Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 35 › Conversation 035-021

Nixon phone call with Bull on Nicaragua earthquake and Managua

Wednesday, December 27, 1972 · 8:49 PM–8:52 PM ET · White House Telephone · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Bull, Stephen B.Conversation035-021 on Tape 35StartWednesday, December 27, 1972 at 8:49 PMEndWednesday, December 27, 1972 at 8:52 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 035-021 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Stephen B. Bull discuss the feasibility of a presidential visit to Managua, Nicaragua, following a devastating earthquake. Nixon expresses his desire to visit refugee centers to demonstrate American concern, while Bull raises concerns that a high-level visit might disrupt ongoing evacuation efforts. Ultimately, the President directs Bull to coordinate with Ambassador Turner Shelton and provide a definitive recommendation the following morning, with a tentative plan to depart on December 29th.

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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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Mr. Ball?
Hello, Steve?
Yes, sir.
What have you got to report?
Well, what we're looking at initially, sir, is, well, the initial recommendation would be that in view of the fact that you have proclaimed tomorrow as the National Day of Mourning and that the attention of the nation will be focused pretty much at your direction on President Truman, that it be delayed until Friday.
Okay, but what have you got worked out with regard to Friday?
No.
And if we go Friday, I'd have to go very, very early because I want to go down for a day and then come back.
You see what I mean?
I want to just spend the day there and then come back.
All right.
The second thing, and I've got positive and negative.
The positives are that it appears that what we could do
uh for you to do would be to visit some of the refugee centers now i don't have a firm confirmation on how established they are but of course the city is i don't mind that the more uh doesn't have to be that uh controlled or just going into places that are whether the devastation and the rest just to show we are have concern that's what i want to do you see just to go in and show concern get in and out right what are the negatives well the negatives are that the city is being evacuated
a city of about a half million people.
I know.
And there are some problems with getting the people out of the city and into the countryside.
I know that, but... Do you fear further earthquakes and collapses of buildings?
What the hell with the earthquakes?
That doesn't bother me a bit.
Well, not so much for the safety, but for the fact that our presence might detract from the initial efforts to save the people.
And that seems to be the... Well, well, but you're not getting that.
Who are you getting that from?
State?
No, we haven't gone to state, sir.
This just seems to be the consideration to Kennedy and... Well, you check it out, then give me a report in the morning and a recommendation.
But I want to go down on Friday, then.
if we can, unless there's strong objections against it, you see?
All right, sir, and we're going to check and talk directly with Turner Shelton as soon as we can get through.
Talk with Shelton, get him on the phone.
They haven't been able to get through because of the communication lines.
Well, find out whether he thinks it would be helpful.
Just go down, show the flag, and visit some refugee camps, and then come back.
See what I mean?
Yes, sir, I understand.
Okay, bye.
Would you like to...
If I don't need anything more tonight, you can just keep checking on it and then have something to plan for me in the morning, okay?
All right, sir.
Thank you.

NARA Description

On December 27, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone from 8:49 pm to 8:52 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 035-021 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 35-21

Date: December 27, 1972
Time: 8:49 pm – 8:52 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Stephen B. Bull.

       The President's schedule
            -Possible trip to Nicaragua
                  -Timing
                         -Harry S. Truman’s funeral
                               -National Day of Mourning, December 28, 1972
                         -December 29, 1972
                  -Possible itinerary
                         -The President’s view
                         -Refugee centers
                         -Devastated areas
                               -Presidential concern
                  -Problems
                         -Evacuation of [Managua]
                         -Further earthquakes
                               -The President’s view
                         -Trip's effect on evacuation efforts
                               -State Department
                               -Col. Richard T. Kennedy
                               -Bull’s forthcoming report
                  -Change of date to December 29, 1972
                         -Turner B. Shelton's view
                               -Communication problems
                               -US presence
                               -Refugee centers
                         -Bull’s forthcoming report
                                             -27-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Also recorded on December 28, 1972

  • 035-013 7:41 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone from 7:41 pm to 7:43 pm.
  • 035-014 7:43 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:43 pm and 7:52 pm.
  • 035-015 7:52 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone from 7:52 pm to 7:53 pm.
  • 035-016 7:53 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:53 pm and 8:14 pm.
  • 035-017 8:14 PM · 20 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 8:14 pm to 8:33 pm.
  • 035-018 8:33 PM · 26 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:33 pm and 8:39 pm.
  • 035-019 8:39 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 8:39 pm to 8:45 pm.
  • 035-020 8:45 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:45 pm and 8:49 pm.

All 76 conversations from December 28, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 035-021, December 28, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/035-021 (accessed October 11, 2026).