Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 19 › Conversation 019-142

Nixon phone call with Mitchell on Vietnam War and Public relations

Thursday, January 27, 1972 · 2:40 PM–2:45 PM ET · White House Telephone · 5 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Mitchell, John N.Conversation019-142 on Tape 19StartThursday, January 27, 1972 at 2:40 PMEndThursday, January 27, 1972 at 2:45 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 019-142 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and John Mitchell discussed the positive reception of the President's recent Vietnam speech, agreeing that media coverage was unexpectedly favorable compared to the hostile reaction from some congressional leaders. The pair also coordinated the integration of Maurice Stans into administration activities to boost his morale and affirmed the strategic appointment of Kenneth Rush to the Defense Department. The conversation concluded with Nixon confirming their upcoming Friday meeting despite his temporary departure for Camp David.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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.
Well, how are things going?
Oh, I think I'm fair to meddling.
Could be better, but certainly could be a hell of a lot worse.
Yeah.
And no other problems around the country and the states, huh?
No, I think you've gotten pretty well taken care of.
Yeah.
You have no...
Well, I think we really came off better on the Vietnam thing.
We had any reason to hope, don't you?
I think so.
When you get guys like Mansfield and a few others, we divided them a bit.
Well, I think the papers did more for you than this time the legislature did.
Yep.
The media.
Yep.
Yes, sir.
Including television.
Yes, sir.
Even that bastard Brinkley.
Yep.
And the newspapers, I thought, didn't go out of their way to do the hatchet job that politicians tried to do.
Yeah.
Well, it's pretty hard to splice back this one, isn't it, John?
I think so.
I think it has to be a tremendous plus.
And, of course, they're not about to admit it, and they'll pot-shot it any way they can, but it's certainly a big plus for the people.
Well, they don't know what to do with it, and now at least we've preempted.
We have a very good ground we can stand on, fight on.
I would think that that would be the case, and it ought to give you some further strength in Congress as a much better base for it.
That's right.
That's right.
Okay.
I see you've got your finance chairman today, all right?
Yeah, we had it handled well.
Omar is a real soldier.
He is.
He's a fine individual.
Such a fine and decent man.
Takes a little hand-holding at times.
Sure.
A little worthwhile.
I guess what most everybody does, but he certainly is, he really is...
it comes through in good style and i told him you know that we wanted him for any legislative leaders meetings or cabinet meetings that he wanted to attend and we'll try to keep him in the club which is the main thing yes i think the man and he should be anytime he wants to be around just like we keep doling yeah i think that would be very helpful to his ego and his interest too right okay am i going to see you tomorrow afternoon i think it's on the schedule so i think so friday friday
Take a look.
You're usually on on Friday, aren't you?
Well, it was, and there were a few things that... Yeah, you are.
Yeah, 4 o'clock.
Say, the Ken Rush thing, I think, went very well, despite our friends at the Defense Department.
Yeah?
Yeah, is that right?
Mm-hmm, good.
It's a tremendous appointment.
I mean, I don't care what about them.
Well, the fall in line, I'm sure, is always after they lose the battle or the skirmishes, whatever it is.
That's right.
And I think he'll be a big asset there.
Oh, what an asset.
He's just going to be a tower of strength, John, just a tower of strength.
good for all of us to have around and also thinking of our future if he is willing he's going to be a very good man to have around the future i believe so it's certainly a good training period okay we'll see you tomorrow four o'clock john yes sir i'm going to go to the reason i called i'm going to camp david and be gone to do some reading for
today and tomorrow until about noon, so I'll be out of touch, but I'll see you.
All right.
Well, you know, I don't need that meeting if you're going to... No, no, no, no, no.
The meeting is important.
No, no, I want to have it.
No, no, I expect to have the meeting.
I had it down.
All right, sir.
Fine.
I just want to check if there's anything today before I left.
Okay.
No, sir, not tonight.
Thank you.
All right, sir.

NARA Description

On January 27, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and John N. Mitchell talked on the telephone from 2:40 pm to 2:45 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 019-142 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 19-142

Date: January 27, 1972
Time: 2:40 pm - 2:45 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with John N. Mitchell.

[See Conversation No. 658-25]

     The President's January 25, 1972 speech on Vietnam
          -Reaction
               -Michael J. Mansfield
               -Media
                      -Compared to Congress
                      -David Brinkley
          -Effect
               -Congress

     Maurice H. Stans
         -Role with the administration
               -Robert J. Dole

     The President's schedule
          -Mitchell

**********************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 1m 24s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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

     [David] Kenneth Rush
          -Defense Department
          -Role with the administration

     The President's schedule
          -Camp David

Also recorded on January 27, 1972

  • 019-139 2:24 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:24 pm and 2:32 pm.
  • 019-140 2:32 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Peter J. Pitchess talked on the telephone from 2:32 pm to 2:34 pm.
  • 658-022 2:32 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Peter J. Pitchess met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:32 pm to 2:34 pm.
  • 019-141 2:34 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:34 pm and 2:40 pm.
  • 658-023 2:34 PM · 28 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:34 pm and 2:40 pm.
  • 658-024 2:34 PM · 22 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:34 pm and 2:40 pm.
  • 658-025 2:40 PM · 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John N. Mitchell met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:40 pm to 2:45 pm.
  • 658-026 2:50 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander P. Butterfield, Stephen B. Bull, and George Meany met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:50 pm to 3:00 pm.

All 57 conversations from January 27, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 019-142, January 27, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/019-142 (accessed October 12, 2026).