Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 24 › Conversation 024-091

Connally, Kennedy & Haldeman on Secret Service and Candidate protection

Monday, May 15, 1972 · 5:41 PM–5:45 PM ET · White House Telephone · 3 min

ParticipantsWhite House operator; Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Connally, John B.; Kennedy, Edward M.Conversation024-091 on Tape 24 (tape position 01:39:57–01:42:54)StartMonday, May 15, 1972 at 5:41 PMEndMonday, May 15, 1972 at 5:45 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 024-091 ↗

AI Summary

John B. Connally calls Senator Edward M. Kennedy on behalf of President Nixon to offer him full Secret Service protection following the recent shooting of George Wallace. Connally emphasizes that the President considers Kennedy highly vulnerable and insists on providing security regardless of legal interpretations regarding candidate status. The two agree to begin with temporary arrangements while coordinating with Secret Service leadership, with Connally urging Kennedy to accept the protection for his own safety.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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?
I have Senator Kennedy.
Just a minute, please.
Senator?
Oh, John, how are you?
Fine, Ted, how are you?
I'm in the office with the president, and I hope you know what my situation has been with respect to protection for you.
It was not a matter of a reflection of a personal desire, but what our people thought was an interpretation of the language.
But the president asked me to come over here a minute ago.
He said he doesn't really care what the hell the law provides as far as our council is concerned.
He thinks that
that you're traveling around the country.
He thinks that of all the people who are susceptible to some nut, you probably more than anybody except George Wallace.
And he would like this afternoon to offer you the full Secret Service protection.
And I'm calling to tell you that.
And it's available to you.
It'll be available as of tonight if you want it, Ted, and you make the decision, and we'll offer it to you.
It's there, so you don't have to ask for it.
That's the point I'm making.
And so he wanted you to know that, and I wanted you to know that.
And the president was very thoughtful about it, and actually, I'm sorry I didn't think about it before he did, but he called me immediately when he heard it and got me over here.
Well, that's very thoughtful.
what uh uh john maybe they could uh uh just uh have someone around here just now and then maybe we could talk about it over you know what it would be uh i'll get gene recedes or chief riley to call you are you at home now uh i'm at uh home and maybe they could just uh uh for the uh started on a temporary type of thing and then uh
now and then we can uh you know just see what uh maybe someday there could be some arrangements that if i'm traveling they could do something and well but i mean all right we'll do whatever you want to do it and i think the president wants to go on and announce that it's done but we don't want to do it without you knowing it and we don't want to do it we'll give you full coverage and i think ted you ought to go and take it hell it just uh
Very frankly, I don't know that they could save you, but there's a damn good chance they could if something came up, and you ought not to be reluctant about it.
And I know you're not a candidate, but you're exposed, and I've known that all along, and I damn near did it without asking for a legal opinion.
The president feels very strongly about it, and you can just tell the press that we insisted that you take it.
But I think you... Why don't we just do it in a temporary, John?
All right.
If I can give it, you know, it has some other kinds of spin-offs in terms of... All right.
Well, you do... All right.
I appreciate very much, obviously, and maybe if they could do something and then we can... Fine.
We can think about it.
All right.
That's fine.
And obviously, we won't do whatever you want to do, but we just want you to know we don't want you to be in a position of asking for anything and you're not in that position.
Right.
Okay?
Thanks very, very much.
Thank you, Ted.
All right, sir.
Bye.

NARA Description

On May 15, 1972, the White House operator, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, John B. Connally, and Edward M. Kennedy talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:41 pm and 5:45 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 024-091 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 24-91

Date: May 15, 1972
Time: Unknown between 5:45 pm and 5:54 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The White House operator talked with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.

[See also Conversation No. 724-8H]

     Edward M. Kennedy

John B. Connally talked with Kennedy at an unknown time between 5:45 and 5:54 pm.

     Connally's location

     Secret Service
          -Candidate protection
                -Kennedy
                     -Authorization by the President
                     -Need
                          -Kennedy
                          -George C. Wallace
                     -The President's offer
                     -Arrangements
                     -Location
                     -Arrangements
                          -Eugene T. Rossides and James J. Rowley
                     -Announcement
                     -Advisability
                          -Connally’s view
                     -Arrangements

Also recorded on May 15, 1972

  • 024-085 5:21 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 5:21 pm to 5:23 pm.
  • 024-086 5:24 PM · 10 sec — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:24 pm and 5:30 pm.
  • 024-087 5:24 PM · 2 min — the White House operator, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, John B. Connally, Eugene T. Rossides, and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:24 pm and 5:30 pm.
  • 024-088 5:30 PM · 7 sec — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:30 pm and 5:38 pm.
  • 024-089 5:38 PM · 3 min — the White House operator, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, President Richard M. Nixon, and Cornelia Wallace talked on the telephone from 5:38 pm to 5:41 pm.
  • 024-090 5:41 PM · 11 sec — the White House operator and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:41 pm and 5:45 pm.
  • 024-092 5:52 PM · 7 sec — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:52 pm and 5:54 pm.
  • 024-093 5:52 PM · 3 min — the White House operator, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, John B. Connally, Eugene T. Rossides, and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:52 pm and 5:58 pm.

All 44 conversations from May 15, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 024-091, May 15, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/024-091 (accessed October 9, 2026).