Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 24 › Conversation 024-054

Nixon phone call with Rockefeller on Abortion and Vietnam War

Tuesday, May 9, 1972 · 12:09 PM–12:13 PM ET · White House Telephone ·4 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Rockefeller, Nelson A.Conversation024-054 onTape 24 (tape position 01:09:05–01:12:56)StartTuesday, May 9, 1972 at 12:09 PMEndTuesday, May 9, 1972 at 12:13 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 024-054 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon initiated this call to apologize to Nelson Rockefeller regarding an unauthorized public release of a presidential letter to Cardinal Cooke concerning abortion, which Nixon blamed on administrative error. The two also discussed Nixon's recent speech on Vietnam, with Rockefeller expressing strong approval of the President's actions and willingness to support the administration despite potential backlash from liberal critics. Nixon reaffirmed his commitment to the Vietnam strategy, noting that he would not proceed with the Moscow summit if Soviet aggression continued, while the two men commiserated over the partisan nature of political opposition.

Audio

Download MP3 · 5.3 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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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).

Hello.
I just wanted to make a little apology to you.
You know, when I talked to you Sunday,
I didn't know about that goddamn letter, and I have raised hell around here as Ehrlichman.
Well, you see, what happened is that we had a form, and that apparently the letter, you know, on this sort of thing that we resent, but not certainly with the purpose of publication and this and that.
And, God, I just raised hell, and Ehrlichman probably may have told you.
It'll never happen again.
I'm just sorry that it embarrassed you.
Well, it didn't embarrass me.
Frankly, maybe it'll help you in the vote, but...
But as you know, I didn't want to be in a position of being against you or something.
It just burned my ass, believe me.
You're nice to say, and I just felt frankly that, from your point of view, that I wasn't sure it was the best strategy for New York State.
Oh, no, no, no.
I understood that.
No, no.
Well...
that was all i just wanted to mention it sure because i didn't like to talk to you and not tell you what's going on sure sure well it was just one of those things i was writing my speech at that time and i just didn't have any idea the thing was had gone out well let me just tell you that i thought you were fabulous last night well i'll tell you you've been a brick to support us on this and we've done the right thing
Oh, did you put a statement out?
I put a statement out last night immediately after.
Oh, good.
I'm going to get them at noon, so I'll be reading them all.
I just said that you deserve the support of the American people.
Some of our Democratic friends are dragging their feet.
You know, it's interesting to me.
I remember at the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis that
I was in California at the time running for governor, and I immediately went on statewide television and supported it all the way.
You supported it from New York.
And these bastards, isn't it something the way they act?
I think playing partisan politics in a situation like this isn't going to help them no, Nelson.
Listen, I think this is the decision, and I think that...
it's it's fantastic and as long as the russians accept it i don't know what they will but uh i think we can make a choice we can uh what if they cancel the summit we're going to say well sure you handle that previously don't you think we just say well because i think you would agree i couldn't possibly go to moscow with russian tanks rumbling around through the streets of ua no nor could you do it after dunkirk vietnam
That's right.
But I thought you looked wonderfully.
I thought you were calm and forceful and that the statement was excellent.
It was clear and concise.
It couldn't have been better.
Well, I hope you don't take too much heat from what they call the limousine liberals up there.
I've got no problem in my state.
You know, they shoot at me, but that's all right.
Right, well, I appreciate your, but I must say, I was so embarrassed when I came in.
You see, I didn't know, as a matter of fact, I got in the next morning and I picked up, I hadn't seen the paper.
I picked up the paper and I thought, what in the name of God is this?
I'm not supposed to be...
But I didn't really know.
You see, when you talked to me, we were talking about two different things.
I didn't know what it was about.
Well, I see.
Unbelievable.
But it's been on the front page of the papers.
You see, but I, over the weekend, of course, I was... You had other things.
I was in, you know, writing these speeches.
I did it myself.
It takes so much energy.
It was magnificent.
Well, anyway, you can be sure, if you'll just be sure that all of our, yours and my friends know that
This was just a damn goof, huh?
Well, I understand.
I understand.
It's the kind of thing that maybe if somebody got fired, they wouldn't do it again.
Let me tell you, we're looking.
We're looking around.
I'm trying to find the culprit.
Okay.
Okay.
Thank you.

NARA Description

On May 9, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Nelson A. Rockefeller talked on the telephone from 12:09 pm to 12:13 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 024-054 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 24-54

Date: May 9, 1972
Time: 12:09 pm - 12:13 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Nelson A. Rockefeller.

[See also Conversation No. 338-25]

     Abortion
          -The President's letter to Terence Cardinal Cooke
               -The President's knowledge
               -Release
                     -Circumstances
               -John D. Ehrlichman's call
               -Release

     Vietnam
          -The President's speech
               -Rockefeller's view
                     -Statement
                           -Public support
               -Democrats
                     -Position
                     -Cuban missile crisis
                           -The President's response as gubernatorial
                            candidate
               -Rockefeller's support
               -Soviet response
                     -Possible Summit cancellation
                           -The President’s view
                           -Hue
                           -The President's standing
               -Rockefeller's view
                     -The President's manner
               -Position of liberals

     Abortion
          -The President's letter to Cooke
               -Publicity
               -Circumstances of release
                     -Responsibility

Also recorded on May 9, 1972

  • 024-051 11:56 AM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:56 am and 12:05 pm.
  • 024-052 12:05 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Arthur W. Radford talked on the telephone from 12:05 pm to 12:06 pm.
  • 338-023 12:05 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Arthur W. Radford met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:05 pm and 12:06 pm.
  • 024-053 12:06 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:06 pm and 12:09 pm.
  • 338-024 12:06 PM · 19 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 12:06 pm and 12:09 pm.
  • 338-025 12:09 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Nelson A. Rockefeller met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:09 pm and 12:13 pm.
  • 024-055 12:13 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:13 pm and 12:27 pm.
  • 338-026 12:13 PM · 10 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 12:13 pm and 12:27 pm.

All 96 conversations from May 9, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 024-054, May 9, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/024-054 (accessed September 18, 2026).