Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 35 › Conversation 035-067

Nixon phone call with Johnson on Harry S. Truman memorial and Vietnam War

Tuesday, January 2, 1973 · 4:46 PM–4:51 PM ET · White House Telephone · 5 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Johnson, Lyndon B.Conversation035-067 on Tape 35StartTuesday, January 2, 1973 at 4:46 PMEndTuesday, January 2, 1973 at 4:51 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 035-067 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and former President Lyndon B. Johnson engaged in a brief, informal New Year's exchange primarily to coordinate their response regarding attendance at the upcoming public memorial service for Harry S. Truman. The two leaders agreed that having already paid their personal respects in Independence, Missouri, both would skip the public Washington event to avoid any appearance of exploitation or diplomatic slight. During the call, Nixon expressed support regarding ongoing Vietnam peace negotiations, while Johnson discussed his recent health struggles following the Cotton Bowl and his appreciation for Nixon's continued friendship.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Hello.
President Johnson.
Happy New Year.
Happy New Year.
How are you feeling?
I feel pretty good.
Well, like we think of here, I saw our friend Beebe
I told him that you were waiting for him to come out and call on you.
You tell him that's your Christmas present coming.
Hey, listen, that's something, you know.
He's feeling, I tell you, he's feeling very low now because he was 60 years old the other day.
And, you know, you know how B.B., he just, I said, B.B., you can't talk about being a young gay blade anymore.
But I said that don't worry about being 60.
I didn't know that bad.
But he's in good shape, good shape.
Well, I just feel the torture you're going through on this.
I wish I could do something to help you.
Don't you worry about it.
It's going to come out all right.
It's going to come out all right.
These people are now coming back to the table in a very, we think, constructive frame of mind.
And they better.
As you know, I'm sure you feel the same way.
We've got to get this finished in the right way and not the wrong way.
That's what you did try to do.
That's what I'm trying to do.
I just wish for you the best of care you can have.
I appreciate it.
Let me ask you, tell you one thing that I particularly wanted to call about.
We've been in touch with my staff with Tom Johnson.
As you know, I went out to Independence to lay a wreath, and as you did, we both did the same day.
at the private services.
Under those circumstances, it was not my intention to attend the public memorial service here, which is mainly for the diplomatic
representatives and for, of course, members of Congress who could not go to the private service.
Now, on the other hand, I have understood from Tom that you were not planning to come.
If you were coming, I didn't want it to appear that I was not going.
But could you tell me what your plans are?
Yeah.
It would seem to me, I think you agree, that we both have basically attended the service, and it would look, I rather thought we were exploiting it if we just went again, you know what I mean?
Or how do you feel?
I don't want anybody to think that we were affronting President Truman.
We're not talking.
and we thought that what we ought to do was to go the day you did and make our, pay our respects.
Well, you did exactly the same.
And therefore, that way, we did it in a very personal way, you and Miss Johnson and Pat and myself.
And you feel then that, and you feel as far as I'm concerned then that as far as you're concerned, you will not be there and I will follow the same line here.
And I'll tell Jerry Warren to say that.
But with the understanding that both of us will not go.
that's uh and then i don't then i don't think there'd be any problem either way i think if either one either of us went then somebody would say the other ought to be there see my point right look for anything drive a whole no i will not be at the box thing i just can't get away there but but pat will be there so she may see you there are you going to that it depends on my condition right
I went to the ball game yesterday, and I stayed up all night and had Dr. out in San Antonio.
Look, your team won.
Yes, we had a wonderful game.
I saw that game on television.
Texas came back and won.
I pay for it every time, though.
I do.
I know you yell, don't you?
A little bit.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
And then I had to stay up all night.
They have had hard pants all night.
Oh, boy.
Have you?
Goodness, I called you at the wrong time.
Not at all.
This hadn't, well.
I'm cheered.
I wanted to hear from you.
Let me tell you this.
I still have that invitation for you to go down and use that place in Florida because old Bebe is a great guy to have around.
He cheers people up, you know.
He never brings up any unpleasant subjects.
Come see me.
I'll make you see him.
All right.
Well, it's good to talk to you.
Give our best to Lady Bird and to the girls.
Thank you all.
And also to that little boy, that future president I had in here, will you give him my best?
We sure will.
Tell him not to run until he's 35.
I'll do it, Mr. President.
Best wishes to you.
Let me know if I can help you anyway.
I know you'll do the best you can.
Sure.
It'll come out.
It'll come out.
Thank you.

NARA Description

On January 2, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Lyndon B. Johnson talked on the telephone from 4:46 pm to 4:51 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 035-067 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 35-67

Date: January 2, 1973
Time: 4:46 pm - 4:51 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Lyndon B. Johnson.

[See Conversation No. 830-6B]

       New Year's greeting

       Johnson’s health

       The President's conversation with Charles G. (“Bebe”) Rebozo
            -Rebozo’s possible visit to Johnson
            -Rebozo’s age

       Vietnam negotiations
            -Johnson’s empathy
            -North Vietnamese return
            -Settlement agreement

       Wyatt Thomas Johnson, Jr.

       The President’s and Lyndon Johnson's schedule
                                          -61-

                 NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                           Conversation No. 35-67 (cont’d)

           -Harry S. Truman’s memorial service
                -Private memorial service in Independence, Missouri [December 27, 1972]
                       -Wreath laying
                -Diplomatic representatives and members of Congress attendance
                       -Private memorial service
                -Thomas Johnson
                -Possible perceptions
                -Claudia A. (Taylor) (“Lady Bird”) Johnson
                -Thelma C. (“Pat”). Nixon
                -Gerald L. Warren
           -[Thomas] Hale Boggs’s memorial service
                -Mrs. Nixon
                -Lyndon Johnson’s health

      Lyndon Johnson’s health
           -University of Texas-University of Alabama football game [Cotton Bowl, January
            1, 1973]
           -Doctor
                 -San Antonio
           -University of Texas’s victory
                 -The President’s viewing on television
           -Heart pains

*****************************************************************
[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]

           -Invitation to visit Florida
                 -Rebozo
                        -Character
           -Johnson’s grandson [Lyndon Nugent]
                 -Visit to White House
                        -Future as politician

[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
*****************************************************************
                                               -62-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Also recorded on January 2, 1973

  • 830-001 3:33 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:33 pm and 3:35 pm.
  • 830-002 3:35 PM · 43 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Michael J. ("Mike") Mansfield, Oliver F. ("Ollie") Atkins, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:35 pm and 4:19 pm.
  • 830-003 4:19 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:19 pm and 4:22 pm.
  • 830-004 4:22 PM · 16 min — President Richard M. Nixon and William E. Timmons met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:22 pm and 4:37 pm.
  • 830-005 4:37 PM · 44 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:37 pm and 4:41 pm.
  • 035-066 4:41 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:41 pm and 4:46 pm.
  • 830-006 4:41 PM · 1 hr 27 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, Manolo Sanchez, White House operator, and Lyndon B. Johnson met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:41 pm and 6:10 pm.
  • 035-068 4:51 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:51 pm and 9:44 pm.

All 52 conversations from January 2, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 035-067, January 2, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/035-067 (accessed October 12, 2026).