Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 36 › Conversation 036-055

Nixon phone call with Haldeman on Lyndon B. Johnson funeral

Monday, January 22, 1973 · 7:14 PM–7:20 PM ET · White House Telephone · 6 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation036-055 on Tape 36StartMonday, January 22, 1973 at 7:14 PMEndMonday, January 22, 1973 at 7:20 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 036-055 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and H.R. Haldeman discuss logistical arrangements for the funeral of Lyndon B. Johnson, focusing on Nixon's refusal to attend any services held at the Washington National Cathedral due to personal animosity toward Dean Francis B. Sayre. Nixon instructs Haldeman to ensure the White House press staff is firm regarding his non-attendance and emphasizes his preference for services to be held at the Capitol. Additionally, the President orders the postponement of a planned television address and a dinner for Japanese Prime Minister Eisaku Sato to avoid appearing insensitive during the national mourning period.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Yeah.
I talked to Tom Johnson, and he's meeting with Mrs. Johnson in about an hour.
Yeah.
And the girls, and they'll work on the plan.
They don't know what they want to do.
I know.
I talked to Mrs. Johnson.
She doesn't know yet.
Okay.
Now, you told him that I would not attend anything at the cathedral.
I...
Flatly, did you?
Oh, yeah.
But I also explained, you know, I made the strong suggestion that it would not be...
Suitable for him.
For President Johnson's memory, for him to be at the cathedral, and he said, I understand exactly, and I appreciate you telling me, because I didn't realize what Sayre had been doing.
That's right.
So that's great.
Because I am going out, regardless of what Dick Moore and all these other babbling idiots say, there is to be nothing at that cathedral.
I will not go, even if it's the only thing.
Is that clear?
Yeah.
And Ehrlichman, Moore, all the other softheads.
I will not listen to them.
Is that clear?
Tell them now, say, don't put the heat on me, will you, please?
I don't think there'll be anything at the cathedral, because I think Tom's got that understood.
Okay.
The question is what they do do in Washington.
God damn it, have it up at the Capitol.
That's right.
Well, that's what I said, that obviously where he should be is at the Capitol, where he would be at home.
It would be totally inappropriate for him to be at the cathedral.
good and he got the point right away he's in it's all right you know he's going to take over the thing obviously and good good as i said he's meeting with her in a little while and he'll call me after their meeting tonight uh we've got the plane for linda to get her down and and uh she knows it does she yeah and uh assigned the you know backup thing and i'd sure tom of any
that they wanted.
I told her that we had the Blair House and all that.
I said I was sure you were telling her that.
Yeah, that Blair House was available and I would participate in any way they wanted.
I just wanted to do whatever their plans were and so forth and so on.
I also told her that we were going to have an announcement in the next couple of days that I know he would like, and so that was that.
And so that's it.
Okay, I just hope to Christ, Bob, that on this one that the Johnsons will be savvy enough not to let that goddamn cathedral get into it.
I'm sure they will.
It will be well noted if it isn't done, you know.
I'm sure they will.
See, with Eisenhower having used it and Truman not and Johnson not, everybody will know it.
And if Ziegler gets the question or Klein or one of our other little boys about this, they're to stand down for him.
The president will not go to the cathedral.
Right.
I want that said.
You understand?
Yes, sir.
I want it.
I want the line drawn.
Right.
Don't you agree?
Absolutely.
Draw the line.
God damn it.
I'm not lying.
The son of a bitch.
I'm not.
That's the place.
I'm not going to the cathedral.
That's all there is to it.
I mean, he's he's he's in the pale as far as I'm concerned.
He's opposed to the national policy.
That's right.
And he's opposed to Johnson.
He's opposed to me.
The hell with him.
I'm not going.
And if the cathedral isn't anything in this, I will not go.
I don't care whether the heads of government or anything else.
And I'm going to stay right here in Washington, too.
I will not leave.
Now, the other thing I thought is that I just can't go on on that Sunday night thing now, or look to the contrary, notwithstanding.
Because as Bryce says, if you go on and attack the Great Society and all the rest on Sunday night, that isn't in very goddamn good taste, as you well realize.
And I'm just not going to do it.
And I'm just not in the mood, you know, after doing another funeral on Thursday or Friday, to then go on national television and kick the hell out of the Great Society while we're scuttling all these programs.
So talk to John about it and see if we can postpone the thing a week.
That's about all I can think of.
In the meantime, I think this might be a very good way for me to get off to Florida for three days.
You know, if I could go Thursday night, since we're going to put the Sato thing, it must be put off a week.
I mean, in view of all this, you see.
And put it off a week.
I don't want to have a dinner for him during the Johnson morning period either, you see.
That's a very good reason to put that off if you haven't already done it.
So put that off.
And then
thursday i could just take off and go to florida and spend friday saturday sunday there you know right if the weather is good but you think so sure and then but i don't feel that we ought to go on you see what what your domestic council boys won't understand is that
The funeral's going to get a hell of a play.
You know, the Truman funeral did.
And then for me to come on and, you know, I'm gassing on on Sunday night about the domestic things that they're all obsessed with that the country doesn't get one goddamn about at the moment.
They will next week, but not this week.
It's wrong.
But I hope you can sell them on it because I want them to feel that it's a good decision.
Right.
But at least we certainly got the problem of going to the Congress decided easily, didn't we?
Yes, sir.
God, but he couldn't possibly go up there under these circumstances.
He takes care of that.
That's right.
We'll just do it in a quiet way now.
I think you've got no problem if Henry gets his settlement tomorrow and going on tomorrow night.
I agree.
We'll leave it to Henry.
He now has a little running room in case he's got a hell of a problem with the South Vietnamese.
He kind of felt that he might want to.
They might want to take another day, and this makes it possible for them to do that.
Right.
Right.
Right.
Right.
Good.
Okay.
Now, the statement still hasn't arrived.
I suppose the goddamn thing is still in the typewriter.
Is that the trouble?
Yep.
It'll be over as soon as they raise it.
Okay.
Bye.
We're working to update it.

