Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 33 › Conversation 033-062
Nixon phone call with Humphrey on 1972 Presidential Election and Vietnam War
Wednesday, November 8, 1972 · 1:31 AM–1:35 AM ET · White House Telephone · 4 min
AI Summary
In this early morning telephone call following his landslide re-election, President Richard Nixon received a congratulatory call from Hubert H. Humphrey. The two men discussed the political differences between the 1968 and 1972 elections, specifically contrasting the Vietnam War issue and George McGovern’s campaign tactics. They also discussed election results in Minnesota, the future of the country, and Nixon offered Humphrey personal encouragement regarding his political career by referencing the late-career successes of Winston Churchill and Benjamin Disraeli.
- 1972 Presidential Election
- Vietnam War
- Hubert H. Humphrey
- George McGovern
- Political Unity
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
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Mr. President, I have Senator Humphrey for you.
Hello.
Hello.
Mr. President.
Hubert, how are you?
Well, fine, and I wanted to call up just to congratulate you on the historic victory.
Well, thank you very much.
You racked them up.
You've been a very statesmanlike man.
I always, just speaking as friends, people ask me very privately to compare this with 68, and I said, well, the difference is that when
Senator Humphrey and I were campaigning and we had this terrible issue with Vietnam.
We both put the country first.
And I said, this time, we had a problem where one fellow said any goddamn thing that came in his head were your private information.
And I, you should know, for three days, I had the whole thing in my pocket.
As you probably guessed.
Yes.
I had a talk with Henry a couple of days ago.
Right.
They asked me whether or not we could have got a settlement like this in 1969.
I said no.
Yeah.
Well, you made a great statement, and I asked Henry to call you.
But I think you should know that— Thank you.
Well, I understood that.
Well, I'll have a talk with you sometime.
I knew that, you know, I did what I had to do.
Of course you did.
That's right.
That's right.
That's right.
That's right.
Well, we'll get together and we'll work for the good of the country.
That's the important thing.
Sure they will.
And I didn't want to let this night go by without them.
Well, it's so good of you to call.
How are you feeling?
I'm feeling fine.
By the way, my son was elected to the state senate out here.
Isn't that great.
Well, I hope we didn't run a man against him that gave him any trouble.
Well, as a matter of fact, the man that ran against him was a very fine man.
I was afraid the boy wasn't going to win.
Right.
Isn't that great.
But this is a good campaign, and you can imagine I feel pretty good tonight.
We have some good things going on here.
Say, are you in Minnesota now?
Yes, I am.
How's that coming out?
I don't know.
I haven't seen it, but I see it's very close.
Yes.
Of course, what you've got here now, Mr. President, is the city votes are in.
How do you project it?
I think you'd win out here, but not by as large as you would in other states.
But we never did, and Minnesota's always closer.
We're fairly well organized out here.
I know, I know.
That's right, particularly with you coming out, you see.
You heard us, you see.
But we didn't need you this time, like 60, so I won't hold it against you.
I did my duty.
Okay.
Do you think we'll win it at the moment, seriously?
Oh, yes.
Yes, I do.
I think that you'll most likely come out of here with over $1,500.
Okay.
I'll hold you to that.
Anything less than $50, I'm going to make you pay.
Make me pay, are you?
All right.
You and Pat both look good on that TV tonight.
Oh, well, those things are so hard to handle with those roaring crowds.
I never told you how much I appreciated that handwritten letter, but I just want you to know that my wife and I cherish it.
That's a great deal to me.
I've been through this, and I meant it from the heart.
I know that.
Anyway, we'll do some good things for this country in the next four years, Hubert.
I told Henry you can depend on us.
We're going to be there.
Just remember, whenever you think you're checking yourself out, read about Churchill.
I was reading Peter de Messingel's new, well, it isn't new, it's a great biography, California the other day.
You know, Huber, when he was 68, he became prime minister, and Israeli was 68, so what the hell?
You're still in your 60s.
I know, but we Minnesotans got a bad reputation for running too often.
Okay.
You know about it.
Well, good luck, and thank you for being such a statesman.
All right, friend.
Goodbye.
NARA Description
On November 8, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Hubert H. Humphrey talked on the telephone from 1:31 am to 1:35 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 033-062 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 33-62
Date: November 8, 1972
Time: 1:31 am - 1:35 am
Location: White House Telephone
The President talked with Hubert H. Humphrey.
[This is the original beginning of Conversation No. 033-062, which has been merged with
Conversation No. 033-061.]
[See Conversation No. 388-4J]
Greetings
*****************************************************************
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift during
chronological review 2007-2013]
1972 election
- 69 -
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY
Conversation No. 33-114 (cont’d)
-The President's victory
-Congratulations
-Humphrey's manner
-Comparison with 1968 election
-Vietnam
-George S. McGovern
-Vietnam settlement
-November 4-7, 1972
-Humphrey’s recent conversation with Henry A. Kissinger
-1969
-Public statements
-Near future
-McGovern
-Humphrey's support
-McGovern's tactics
-Necessity
-Blame
-Unity
Humphrey's health
Hubert H. Humphrey, III
-Election to Minnesota state senate
-Opposition
Humphrey's location
-Minnesota
1972 election
-Minnesota
-City votes
-The President's chances
-The President's margin
-Democratic strength
-1960 election
-The President's chances
-Margin of votes
-The President's recent television [TV] appearance
-Nixon
-Crowds
- 70 -
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY
Conversation No. 33-114 (cont’d)
-Letter from the President
-Muriel F. (“Buck”) Humphrey
-Next term
-Humphrey's support
-Kissinger
Humphrey's future
-Winston Churchill and Benjamin Disraeli
-Ages at assumption of power
-Peter De Mendelssohn, [The Age of Churchill]
-The President’s reading
-California
-Humphrey's age
-[Harold Stassen]
*****************************************************************Also recorded on November 8, 1972
- 033-057 1:10 AM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:10 am and 1:12 am.
- 033-058 1:10 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone from 1:10 am to 1:12 am.
- 033-059 1:12 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Nelson A. Rockefeller talked on the telephone from 1:12 am to 1:16 am.
- 033-060 1:16 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:16 am and 1:28 am.
- 033-061 1:30 AM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:30 am and 1:31 am.
- 033-063 1:35 AM · 1 min — Manolo Sanchez, White House operator, and unknown person(s) talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:35 am and 3:00 am.
- 033-064 1:35 AM · 50 sec — Manolo Sanchez, White House operator, and unknown person(s) talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:35 am and 3:00 am.
- 033-065 1:35 AM · 36 sec — Charles W. Colson, White House operator, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and unknown person(s) talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:35 am and 3:00 am.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 033-062, November 8, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/033-062 (accessed September 28, 2026).