, and I'd just like to talk to you briefly about that.

Fine.

Okay.

If you'd let me know of any time.

It'll only take about 15 minutes.

Fine.

I think Thursday would be fine.

I have to be writing on the State of the Union on Friday, so I'll have them get in touch with your office and work it out.

Thank you very much.

NARA Description

On January 10, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Vice President Spiro T. Agnew talked on the telephone from 4:06 pm to 4:08 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 018-045 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 18-45

Date: January 10, 1972
Time: 4:06 pm - 4:08 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Vice President Spiro T. Agnew.

[See Conversation No. 313-21F]

     Thanks for present
         -Razor
                -Qualities

     Agnew's welcome of Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
         -Mrs. Nixon's return from trip to Africa

     Secret documents
          -Leak problem
          -Possible meeting with the President
          -Possible solution
                -Court decisions
          -Legislative strategy

     Meeting with the President
          -State of the Union speech

Also recorded on January 10, 1972

018-040 3:31 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and William F. ("Billy") Graham talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:31 pm and 3:42 pm.
018-041 3:34 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:34 pm and 3:42 pm.
018-042 3:34 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and William F. ("Billy") Graham talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:34 pm and 3:42 pm.
018-043 3:42 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:42 pm and 3:56 pm.
018-044 3:56 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Raymond K. Price, Jr. talked on the telephone from 3:56 pm to 4:05 pm.
018-046 4:08 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:08 pm and 4:12 pm.
018-047 4:12 PM · 15 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Melvin R. Laird talked on the telephone from 4:12 pm to 4:27 pm.
313-022 4:27 PM · 19 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Henry A. Kissinger, and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:27 pm and 5:11 pm.

All 83 conversations from January 10, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 018-045, January 10, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/018-045 (accessed October 12, 2026).