Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 27 › Conversation 027-080

Nixon phone call with Connally on George Wallace and Busing

Wednesday, July 26, 1972 · 1:10 PM–1:24 PM ET · White House Telephone · 5 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Connally, John B.Conversation027-080 on Tape 27StartWednesday, July 26, 1972 at 1:10 PMEndWednesday, July 26, 1972 at 1:24 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 027-080 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and John B. Connally discussed political strategy regarding Governor George Wallace, focusing on incorporating elements of his platform into the Republican campaign. They agreed to offer Wallace a national security briefing via Alexander Haig and planned to have campaign officials like Clark MacGregor or John Rhodes publicly acknowledge Wallace's contributions to national debate. Additionally, they decided to have Ed Morgan discreetly share the party's busing plank with Wallace's camp to foster potential alignment.

Audio

Download MP3 · 6.9 MB

NARA Description

On July 26, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and John B. Connally talked on the telephone from 1:10 pm to 1:24 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 027-080 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 27-80

Date: July 26, 1972
Time: 1:10 pm - 1:24 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with John B. Connally.

[See Conversation No. 754-7B]

*****************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 2m 26s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

*****************************************************************

     The President’s recent talk with Connally
          -Connally's latitude on offer

    Issues
         -Foreign policy
                -The President's conversation with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
                     -National security and defense briefing for George C. Wallace
         -Possible statement by Clark MacGregor or John J. Rhodes
                -The President’s recent talk with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
                -Wallace's contribution to debate on issues
                     -Busing plank in Republican platform
                         -News summary
                         -Contact
                              -Charles Snider
                                  -Harry S. Dent, Edward L. Morgan
                                  -Morgan's experience with the South
                -Possible statement
                     -Herbert G. Klein
                         -White House
                     -Campaign
                         -MacGregor, Rhodes

*****************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
Show the rest of the log (35 more lines)
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 2m 59s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

*****************************************************************

    The President’s schedule
         -Democrats for Nixon
              -Staff
                    -Jake Jacobsen

*****************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 3m 7s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

****************************************************************

     The President's forthcoming Oval Office press conference
          -Conversation with Haldeman
          -Preparation
                -Stress of Presidency

*****************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 19s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
*****************************************************************

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).

You will work, as I said, you of course know that you have, I didn't know, after we talked last night, I didn't think it was necessary to mention it,
You have complete freedom to offer anything in both the campaign or later.
You understand?
Because I think that's very important.
I have done two things, and maybe you want me to turn one or both off.
First, I had indicated to Haig
that Hague should call and say that the President had directed that if Governor Wallace would like it, he would like to give him a briefing on national security and national defense and foreign policy matters and would be glad to at any time.
Would you like for that to go forward now or not?
Yes, sir.
Let's go forward with it.
All right.
The second point, of course, I have already indicated.
and I've talked to old Bob this morning after our conversation that he was to got a plan where McGregor or even thinking somebody like Johnny Rhodes of the platform committee or somebody like that indicate that Governor Wallace made a very significant contribution to the national debate on these issues and that we certainly have in mind and some of these at some of these points we find a very great agreement
For example, our busing plank is right down his alley, and the news summary this morning so indicates.
I think one thing we could do on that, on the busing plank,
I might even, I was even thinking that if we could have a discreet way to have somebody just take it to him, show it to him, see what he thinks of it.
Well, I think that'd be great.
What do you think?
I think that's fine.
Who's, who, let's see.
They ought to contact, they ought to contact this boy, General Snyder.
Snyder, and say that the president particularly interested in the bussing plank.
What would you say from our side should do it?
I mean, should we have... Somebody not too conspicuous.
Let's see.
Harry Dent, maybe, that too conspicuous.
I'll tell you.
How about Ed Morgan?
Ed Morgan would be great.
They wouldn't know.
He works around through the South anyway, and he's handled all this segregation thing and talks Wallace's language.
Ed Morgan would be great.
Good, good, good, great.
Well, fine.
That's really great.
I think if something could be said by Johnny Roach or somebody between now and Saturday, it might help.
You know, something can always happen.
Yes, sir.
Yes, sir.
He told me what the Saturday announcement would be.
We can do that.
There's one other way.
I can have it if we want to get it a little closer.
I can have Klein say something.
You know, he just gets out.
That's all right.
I wouldn't get it any closer than that.
No, maybe that's the White House.
I think that's too close.
I agree.
It should be the campaign.
It really ought to be the campaign.
I think you're right.
I think McGregor could say it.
McGregor is fine.
Or Rhodes and the platform.
That's right.
All right.
I'll get that one done.
John, would you, on your part, wish one thing, have Jacobson and the others, as I said, as soon as you get you and those fellows, your staff people in place, you're up, I do want to sit down with them so they know that, as I've done that with around here, and we just do it on an informal basis.
All right.
I was just thinking, I'm preparing for just an in-office press conference tomorrow, and I was standing by there, you know, and I do the same as you.
I work like hell before these.
I go, you know, I work and I study all that and have to be prepared on 100 issues in order to answer 20 questions.
And I said, you know, you talk about pressure.
You can't pace yourself when you're preparing for one of those things.
You've got to be up for them or you're down the tube.
That's right.
Don't you agree?
That's right.
If there's one place that a guy cannot...
You do pace yourself in anything, but there's one place where you can't be required to pace yourself.
It's in this office.
Because there are times when you've got to go balls out, even when you're dead.
That's right.
Balls out.
That's right.

Also recorded on July 26, 1972

  • 350-037 1:38 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:38 pm and 1:44 pm.
  • 350-038 1:38 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:38 pm and 1:44 pm.
  • 350-039 1:38 PM · 9 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 1:38 pm and 1:44 pm.
  • 350-040 1:38 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:38 pm and 1:44 pm.
  • 350-041 1:38 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:38 pm and 1:44 pm.
  • 754-009 1:38 PM · 13 sec — United States Secret Service agents and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House on an unknown date, sometime between 1:38 pm on July 26, 1972 and 3:03 pm on July 27, 1972.
  • 027-081 1:44 PM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:44 pm and 1:47 pm.
  • 350-042 1:44 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:44 pm to 1:47 pm.

All 83 conversations from July 26, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 027-080, July 26, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/027-080 (accessed November 2, 2026).