NARA Description

On January 22, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 7:14 pm to 7:20 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 036-055 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 36-55

Date: January 22, 1973
Time: 7:14 pm - 7:20 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.

       Haldeman’s conversation with W. Thomas Johnson

       The President’s telephone call to Claudia A. (“Lady Bird”) Johnson

       Lyndon B. Johnson’s funeral arrangements
            -Washington National Cathedral
                  -The President’s attendance
                  -Dean Francis B. Sayre
                        -The President’s view
            -Richard A. Moore, John D. Ehrlichman
            -Johnson
            -Capitol Rotunda
            -Airplane available
                  -Lynda Johnson role
            -Blair House
            -Washington National Cathedral
                  -Dwight David Eisenhower, Harry S. Truman
                  -Ronald L. Ziegler, Herbert G. Klein
                  -Sayre
                  -The President’s attendance
                        -The President’s view

       The President’s schedule
            -Television [TV} appearance
                  -Great Society
                  -Ehrlichman
                                               -38-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                              Conversation No. 36-55 (cont’d)

                   -Bryce N. Harlow’s views
             -Key Biscayne
             -Eisaku Sato’s visit
                   -Possible delay
             -TV appearance
                   -Lyndon Johnson’s funeral
             -Domestic policy
                   -Domestic Council

       Vietnam settlement
            -Announcement
            -Henry A. Kissinger
                  -Possible delay

Also recorded on January 23, 1973

  • 036-056 7:26 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 7:26 pm.
  • 036-057 7:26 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:26 pm and 7:29 pm.
  • 036-058 7:29 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 7:29 pm to 7:31 pm.
  • 036-059 7:38 PM · 58 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles G. ("Bebe") Rebozo talked on the telephone from 7:38 pm to 7:40 pm.
  • 398-016 7:56 PM · 35 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 7:56 pm and 8:15 pm.
  • 398-017 7:56 PM · 19 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 7:56 pm and 8:15 pm.
  • 036-060 8:03 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 8:03 pm to 8:05 pm.
  • 402-012 8:22 PM · 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 8:22 pm and 8:47 pm.

All 94 conversations from January 23, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 036-055, January 23, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/036-055 (accessed October 12, 2026).