Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 36 › Conversation 036-130
Nixon phone call with Stennis on Assassination attempt
Tuesday, January 30, 1973 · 9:10 PM–9:15 PM ET · White House Telephone · 6 min
AI Summary
President Nixon called Coy H. Stennis to express his concern and offer support following the shooting of Senator John C. Stennis during a robbery outside his home. Mrs. Stennis recounted the details of the attack, describing the young assailants and confirming that the Senator remained conscious after being struck. President Nixon emphasized the Senator's vital importance to the country and instructed his medical team to ensure the Senator received the highest level of care at Walter Reed Army Hospital.
- John C. Stennis
- Assassination attempt
- Walter Reed Army Hospital
- Medical condition
- Criminal investigation
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
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Mr. President, I have Mrs. Dennis.
All right.
There you are.
Hello.
Yes, sir.
Well, I just wanted to check about John.
I just, uh, just horrified at hearing such a thing, and, uh, what is the report?
Well, it's a holdup, and he was shot twice, and he's in the operating room now, and they can't tell just what it is.
This is for the wound under the ribs.
Were you with him?
Oh, no, he was just getting home, Mr. President.
Were you at the house?
I was at the house and heard his car drive up.
Did you hear the shots?
Yes, I heard the shots and saw the two boys.
It looked like two boys, but I heard John's car come, Mr. Preston, and I always, after 25 years, I know the motor of the car and how it parts, you know, right in front of the house.
Nobody was with him?
Nobody was with him.
He was just coming home at 7.30.
No witnesses?
No witnesses out there, but...
Saw two boys, you're saying?
Yes, but here's what happened...
I heard this noise out there and I thought it was two firecrackers and so I got up and I knew it was John stopped but he hadn't had time to get to the door don't you see all this paper so I got up and opened the door and when these boys were running on up and saw them running on up the street and um hollering we got him and we got it or something like that and so John about that time was uh said call away call away says uh
He walked on in and he was bleeding in the chest and all.
He told me to call Walter Reed and the police and the ambulance and so forth, and I had him to lie down on the sofa, and I didn't get to say a word to him because I was trying to get help, and they got there within less than five minutes, and the neighbors came and all, and I don't know what time it is.
Did he remain conscious?
Oh, yes, he was conscious all the time, and it was a holdup, and they just got a billfold that he didn't have anything in it much, and just
Watched by Beta Kappa's charm, and I don't know... Gosh, gosh.
Horrible thing.
Were they... What was it?
Were they colored by any chance?
I couldn't tell.
Couldn't tell.
You thought they were young, though.
They were quite young.
They really were quite young.
Kids, well, they're probably just some jackasses.
Horrible, horrible thing.
It was just a holdup.
The way they talked, it didn't sound like they were more than 12 or 14 years old.
I saw them running on up the street, but I don't know.
They said that they were caught, but I don't know if they were.
That's what some of them said.
The ambulance left, and my neighbors brought me on over to the hospital.
I'll get that checked out.
Well, anyway, you just get him well.
We just can't spare that man.
He's such a great man.
He's such a power of strength.
He's a wonderful man.
yes i'll tell him but i hadn't got to talk with him yet his blood pressure dropped a little and they had to take him on to the operation that's right that's right well and i didn't get to talk with him after i got out here but i have dr elson sitting here right behind me right well you tell him we're all praying for him and by and let me say he's just got to get well we can't spare this man he's
He's too important to this country, and he's such a courageous, great man.
Now, as soon as you get to see him, you tell him I called, will you?
I sure do.
And as soon as he's able to see anybody, I'll come out and see him.
Well, that'll be fine.
Is he at Walter Reed?
Well, yeah, I know he'll be up there on the 8th floor.
They don't know how long he'll be in surgery or anything like that.
Yeah, yeah, well, I'll have to caution my doctor, the general to caution him.
The exploratory now.
He'll check with it.
Right.
Well, it's a good sign to me that he was conscious.
That means that they didn't get anything that was, I mean, and if he was able to walk, then he was conscious.
You know, just... You want to...
Here's the...
Senator Stennis was hit by two rounds, Mr. President, one in his left leg, and the weapon appears to have been a small handgun, like a .22 or a .28, one of these Alzheimer's pistols.
Oh, yeah.
midnight special type thing.
The one on his left thigh is not of too much consequence.
There is a bullet in his lower left chest that did not go all the way through.
And it's for this wound that we are exploring him.
Right, right, right, right.
But his condition is stable now, and I've talked to Dr. Lukacs, and I'll be back to him as soon as...
If you would, Dr. Pete, keep him...
him posted on that, Dr. Lukash, so that I can...
When the senator gets out of the operating room, I'll call Dr. Lukash.
Right, and yes, let him know.
And, of course, uh, I told Mrs. Stennis as soon as, uh, as he's able to see anybody.
I mean, when it's going to do him any good, I'll come out and see him.
All right, sir.
But you know what I mean.
The thing like this, the best thing is for a fellow to get arrested because he's a very great patriot.
We need him.
We need him.
So you be sure he gets the very best, will you?
Will do, sir.
The very best, whatever it is.
I know you will.
We'll be in touch with you all.
All right.
Thank you.
Bye-bye, sir.
Bye.
NARA Description
On January 30, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Coy H. Stennis talked on the telephone from 9:10 pm to 9:15 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 036-130 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 36-130
Date: January 30, 1973
Time: 9:10 pm -and 9:15 pm
-83-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 36-130 (cont’d)
Location: White House Telephone
The President talked with Coy H. Stennis.
[See Conversation No. 406-40]
John C. Stennis shooting
-Condition
-Robbery
-Assailants
-Walter Reed Army Hospital
-Race
-The President’s view
-Dr. [first name unknown] Elson
-Dr. Walter R. Tkach
Gen. [first name unknown] Montrey [?] talked with the President.
Stennis’s condition
-Dr. William M. Lukash
Stennis
-The President’s instructionsAlso recorded on January 31, 1973
- 036-129 9:07 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone from 9:07 pm to 9:09 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.
- 406-041 9:15 PM · 10 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 9:15 pm and 9:17 pm.
- 036-132 9:17 PM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone from 9:17 pm to 9:18 pm.
- 406-042 9:17 PM · 22 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 9:17 pm to 9:18 pm.
- 036-133 9:18 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:18 pm and 9:26 pm.
- 406-043 9:18 PM · 15 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 9:18 pm and 9:26 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 036-130, 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/036-130 (accessed October 7, 2026).