Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 35 › Conversation 035-108

Nixon phone call with Hope on Vietnam War and USO tours

Tuesday, January 9, 1973 · 2:30 PM–2:38 PM ET · White House Telephone ·6 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Hope, Lelsie T. ("Bob")Conversation035-108 onTape 35StartTuesday, January 9, 1973 at 2:30 PMEndTuesday, January 9, 1973 at 2:38 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 035-108 ↗

AI Summary

In this telephone call, Bob Hope offers birthday greetings to President Nixon and discusses his recent USO tours, including positive feedback from military leadership regarding the President’s Vietnam policy. Hope also expresses his disapproval of congressional anti-war efforts and advocates for the President to award Adolph Zukor the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Nixon directs Hope to coordinate the Zukor recommendation with Leonard Garment and agrees to watch Hope’s upcoming television special after being prompted by a reminder.

Audio

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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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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?
Mr. Hope, sir.
Hello?
Happy birthday, Mr. President.
Well, I didn't pay for that Western Union commercial.
Happy birthday.
I called you, but you were in conference with a touring man there.
Yeah, yeah.
I heard that.
I wanted to tell you that I noticed a very interesting thing when I was reading the sport page Sunday.
They were talking about the Super Bowl expected audience.
Mm-hmm.
to 47 rating and the article said that the only the only rating that had even approached that that was that high was your rating for your christmas show in 71 which was a 46. isn't that something i think that's the one you were on yeah i think it was but that had nothing to do with a guest star yeah yeah yeah but what i meant is isn't that something that the biggest rating on television
except for the Super Bowl, will be the rating of your Christmas show.
Oh, well, you know, it's been every time.
We had bad time last year, 9, 30, 11.
But outside of that, we've had three or four number ones, you know.
What time is your, well, this was number one.
You've got to see this one.
It's at 8.30 on Wednesday, next Wednesday.
No, but what I meant is what this article said was that yours was number one last year.
Yeah, I know that.
But I say outside of last year, they've been number one for three or four years.
Right, right, right, right.
Congratulations.
Welcome to the club.
No, I don't ever celebrate anything.
Are you 60?
I thought you were 58.
Thank you very much.
Yeah.
You can about shoot your age now, can't you?
Yeah, I can shoot my age.
I played with Palmer again the other day in the L.A. Open.
Oh, yeah?
I hit the ball pretty good.
How are you doing?
I'm just fine.
Just fine.
I'm busy.
Doing a few things done.
You're busy, but I have one message for you.
Right.
I briefed the B-52 guys in Utapau, and they were all in tough shape, and I went to four rooms and briefed them and told them some jokes and how much we love them.
And in Guam, I went over with Roman Gabriel, and he talked to them, and I briefed them and told them about ten minutes of jokes.
Gary Johnson, the general out there, which you ought to put down, I think, and have somebody tell the president of the United States this, but Gary Johnson, he's the general in Guam, he said, would you please tell the president, if you talk to him, that we all admire him and work for him hard and believe in everything he's doing?
Well, I'll tell you, they've shown great courage, and this thing is settled, which it will be at one point.
It'll be because of what they did.
Oh, boy.
You know, that's what you have to do.
That's the only thing the language these guys understand, Bob.
Well, I wish... Did you... You didn't see...
I know, of course you didn't.
I did a press conference here the other day with these three guys, and I said, I wish Congress... Everybody's talking around this area.
You know, it's on NBC here.
Yeah.
And everybody's...
I said, the Congress ought to lay off all this anti-war legislation until we get the negotiations through.
Exactly.
Then they can say anything they want.
Sure, because after all, all they do is to encourage the other side.
But, well, just...
Just have, well, I don't ask you to pray, but tell Dolores to pray a little, and it'll all come out.
Well, it's got to happen.
You know, it's tough on those kids, and I know you memorize it more than anybody.
Oh, boy, I watch them every day.
You know, I see those come back, and it breaks your heart.
But it's coming along.
It's coming along.
Oh, that's marvelous.
I mean, we don't know what I say.
It's coming along.
I don't mean to say that I have any news to report, except that we're talking.
And talking very tough right now.
Yeah.
Seriously, very seriously.
Tell me this, how are you feeling?
I feel fine.
How the devil do you take it?
My God, I've taught you.
I'm playing the pro-am tomorrow in Phoenix.
I'm leaving tonight.
That's how you take it, isn't it?
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
You've been trying to get me to take up golf again.
Maybe I will when I...
I don't know.
When you come out here again, let's go.
Some springs or something.
All right.
I'll pick a good, quiet course.
Beat those cats.
Yeah, but you and I are partners this time.
I mean, that was the trouble of the time.
Right.
Okay.
Will you put the watch on Wednesday at 8.30?
at, uh... 17th.
Do me a favor, because you've got more than... because I have another.
Have your secretary send me a... send Rosemary a wire saying, please watch... please have the president tune in the Bible special at such and such.
Will you do that?
I will.
Because believe me, I will watch it when I get over to the house, but I don't...
I forget these things because I don't usually watch television at night.
I'll do it.
All right?
All right.
Send me the bill.
Yes, sir.
No, send it... send it over to, uh...
Isn't that other fellow?
Which one?
Who loves to pay your bills, you remember?
I mean, not Bing, but...
I'd like to know somebody like that.
You know the guy that always puts the nickels in the slot and all that stuff?
Mr. J.B. That's right.
Jack Benny.
He loved it.
You tell him what I told you.
You send me the wire.
Send him the bill and tell him that I asked you, told you to send him the bill.
Fair enough?
By the way...
It'll be the best gag of the week.
Right.
I will do it.
You know, he was with us at the Zucker dinner when he celebrated his 100th anniversary the week before last.
Oh, boy.
The most fantastic dinner you've ever seen.
Every movie star that's alive was there, and I said it looked like a live wax museum.
Where was it held?
At the Beverly Hilton.
There you are.
At your citation.
While we're on the phone, it would be a marvelous thing if we could get him the Freedom Medal.
We could do it.
I'll tell you what you do on that so that I can do it.
Have your secretary, in this case, send the note, Bob, to, if you can remember the name, Len Garment.
Leonard Garment, G-A-R-M-E-N-T. G-A-R-M-E-N-T. G-A-R-M-E-N-T.
He's in charge of celebrities, obviously.
And just say that you think it's a great idea.
Call him, because this is a... Well, Len Garment, you give him a call on the phone.
He's a wonderful guy.
He used to be my law partner, and he's a great...
He plays one of the best saxophones in the world, as a matter of fact.
So you call him and tell him to do it and tell him what I said.
I'll tell you what.
I'll have the White House board have him call you.
How's that?
That'd be nice.
All right.
Thank you very much.
Good to talk to you and shoot a hundred.
Congratulations.
Bye-bye.

