Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 36 › Conversation 036-129

Nixon phone call with Bull on John C. Stennis and assassination attempt

Tuesday, January 30, 1973 · 9:07 PM–9:09 PM ET · White House Telephone · 1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operator; Bull, Stephen B.Conversation036-129 on Tape 36StartTuesday, January 30, 1973 at 9:07 PMEndTuesday, January 30, 1973 at 9:09 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 036-129 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon consulted with Stephen B. Bull to gather additional details regarding the shooting of Senator John C. Stennis. Bull provided updates on the Senator's injuries, his status in exploratory surgery, and the circumstances surrounding what appeared to be an attempted robbery. The call served to ensure the President was accurately informed before he placed a follow-up outreach call to Mrs. Stennis.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
I have Steve Ball calling, sir.
Mr. President, Steve Ball.
They'll be getting Mrs. Stennis for you in a moment.
I just wanted to fill in a couple of gaps that Henry may not have given you.
Stennis took a shot in the thigh and the chest.
What was probably a robbery attempt, the assailant.
He's undergoing exploratory surgery now.
And they're not totally certain of what his condition is.
in surgery and I thought you'd want to know that if you spoke with Mrs. Stennis.
I don't know if Henry could have known at the time he spoke to you.
Yeah, he had that.
All right, sir.
He had that, that he was in surgery.
It's still a satisfactory condition according to our doctors.
I think it was a burglary.
It appeared to be.
The initial reports were probably a holdup attempt which Stennis in true character attempted to thwart, but that's just an initial.

NARA Description

On January 30, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone from 9:07 pm to 9:09 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 036-129 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 36-129

Date: January 30, 1973
Time: 9:07 pm - 9:09 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The White House operator talked with the President.

[See Conversation No. 406-39]

       Telephone call from Stephen B. Bull

The President talked with Bull.

       John C. Stennis shooting
            -The President’s call to Coy H. Stennis
            -Condition
            -Robbers
            -Surgery
            -Circumstances

Also recorded on January 31, 1973

  • 036-127 8:59 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 8:59 pm to 9:01 pm.
  • 406-037 8:59 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 8:59 pm to 9:01 pm.
  • 036-128 9:01 PM · 26 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:01 pm and 9:07 pm.
  • 406-038 9:01 PM · 21 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 9:01 pm and 9:07 pm.
  • 406-039 9:01 PM · 24 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 9:01 pm and 9:07 pm.
  • 036-130 9:10 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Coy H. Stennis talked on the telephone from 9:10 pm to 9:15 pm.
  • 406-040 9:10 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Mrs. John C. Stennis met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 9:10 pm to 9:15 pm.
  • 036-131 9:15 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:15 pm and 9:17 pm.

All 86 conversations from January 31, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 036-129, January 31, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/036-129 (accessed October 7, 2026).