Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 36 › Conversation 036-049

Haldeman & Tkach on Lyndon B. Johnson and Presidential condolences

Monday, January 22, 1973 · 5:55 PM–6:19 PM ET · White House Telephone ·2 min

ParticipantsHaldeman, H. R. ("Bob");  Tkach, Walter R.;  Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob");  Tkach, Walter R.Conversation036-049 onTape 36StartMonday, January 22, 1973 at 5:55 PMEndMonday, January 22, 1973 at 6:19 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 036-049 ↗

AI Summary

H. R. Haldeman and White House physician Dr. Walter R. Tkach discuss the status of Lyndon B. Johnson following reports of his death at his ranch. Tkach confirms that medical personnel and the Secret Service believe Johnson has passed away, despite efforts to keep the information temporarily private. The urgency of the call is driven by President Nixon’s need for verification before he contacts Lady Bird Johnson and issues a formal presidential statement.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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The rest of them were all practically psychopathic.
He had real problems.
He really had problems.
He had real problems.
So did Johnson.
He had a statement for Johnson?
Walter, Bob.
Yes, Bob.
Have you talked to a doctor down there?
Yeah, I talked to a doctor when he was waiting at the International Airport in San Antonio.
But we got, he hadn't seen him yet.
We got word directly from the Secret Service who found him.
They thought he was dead already before they put him on a plane to go to San Antonio.
And there's no doctor at the ranch?
No, there's no doctor at the ranch.
There's Dr. Carman.
I see.
Does Carman think he's dead?
Does the Carman think he's dead?
Yep.
He does?
Yep.
They don't want to let it out.
Well, that's fine.
But the president needs to know because he's got to call Mrs. Johnson.
Right, sir.
I'll try to get him again.
Okay.

NARA Description

On January 22, 1973, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman and Walter R. Tkach talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:55 pm and 6:19 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 036-049 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 36-49

Date: January 22, 1973
Time: Unknown between 5:55 pm and 6:19 pm
                                             -34-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                      Tape Subject Log
                                        (rev. Jul-08)

                                                            Conversation No. 36-49 (cont’d)

Location: White House Telephone

H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman talked with Dr. Walter R. Tkach.

[See also Conversation No. 400-14A]

[The President can be heard in the background.]

       Lyndon B. Johnson’s death
            -John F. Kennedy
            -Dwight D. Eisenhower
            -Condition
                  -Secret Service report
            -The President’s telephone call
                  -Timing
                  -Claudia A. (“Lady Bird”) Johnson
            -Statement on Johnson’s death

Also recorded on January 22, 1973

  • 036-047 4:51 PM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 4:51 pm.
  • 400-014 5:00 PM · 1 hr 29 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Raymond K. Price, Jr., Manolo Sanchez, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Stephen B. Bull, Walter R. Tkach, White House operator, and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm.
  • 036-048 5:55 PM · 10 sec — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman and Walter R. Tkach talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:55 pm and 6:19 pm.
  • 036-050 5:55 PM · 51 sec — Walter R. Tkach and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:55 pm and 6:19 pm.
  • 036-051 5:55 PM · 47 sec — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman and Walter R. Tkach talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:55 pm and 6:19 pm.
  • 036-052 5:55 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:55 pm and 6:19 pm.
  • 036-053 6:19 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone from 6:19 pm to 6:22 pm.
  • 036-054 6:22 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:22 pm and 7:14 pm.

All 49 conversations from January 22, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 036-049, January 22, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/036-049 (accessed September 18, 2026).