Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 27 › Conversation 027-012
Nixon phone call with Calhoon on Labor Unions and 1972 Presidential Election
Wednesday, July 19, 1972 · 2:41 PM–2:42 PM ET · White House Telephone · 3 min
AI Summary
President Nixon and labor leader Jesse Calhoon discuss the political landscape ahead of the 1972 election, focusing on the potential support of building trades union members for the administration. Nixon expresses interest in the unions' opposition to George McGovern, particularly citing concerns regarding McGovern's foreign policy and personal associations. The conversation concludes with a mutual agreement to maintain contact as the administration seeks to bolster labor support and promote job growth.
- Labor Unions
- 1972 Presidential Election
- George McGovern
- AFL-CIO
- Building Trades
- Political Endorsements
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 2 minutes of this recording (about 73% of it) is represented by only a few words. Listen to the audio rather than relying on the text below; a corrected transcript is queued.
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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.
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NARA Description
On July 19, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Jesse M. Calhoon talked on the telephone from 2:41 pm to 2:42 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 027-012 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 27-12
Date: July 19, 1972
Time: 2:41 pm - 2:42 pm
Location: White House Telephone
The President talked with Jesse M. Calhoon.
[See Conversation No. 348-9]
Jesse Calhoon's statement of July 15, 1972
-The President's accomplishments
Labor
-Calhoon's statement
-The President’s schedule
-California
-Jobs
-American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations [AFL-CIO]
action on endorsement of Presidential candidate
-George S. McGovern
-Building trades union members
-Attitude toward McGovern
-Foreign policy issues
-Lifestyle
-Associates
-Administration cooperationAlso recorded on July 19, 1972
- 027-009 2:14 PM · 34 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 2:14 pm.
- 027-010 2:25 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:25 pm and 2:35 pm.
- 348-007 2:25 PM · 11 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 2:25 pm and 2:35 pm.
- 027-011 2:35 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Francis A. ("Frank") Sinatra talked on the telephone from 2:35 pm to 2:40 pm.
- 348-008 2:35 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Francis A. ("Frank") Sinatra met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:35 pm to 2:40 pm.
- 348-009 2:41 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Jesse M. Calhoon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:41 pm to 2:42 pm.
- 027-013 2:42 PM · 14 sec — the recording device engaged at an unknown time between 2:42 pm and 9:00 pm, but the conversation appears to be blank.
- 348-010 2:42 PM · 1 hr 28 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, Stephen B. Bull, unknown person(s), H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Ronald L. Ziegler, and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:42 pm to 5:53 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 027-012, July 19, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/027-012 (accessed October 23, 2026).