{"conversationCode":"034-131","tapeNumber":34,"conversationNumber":131,"identifier":"37-wht-conversation-034-131","startDateTime":"1972-12-19T17:21:00.000Z","endDateTime":"1972-12-19T17:22:00.000Z","startDate":"19-Dec-1972","startTime":"12:21 PM","endDate":"19-Dec-1972","endTime":"12:22 PM","dateCertainty":"certain","timeCertainty":"certain","participants":"Nixon, Richard M. (President); Biden, Joseph R., Jr.;","description":"On December 19, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Joseph R. Biden, Jr. talked on the telephone from 12:21 pm to 12:22 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 034-131 of the White House Tapes.","locationCode":"WHT","recordingDevice":"White House Telephone","latitudeEstimated":38.89767,"longitudeEstimated":-77.03655,"chronCode":"5.2","chronRelease":"Fifth Chronological Release: Part II","chronReleaseDate":"2-Dec-2008","aogpRelease":null,"aogpSegment":null,"lastModified":"2015-07-27T17:04:10.235Z","findingAid":"Conversation No. 34-131\n\nDate: December 19, 1972\nTime: 12:21 pm - 12:22 pm\nLocation: White House Telephone\n\nThe President talked with Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr.\n\n[See Conversation No. 826-8A]\n\n       Condolences on death of Nealia (Hunter) Biden [and Amy Biden]\n           -Automobile accident, December 18, 1972\n                 -Joseph Biden’s location\n           -Joseph Biden’s political career\n                 -Age\n                       -Compared to the President in House of Representatives","filename":["034-131.mp3"],"tapeStart":"","tapeEnd":"","participantsList":["Nixon, Richard M. (President)","Biden, Joseph R., Jr."],"prevCode":"034-130","nextCode":"034-132","transcript":[{"start":0.39,"end":24.37,"text":"Senator, I know this is a very tragic day for you, but I wanted you to know that all of us here at the White House were thinking about you and praying for you and also for your two children."},{"start":25.02,"end":34.47,"text":"And we know that I understand you were on the hill at the time and your wife was just driving by herself."},{"start":35.9,"end":47.61,"text":"So, but in any event, I mean, looking at it as you must in terms of the future because you have the great fortune of being young."},{"start":47.63,"end":50.69,"text":"I remember I was two years older than you when I went to the house."},{"start":51.51,"end":52.95,"text":"But the main part is you can"},{"start":53.3,"end":62.09,"text":"Remember that she was there when you won a great victory, and you enjoyed it together, and now I'm sure that she'll be watching you from now on."},{"start":62.43,"end":63.07,"text":"Good luck to you."},{"start":63.35,"end":65.22,"text":"Thank you very much, Mr. President."},{"start":65.3,"end":65.52,"text":"Okay."},{"start":66.14,"end":67.16,"text":"I appreciate it."}],"aiSummary":{"text":"President Nixon called newly elected Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr. to offer his personal condolences following the tragic automobile accident that claimed the lives of Biden’s wife, Nealia, and their daughter. During the brief exchange, Nixon expressed sympathy for the family's loss and encouraged the grieving Senator to look toward his future career. Drawing on his own experience entering the House of Representatives at a young age, Nixon sought to provide comfort and encouragement to Biden during his period of profound personal crisis.","topics":["Joseph R. Biden Jr.","Richard M. Nixon","condolences","grief","political career"],"generatedAt":"2026-04-06T04:38:35.959Z"},"topicSlugs":["joseph-r-biden-jr","richard-m-nixon","condolences","grief","political-career"],"audioDurationSec":72,"audioFiles":[{"file":"034-131.mp3","bytes":1732467,"durationSec":72.05,"bitrate":192353,"missing":false}],"audioIsShared":false,"audioProbedAt":"2026-09-18T02:19:29.541Z","audio":["https://nixon.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/audio/034-131.mp3"],"url":"https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/034-131","nixonLibraryUrl":"https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/white-house-tapes/34/conversation-034-131","license":"Public domain (U.S. Government work). AI-generated fields (transcript, aiSummary) are provided as-is without warranty."}