Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 19 › Conversation 019-164

Nixon phone call with Mitchell on Carol Feraci and Vietnam War protests

Saturday, January 29, 1972 · 10:43 AM–10:47 AM ET · White House Telephone · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Mitchell, John N.Conversation019-164 on Tape 19StartSaturday, January 29, 1972 at 10:43 AMEndSaturday, January 29, 1972 at 10:47 AMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 019-164 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Attorney General John Mitchell discuss the fallout from a protest during a recent White House dinner, where singer Carol Feraci made anti-war statements praising Daniel Ellsberg and the Berrigan brothers. The two men analyze whether the outburst was a deliberate political plant and express relief that the incident was not captured by television cameras. They ultimately conclude that the performer's poor manners and radical remarks will likely turn public opinion against her rather than the administration.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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.
Attorney General, Mr. President.
President, sir.
Good morning, Mr. President.
Holloman and Olson and I are just sitting here, and we're deciding how we're going to divide up those limbs.
I thought that was a great spirit statement.
She said just what about everybody felt.
Wasn't that the goddamnedest thing you ever saw?
I think it's unbelievable the way people with this... You know what gave her away, John?
If she had just said stop the killing, that would have been fine.
But when she said God bless Ellsberg and God bless the Berrigans, that confused everything.
I knew that she was one of these...
Completely way out, probably communist.
I wouldn't be surprised.
But I just thought that...
It occurred to me that it might have been a plant because of the fact that she'd just been there for 10 days.
I know.
She just came in and... No, I don't think it was an accident.
I think it was a plant.
I think somebody just set it right up and planted it on poor old Ray Kotiff and he was embarrassed as hell.
I suppose the Secret Service in the interrogation last night found out whether that's the case or not.
Well, I don't know.
They have to be very careful to be sure that it doesn't mean that we're persecuting the bitch, but...
I'll tell you, I don't know who it was that said throw her out, but Rose says it was Mulcahy.
I wouldn't be surprised.
But I think that was the only choice that he had, don't you think?
Conniff had to get out because the audience was so cold.
Very much so.
I think he would have moved sooner on his own initiative, except that he was so shocked.
I spoke to him briefly afterwards.
He's a nice man.
Yes, and he was absolutely shocked.
admitted that he had fumbled it by going ahead with that first number without getting her out.
I told him afterwards he was sort of mumbling something, and I says, look, I says, when people who come here, we're only interested in their music and not in their ideas.
I said, don't you worry.
I said, don't punish her.
I said something like that.
But I thought we got in one good crack, though, when I said, let's give a little hand for the Marines.
The Marines, yeah, that covered it.
Yeah.
Yeah.
What do they do with that television, Mr. President, those pictures they're taking there?
Was that for the networks or what?
I don't know.
Well, I tell you, they didn't take pictures, John, of the latter part.
I don't think.
They took pictures of the presentation, but they did not take pictures of that.
I see.
I see.
So they didn't have that.
No problem about having that floating around on the air?
No.
No.
Well, I don't think so.
Oh, I don't think it does any harm if they do.
What the hell?
I mean, people tend to, you know, remember the Earthquake incident?
They tend to line up, they just don't like bad manners, I don't think.
I believe that to be true, and particularly when you point out when she doesn't have a single purpose, she's just all over the war.
That's right.
way anti-everything else.
Well, she sure was.
You tell Martha that when she does the tearing up that each of us wants a limb and you can have one.
That's four.
Okay.
I will.

NARA Description

On January 29, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and John N. Mitchell talked on the telephone from 10:43 am to 10:47 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 019-164 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 19-164

Date: January 29, 1972
Time: 10:43 am - 10:47 am
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with John N. Mitchell.

[See Conversation No. 660-8C]

     White House dinner for DeWitt and Lila (Acheson) Wallace, January 28, 1972
          -Ray Conniff Singers
               -Carol Feraci’s comment about Vietnam
                    -The President's conversation with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman, Charles W.
                          Colson
                          -Martha (Beall) Mitchell’s statement
                    -Daniel Ellsberg
                    -Berrigan brothers
                    -Possible origination
                    -Secret Service
                    -John A. (“Jack”) Mulcahy's comment
                          -Rose Mary Woods
                    -Audience reaction
                    -Mitchell's conversation with Conniff
                    -The President's conversation with Conniff
                    -The President's comment about the Marine Band
                    -Television coverage
                    -Eartha Kitt
                    -Possible popular reaction

                     -Mrs. Mitchell

Also recorded on January 29, 1972

  • 019-163 10:30 AM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:30 am and 10:43 am.
  • 019-165 10:47 AM · 2 min — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, President Richard M. Nixon H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman and Idanell ("Nellie") (Brill) Connally talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:47 am and 11:44 am.
  • 019-166 10:47 AM · 8 sec — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:47 am and 11:44 am.
  • 019-167 10:47 AM · 37 sec — Idanell ("Nellie") (Brill) Connally and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:47 am and 11:44 am.
  • 019-168 12:10 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:10 pm and 12:12 pm.
  • 019-169 12:10 PM · 48 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:10 pm and 12:12 pm.
  • 660-009 12:10 PM · 19 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at 12:10 pm.
  • 660-010 12:10 PM · 2 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:10 pm and 12:12 pm.

All 26 conversations from January 29, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 019-164, January 29, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/019-164 (accessed October 12, 2026).