Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 43 › Conversation 043-096

Nixon phone call with Timmons on Senate leadership and Vietnam Peace Agreement

Thursday, February 15, 1973 · 4:42 PM–4:44 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Timmons, William E.Conversation043-096 on Tape 43StartThursday, February 15, 1973 at 4:42 PMEndThursday, February 15, 1973 at 4:44 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 043-096 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon consulted with William E. Timmons regarding the strategic value of hosting a breakfast meeting with Senate leaders Mike Mansfield, Hugh Scott, Robert Griffin, and Robert Byrd. The President sought to use this session to cultivate rapport and brief the senators on developments in Southeast Asia, trade negotiations, and the Soviet Union's Most Favored Nation status. Nixon emphasized the necessity of Mansfield’s attendance, deciding that if the Senate Majority Leader could not attend, the meeting would not proceed.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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you know i've uh just because of the need to keep some communication should be doing mansfield again sometime and uh on the other hand i don't want to do him and all that you say just as a possibility of my having mansfield scott griffin and bird tomorrow morning for breakfast
You know, have Mansfield with the others.
Mm-hmm.
Is it a good idea or not?
I think it'd be a great idea.
I don't know what the hell to...
I can give them...
I want to start softening them up a little.
Mansfield has been pretty good on this to the north, but I can explain it in ways that Henry could never get it across, you know?
Mm-hmm.
And you could ask for their views.
And they'd like to get their views.
And what else could we ask them about?
Probably not ready for any trade discussion.
Oh, no, I can tell them what I have in mind.
I think that would be helpful, too.
Now, listen, we're going to be briefing eventually.
We want you to know what's coming down the pike.
You know, we've got that problem on the Soviet head tax on the most favored nation for Russia, and that would make a good point.
I'll tell them that's a hell of a dumb thing.
Fine.
All right, if you wouldn't want, we'd make it 8 o'clock.
And let's see, how many are there?
Four of them, one of me makes five.
And I suppose that on that should come you or Carl August or both of you.
Tom's going to be out of town tomorrow.
You'll come then.
All right, sir.
Bye.
You might call them and see if they can come.
Okay.
The senator's back today, and I assume they're— If one misses, it's all right.
Call the senator first, Senator Mansfield, and say, I wanted to have a chance before—
to give them an update on developments in Southeast Asia and so forth and so on.
OK.
It'd be the leaders and the whips, then.
Leaders and the whips.
Just the Senate side.
Right.
And tell Mike that that's what I'd like to do.
And on the clock in the morning, if he's free.
Mike can't come for some reason.
Do you want to go ahead with the other three?
No.
No.
Mike's the most important one.
Well, I've got to do it for him, you know, since he has that special feeling.
Okay.
I'll do it.
Fine.
Thank you.
Bye.

NARA Description

On February 15, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and William E. Timmons talked on the telephone from 4:42 pm to 4:44 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 043-096 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 43-96

Date: February 15, 1973
Time: 4:42 pm - 4:44 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with William E. Timmons.

[See Conversation No. 410-27]

       The President’s schedule
            -Breakfast meeting with Senators
                  -Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield
                                                -54-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                  -Hugh Scott
                  -Robert P. Griffin
                  -Robert C. Byrd
                  -Vietnam Peace Agreement
                        -Economic aid for North Vietnam
                               -Henry A. Kissinger
                  -Trade negotiations
                  -Soviet Union emigration
                        -Most Favored Nation status
             -Thomas C. Korologos
             -Timmons
             -The President’s instructions to Timmons
                  -Mansfield

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All 41 conversations from February 15, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 043-096, February 15, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/043-096 (accessed October 1, 2026).