Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 19 › Conversation 019-045
Nixon phone call with Connally on Vietnam War and Public Speaking
Monday, January 24, 1972 · 3:23 PM–3:29 PM ET · White House Telephone · 6 min
AI Summary
President Nixon and John B. Connally discuss the administration’s upcoming speech on Vietnam, with Nixon arranging to have Henry Kissinger or William Safire deliver a draft to Connally for review. The two men also evaluate the positive reception of Connally’s recent speeches targeting labor and business leaders. Additionally, they deliberate on legislative strategy regarding aid to parochial schools and exchange pleasantries regarding a gift purchased by the Cabinet for Nixon’s San Clemente residence.
- Vietnam War
- Public Speaking
- Labor Relations
- Parochial School Aid
- San Clemente
- Legislative Strategy
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
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Hello.
Yes, sir.
Hi, John.
How are you, sir?
Don't mean to interrupt you, but I got back, and we decided to go tomorrow night on that business, that speech, you know.
Yes, sir.
And I'm working on it now.
That's great.
And I think it reads pretty good.
I'll see that I wanted you to get a copy over perhaps late this afternoon, and if you've got any thoughts, you might pass them on.
All right.
I think I'll have...
either Henry or Bill Sapphire bring it over to you.
Second point, I was just delighted with the speeches you made over the weekend.
I mean, the way you gave the double whammy, one first to business and then to labor, I think just was the right touch.
And I understood you did them both off the cuff, is that right?
Yes, sir.
My gosh, that was great.
Yes, sir.
Unfortunately.
But you had to work like that.
There's no off-the-cuff speech.
You did the work before.
I know you did.
Yeah, I do.
I try to do a lot of work.
Sure.
We transcribe, you know, we tape.
Sure.
Oh, sure, sure.
I don't think either one of them can get too offended, and they both deserve it.
They deserve it, right to the full measure.
They deserve it.
And it was fine, fine, fine.
And I think the reaction's been good, really.
Oh, yes.
You know, labor's mad at me.
They didn't like me before I got up here.
Well, I'm in the same class, but I've always been friendly with them and always say to them, they're going to get fair treatment.
If I didn't try to be with it, and they are, but they're goddamn sure not going to get any more than that.
Not one bit.
Not one bit.
Not one bit.
That's fine.
That lady...
you met with my friend the Cardinal.
Yes, sir.
Had an excellent meeting with him.
Quite a fellow, isn't he?
Yes, sir.
Yes, sir.
Peter went up with me.
And as soon as the speech was over, we went and had an hour's visit with him.
It couldn't have been better.
And we're doing some, obviously, doing some work on it.
My feeling there is that if we could just hold out, I mean, even put something in
uh as a proposal knowing full well that nothing's going to happen that it would give enormous hope to those people you know when he says that two schools are closing a week i think that's right and maybe the best thing to do just do it frontally like a tech i would i wouldn't uh rather than horsing around through the we're going to do it let's do it with a frontal attack no apologies just fast uh sure all out right because
You know, you get the lumps, you might as well put it out in such a way that you bill the credits.
Well, let me say, you make your study, and as soon as you come up with something, I will put her out.
I'll float it up there and send it up to Congress and let everybody squeal.
And one other thing I was going to tell you, that I...
I didn't learn until I learned from Bill that apparently Nellie was, that's one of the things you were doing in New York, was picking that thing up from my place at San Clemente.
Yes, sir.
That's where we went up there.
Well, that was a beautiful thing and couldn't be a better choice.
Well, that's good.
We hope you enjoy it.
Oh, yes.
I love it.
I just love that sort of thing.
And it'll fit that house particularly.
It surely will.
Potty area, right?
It surely will.
You can put it in the patio area.
Where did you find it?
We found it at Hammers, Hammer Galleries.
See, when we were in San Clemente, Nellie and Nadell went up to Los Angeles and spent the day with a curator of the museum.
And we were looking out there, and then they called back and said they had found this thing at the Hammer Galleries in New York.
So we went up Saturday to look at it and found it.
And we liked it, very frankly, and just took it for everybody.
And I think all the cabinet was pleased.
Oh, I know.
They were pleased.
We hoped you were.
We were just delighted with it, just delighted.
NARA Description
On January 24, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and John B. Connally talked on the telephone from 3:23 pm to 3:29 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 019-045 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 19-45
Date: January 24, 1972
Time: 3:23 pm - 3:29 pm
Location: White House Telephone
The President talked with John B. Connally.
[See Conversation No. 317-12]
The President's forthcoming speech on Vietnam
-Connally's forthcoming review
-Henry A. Kissinger, William L. Safire
Connally's previous speeches
-Labor and business
-Reaction
-Labor
Connally's schedule
-Speech and meetings in New York City
-Terence Cardinal Cooke
-Peter G. Peterson
Aid to parochial schools
-Possible action by the administration
-Legislative strategy
Idanell B. (“Nellie”) Connally
-William P. Rogers
-Gift for San Clemente from the Cabinet members
-Hammer Galleries
-Nellie Connally, Adele (Langston) Rogers
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 1m 35s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
**********************************************************************Also recorded on January 24, 1972
- 317-010 3:15 PM · 39 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:15 pm to 3:17 pm.
- 019-044 3:17 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:17 pm and 3:23 pm.
- 317-011 3:17 PM · 4 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 3:17 pm and 3:23 pm.
- 317-012 3:23 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John B. Connally met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:23 pm to 3:29 pm.
- 019-046 3:29 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:29 pm and 3:32 pm.
- 317-013 3:29 PM · 7 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 3:29 pm and 3:32 pm.
- 019-047 3:32 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 3:32 pm.
- 317-014 3:32 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 3:32 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 019-045, January 24, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/019-045 (accessed September 26, 2026).