Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 36 › Conversation 036-135

Nixon phone call with Bull on John C. Stennis and FBI

Tuesday, January 30, 1973 · 9:40 PM–9:41 PM ET · White House Telephone · 1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Bull, Stephen B.Conversation036-135 on Tape 36StartTuesday, January 30, 1973 at 9:40 PMEndTuesday, January 30, 1973 at 9:41 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 036-135 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon consulted with Stephen B. Bull regarding the status of the investigation into the shooting of Senator John C. Stennis. Bull provided an update on the coordination between the FBI, under L. Patrick Gray, and the Metropolitan Police to track down the suspects. Nixon demanded an aggressive dragnet in the neighborhood and requested that John Dean or Pat Buchanan prepare a status report on gun control legislation by the following morning.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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).
Mr. Ball calling.
Thank you.
Yeah.
Mr. President, I just finished talking with John Dean.
His reports are there have been no apprehensions made.
The FBI is now in it fully.
They're utilizing their manpower.
Pat Gray personally is on his way to Walter Reed Hospital to whatever he can interview Senator Stennis as soon as he is...
And Mrs. Stennis, she... Mrs. Stennis, yes, sir.
They're in it completely, working with the Metropolitan Police Department, and apparently all of the law enforcement agencies are working together in this matter, and they share your concern with it, and they understand your concern most importantly.
Get a dragnet out.
I mean, just interview every... in that damn neighborhood.
Yes, sir.
I guess you're aware that the initial report was that it was two blacks.
Well, I assume that.
All right, sir.
They're young ones.
And it was a 22 Episcopal, apparently, a Saturday night special.
Yes, sir.
Also have Buchanan have for me in the morning what the status of that legislation is, or Dean, Dean will know.
All right, sir.
Fine.
Fine.
Thank you very much.
Thank you.

NARA Description

On January 30, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone from 9:40 pm to 9:41 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 036-135 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 36-135

Date: January 30, 1973
Time: 9:40 pm - 9:41 pm
Location: White House Telephone

Stephen B. Bull talked with the President.

[See Conversation No. 406-47]

       John C. Stennis shooting
            -Assailants
            -John W. Dean, III report
            -L. Patrick Gray
            -Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
            -Coy H. Stennis
            -Washington Metropolitan Police
            -Investigation
                  -Dragnet
            -Assailants
                  -Race
                  -Weapon
            -Gun control legislation
                                              -86-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                            Conversation No. 36-135 (cont’d)

                   -Patrick S. Buchanan
                   -Dean

Also recorded on January 31, 1973

  • 406-045 9:28 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 9:28 pm.
  • 406-047 9:40 PM · 50 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 9:40 pm to 9:41 pm.
  • 036-136 9:41 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:41 pm and 9:42 pm.
  • 406-048 9:41 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 9:41 pm and 9:42 pm.
  • 036-137 9:42 PM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone from 9:42 pm to 9:43 pm.
  • 406-049 9:42 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 9:42 pm to 9:43 pm.
  • 036-138 9:43 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:43 pm and 9:55 pm.
  • 406-050 9:43 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 9:43 pm to 9:55 pm.

All 86 conversations from January 31, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 036-135, 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/036-135 (accessed October 9, 2026).