Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 20 › Conversation 020-035

Nixon phone call with Flanigan on Trade negotiations and John B. Connally

Wednesday, February 2, 1972 · 4:29 PM–4:31 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Flanigan, Peter M.Conversation020-035 on Tape 20 (tape position 01:10:17–01:12:25)StartWednesday, February 2, 1972 at 4:29 PMEndWednesday, February 2, 1972 at 4:31 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 020-035 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Peter M. Flanigan discuss the management of upcoming trade negotiations and the coordination of White House staff testimony. Nixon mandates that John B. Connally lead these presentations while strictly prohibiting White House aides like Peter G. Peterson and William D. Eberle from testifying. The two also address concerns regarding David M. Kennedy's role in textile negotiations, with Nixon agreeing to proceed with the CIEP subcommittee arrangement only after Flanigan confirms it will keep industry stakeholders satisfied.

Audio

Download MP3 · 2.9 MB

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Mr. Flanagan, Mr. President.
Yes, sir.
Well, Pete, I wanted to be sure you were aware of the fact that on that business of the trade and so forth, that, you know, that Peterson memorandum and so forth you sent in.
I talked to Connolly a little, and the most important thing to have in mind is that, of course, Peterson can't say anything.
We can't have any White House aide ever testifying.
Oh, I understand, yes.
The second point is that I want Connolly to be the lead horse on this.
He is to present this whole thing.
I mean, after all, it's all tied into his package.
I got a feeling I'm not sure which memorandum.
Well, it was a long memorandum where Peterson, about two pages of Peterson about Eberle and Peterson.
Right, right, yes, sir.
That one.
But I just wanted you to be sure that I...
When talking to Connolly, I said that you would follow up to see that that's the way it would be done.
In other words, when Connolly testifies on the gold or whatever he wants to do on the trade, he should present the whole thing.
I will see to it that that happens.
He is in charge, and Pete should shut up, and so should Eberly.
I will see to it that that happens.
Yeah, that Connolly's in charge of this.
Yes, sir.
We had another little problem on a memorandum that Pete was recommending, and John had some
some feeling about it just didn't make a lot of sense and he's right it doesn't make sense but it's in the textile area and he he says well i don't think it makes sense but i'll go along with it so i i'm sure he's not unhappy with with the fact he doesn't sort of like the overall plan puts puts david kennedy in charge of a subgroup but he's right on kennedy
What the hell with that?
He's in NATO now.
Let's keep him out of it.
Well, Mr. President, it's a subgroup of the CIEP.
It won't work much, and it's the only way to keep the textile people happy.
Okay, well, just explain it then to Connolly.
I did, and he said fine.
It doesn't make sense.
But we'll keep him informed.
Fair enough?
Yes, sir.
I certainly will do that.
All right, Pete.
Fine.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Bye-bye.

NARA Description

On February 2, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Peter M. Flanigan talked on the telephone from 4:29 pm to 4:31 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 020-035 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 20-35

Date: February 2, 1972
Time: 4:29 pm - 4:31 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Peter M. Flanigan.

[See Conversation No. 318-39A]

     Trade negotiations
          -Peter G. Peterson memorandum
                -Testifying by White House aides
                      -The President’s conversation with John B. Connally
                -Connally presentation
                -Length
                -Content
                      -William D. Eberle
                -Connally testifying
                      -Presentation
                            -Gold
                -Connally role
                      -Peterson and Eberle role
          -Textile problem
                -Peterson memorandum
                      -Connally view

                     -David M. Kennedy role in negotiations
                           -North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO]
                           -Committee on International Economic Policy [CIEP]
                     -Flanigan’s conversation with Connally

Also recorded on February 2, 1972

  • 020-033 3:25 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:25 pm and 3:30 pm.
  • 020-034 3:30 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone from 3:30 pm to 3:31 pm.
  • 318-035 3:30 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:30 pm to 3:31 pm.
  • 318-036 3:31 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Nelson A. Rockefeller, Ronald W. Reagan, William G. Milliken, and Linwood Holton met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:31 pm and 4:12 pm.
  • 318-037 3:31 PM · 30 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, Manolo Sanchez, and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:31 pm and 4:12 pm.
  • 318-038 3:31 PM · 39 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:31 pm and 4:12 pm.
  • 318-039 4:12 PM · 1 hr 22 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Peter M. Flanigan met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:12 pm to 5:30 pm.
  • 020-036 4:31 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:31 pm and 7:43 pm.

All 71 conversations from February 2, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 020-035, February 2, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/020-035 (accessed October 12, 2026).