NARA Description

On January 9, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Lelsie T. ("Bob") Hope talked on the telephone from 2:30 pm to 2:38 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 035-108 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 35-108

Date: January 9, 1973
Time: 2:30 pm - 2:38 pm
                                              -98-

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                         (rev. Oct.-07)

                                                          Conversation No. 35-108 (cont’d)

Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Leslie T. (“Bob”) Hope.

[See Conversation No. 401-5]

       Birthday greetings for the President
             -Hope's telephone call

       Television [TV] ratings
            -1973 Super Bowl
            -1971 Hope Christmas show
            -1972 Hope Christmas show
                   -Timing

       Hope’s age

       Golf
              -Arnold D. Palmer
              -Los Angeles Open

       Hope's visit to Southeast Asia
            -Utapao Thailand
                   -B-52 base
                   -Briefings, jokes
            -Guam
                   -Roman Gabriel
                   -Briefings, jokes
                   -Gen. Gerald W. (“Jerry”) Johnson
                         -Support for the President

       Vietnam negotiations
            -Hope press conference
                 -Unknown people
                 -Congress
                 -National Broadcasting Company [NBC]
                 -Congress
                        -Anti-war legislation
                              -Effect
                                    -North Vietnam
                                             -99-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                         (rev. Oct.-07)

                                                            Conversation No. 35-108 (cont’d)

             -Delores (Reade) Hope
             -Veterans
             -Tone

      Hope's health
           -Phoenix Pro-Am Tournament

      Golf
             -Invitation to the President
                   -Palm Springs

      Hope's forthcoming TV show, January 17, 1973
           -The President’s possible viewing
                  -Wire to Rose Mary Woods

      Harry L. (“Bing”) Crosby

      Jack Benny
            -Bill for wire
            -Adolph Zukor dinner

      Zukor dinner
           -Guests
           -Beverly Hilton
           -The President's citation
           -Possible Medal of Freedom for Zukor
                 -Letter to Leonard Garment
                       -Garment’s background
                             -The President’s law partner
                             -Saxophone
                       -Garment’s call to Hope

Also recorded on January 9, 1973

  • 401-005 2:30 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Lelsie T. ("Bob") Hope met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:30 pm to 2:39 pm.
  • 035-110 2:39 PM · 21 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 2:39 pm.
  • 401-006 2:39 PM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 2:39 pm.
  • 401-007 2:39 PM · 15 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:39 pm to 2:53 pm.
  • 035-111 2:53 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:53 pm and 2:56 pm.
  • 401-008 2:53 PM · 9 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 2:53 pm and 2:56 pm.
  • 035-112 2:56 PM · 13 sec — the White House operator and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone at 2:56 pm.
  • 035-113 2:56 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:56 pm and 3:02 pm.

All 45 conversations from January 9, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 035-108, January 9, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/035-108 (accessed September 18, 2026).