President Nixon and H.R. Haldeman discussed the strategic management of John Connally's resignation, focusing on controlling press narratives through coordinated Cabinet statements and a highly publicized walk to the Treasury Department. The conversation also addressed mounting political challenges in the Senate regarding Vietnam policy, specifically analyzing Republican defections on the Byrd and Case-Church amendments. Nixon and Haldeman assessed the potential electoral impact of these votes and deliberated on internal messaging tactics ahead of the President’s upcoming summit in the Soviet Union.
On May 16, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 3:50 pm to 3:58 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 024-153 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 24-153
Date: May 16, 1972
Time: 3:50 pm -3:58 pm
Location: White House Telephone
The President talked with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
The President's schedule
-Meeting with Mexican delegates
-Length
-Haldeman’s view
-Next meeting
-Ray Bliss
-John Cardinal Krol
John B. Connally
-Departure from administration
-Meeting with the President
-Press stories
-Timing
-Speculation
-Statement to the Cabinet
-Support for the President's reelection
-The President's walk to Treasury Department
-Publicity
-Photographs
-Ronald L. Ziegler's efforts
-Publicity
Vietnam
-Vote in Senate on Robert C. Byrd amendment
-Margin
-Republican defections
-Charles H. Percy
-Richard S. Schweiker
-Charles McC. Mathias, Jr.
-John Sherman Cooper
-Percy
-The President’s view
-Administration plans
-Robert A. Taft, Jr.
-Administration support for supporters
-Polls
-Timing
-Percy
-Illinois
-Support for the President
-Taft
-Defection
-The President's telephone call
-The President's forthcoming trip to Soviet Union
-Timing of vote
-Clifford P. Case-Frank F. Church amendment
-Doves
-Support
-Administration opposition
-Supporters
-Filibuster
-Prospect for defeat
Connally's resignation
-Calls
-Cabinet
-The President's walk to Treasury Department
-Publicity
-Treasury
-George P. Shultz
-Confirmation by Senate
Senate
-Trip to New Orleans
The President's schedule
-A breakfast
-Cabinet meeting
-Timing of Soviet trip
-The President's return
-Notification
-Date
[Forename unknown] Brown
-Press workNo transcript is available for this conversation. The audio may not contain audible speech, or the recording may not yet have been processed.