Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 33 › Conversation 033-029
Nixon phone call with Allott on 1972 Election and Colorado Politics
Saturday, November 4, 1972 · 10:49 AM–10:54 AM ET · White House Telephone · 5 min
AI Summary
President Nixon spoke with Senator Gordon Allott and Congressman James D. “Mike” McKevitt to offer encouragement regarding their respective reelection campaigns and to express appreciation for the Colorado delegation’s support. The conversation focused on the status of various competitive congressional and Senate races across the country, as well as the President’s campaign travel schedule. Nixon also emphasized his commitment to achieving “peace with honor” in the Vietnam War negotiations, ensuring that any final agreement would be more robust than previous diplomatic settlements.
- 1972 Election
- Colorado Politics
- Vietnam War
- Congressional Races
- Campaign Strategy
- Peace Negotiations
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
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Hello?
Senator Allen, Mr. President.
Yeah.
Gordon?
Yes.
Where did I find you?
Well, I'm in my office in Denver.
How are you?
In Denver.
Well, I'll tell you.
I called you just to tell you that... Hey, Congressman McKevitt's on the phone, too.
Oh, great.
Well, I'm calling both of you, believe me.
And incidentally, Gordon, if you would be sure to call the other candidates for the House and wish them my best, too.
But I called to tell you of my...
my appreciation for the work that you have done, our Republicans in the House as well have done over these past four years, and looking forward to continuing to work together for the next four.
Because believe me, I know that this job can't be done by one man in this Oval Office.
We need the help of strong men in the House and the Senate, and that Colorado delegation has been
really superb in that respect.
I only regret because I love to go to Colorado so much that I can't get there, but I think, Gordon, since you're actually in a position of being one of the Senate leaders, you would like to have a few more senators, and so I'm going
I hit two good states yesterday.
I think we've got a very good chance in Oklahoma.
I think we've got a good chance in Rhode Island.
They're both tight, however.
Bartlett and Chaffee.
Bartlett and Chaffee are both close, but a good chance in both.
I'll be in North Carolina today for Helms.
That's close.
And I'll be in New Mexico today for Domenici.
So there's four that we might have an opportunity in.
I've already done...
in areas of trying to hold.
Of course, I went in for none because his was very tight because of John Cooper.
Cooper thought I ought to get in there.
Bobby Griffin is four points ahead, which is very tight.
But let me say that if you would thank the people out there for their support, the loyal support through the years.
I've always carried Colorado, and I don't want to start losing it now.
Well, I think from everything I can learn here, you're
Your race is very, very good in Colorado.
And our congressional races, as I told Clark McGregor, Mike, as I say, is on the other phone.
He's got a tight one here in Denver.
It looks in his favor.
Michael went and let him speak for himself on that.
He went.
He went.
But it shows here that Brotzman and Evans are way ahead.
Oh, there's no question about it.
We don't have a chance in the third district, which is my district.
Brotz is okay, in good shape.
How about Johnson?
Johnson is against— Well, that's immersion.
That's looking better now.
Yeah.
But it's tight, too.
Johnson and Armstrong are tight.
The fact they're tight is good.
I mean, that's better than we usually do.
We've got a chance on all of them.
That's the way I hear it.
We've got a chance.
Except in the third.
Which one is that?
That's the new district that goes clear across the southern part of the state.
Who has that now?
Evans.
Oh, yeah.
Oh, yeah, yeah.
Evans in the third.
I know he's like Brotsman.
They have the easy districts.
Yeah.
Anyway, you've got a little cold?
Yeah, I've had it ever since I came back.
That critical vote I got when I came back.
I haven't been able to get rid of it.
Well, anyway, you take care because we need you.
I appreciate it a lot.
You're going to be in New Mexico at four this afternoon, aren't you?
I sure am, right.
I'll see Pete Domenici and...
It beat our best regards.
I bought our pickup from the people that come over the border.
And from up and down in that country, it appears—well, it's tight, of course.
It's bound to be— Always in that state, yeah.
They tell me that his chances look good.
we'll give it a give it a boost and uh oh it's me incidentally uh just stay right firm on the peace line we're on the right road there uh we have uh made the
The major breakthroughs, you know, but I'm insisting that the details be nailed down so that there isn't going to be the same thing that we had in the bombing halt, and we're going to get peace with honor and not surrender.
Well, we don't want to run against another Pan Am and Jung.
That's right.
Okay.
Good luck.
Thank you, Mr. President.
And good luck to you, Mike, and keep that old DA's spirit going, huh?
All right, sir.
All right.
Bye.
Thank you very much, Mr. President.
NARA Description
On November 4, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Gordon L. Allott talked on the telephone from 10:49 am to 10:54 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 033-029 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 33-29
Date: November 4, 1972
Time: 10:49 am - 10:54 am
Location: White House Telephone
The President talked with Gordon L. Allott.
[See Conversation No. 389-12C]
Greetings
Allott's location
-Denver
-James D. McKevitt
*****************************************************************
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift during
chronological review 2007-2013]
1972 election
-House of Representatives candidates
-Possible calls from Allott
-Allott
-Work for the President and candidates
-Support for the President
-Colorado delegation
-The President's schedule
-Colorado
-Senate races
-Oklahoma
-Rhode Island
-Dewey F. Bartlett, John H. Chafee
-North Carolina
-Jesse A. Helms
- 33 -
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY
Conversation No. 33-114 (cont’d)
-New Mexico
-Pete V. Domenici
-Kentucky
-Louis B. Nunn
-John Sherman Cooper
-Michigan
-Robert P. Griffin
-Colorado
-Support for the President
-The President's campaign
-Allott’s view
-Congressional races
-Allott’s recent conversation with Clark MacGregor
-James D. (“Mike”) McKevitt
-Denver
-Donald G. Brotzman
-Frank E. Evans
-Third District
-James P. Johnson
-Alan Merson
-William L. Armstrong
-Third District
-Evans
-Brotzman
Allott's health
-Vote in Congress
1972 election
-The President's schedule
-New Mexico
-Domenici
-Manual Lujan, Jr.
-Influence on Colorado
-Vietnam
-Negotiations
-Details of agreement
-Bombing halt, 1968
-Peace with honor
-Panmunjom
- 34 -
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY
Conversation No. 33-114 (cont’d)
-President's best wishes
James D. (“Mike”) McKevitt joined the conversation at an unknown
time before 10:54
McKevitt
-Campaign
-Background
-District attorney
*****************************************************************Also recorded on November 4, 1972
- 033-027 10:41 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Robert J. Dole talked on the telephone from 10:41 am to 10:44 am.
- 033-028 10:45 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and William Mills talked on the telephone from 10:45 am to 10:47 am.
- 033-030 11:00 AM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 11:00 am.
- 033-031 11:00 AM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:00 am and 11:01 am.
- 389-013 11:00 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 11:00 am and 11:01 am.
- 389-014 11:00 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 11:00 am and 11:01 am.
- 389-015 11:00 AM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 11:00 am and 11:01 am.
- 389-016 11:00 AM · 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 11:00 am and 11:01 am.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 033-029, November 4, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/033-029 (accessed October 10, 2026).