Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 153 › Conversation 153-001
Nixon, Longworth & Camp David Operator on 1972 Presidential Election
Monday, November 13, 1972 · 3:55 PM–5:07 PM ET · Camp David Study Table · 6 min
AI Summary
President Nixon held an informal telephone conversation with Alice Roosevelt Longworth to discuss the aftermath of the 1972 presidential election and the status of ongoing Vietnam peace negotiations. The two reflected on the intense rhetoric used by Democratic opponents during the campaign and celebrated the President's landslide electoral victory. Nixon also shared an update regarding the progress of Alexander Haig's recent diplomatic mission to Saigon, expressing confidence that the Vietnam situation was proceeding as planned despite criticism from the press.
- 1972 Presidential Election
- Vietnam Negotiations
- Alice Roosevelt Longworth
- Alexander Haig
- Campaign Rhetoric
- Political Strategy
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
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I was a matter of fact, uh, when I was, uh, I learned from Rose, you'd call the
When we were in Florida, I said, well, when I get back, I'll give you a ring.
I'm at Camp David now.
I just met with Hague.
He's back from Saigon.
Back from Saigon.
And that, incidentally, is going just right.
Going just right.
Yeah.
As you can imagine, we had the wraps on those last two or three days, and they were charging.
There was nothing going on.
But you can be sure it's all done.
Oh, I was well aware.
But I can't tell you it's been such fun because of our opposition, what is told to the jury.
Well, they must be.
I can't tell you it's been fun.
They must be dying because, you know, they all were right to the last.
They were saying, oh, it's going to change and the polls will come down.
And now they're stuck with it.
Whether it's their 61-38, that's...
You know, they are... All they can say is we didn't win the Congress.
Well, that doesn't mean much these days.
That doesn't mean much.
Not as things are going now.
It's one of the most fantastic... You must be getting a lot of reactions from people, your old friends.
I'm having a good time.
Yeah?
A really good time.
Yeah, really?
I'm mean as a hornet.
That's great.
That's great.
That's great.
I try and keep my cool.
Yeah, of course.
I nearly didn't in the campaign.
There were moments when I felt...
But nobody needed me.
If I was ever needed, I was there.
Of course, of course, of course.
Yeah, yeah.
And I kept— Well, you know, they talk about tactics and all, Watergate and all that.
Have you ever heard, I mean, a president attacked as roughly as we got as the Shriver-McGovern people took us on?
I mean, the names that they called.
I mean, I look back to the time that, you know, your father was in, and they talked pretty rough in those days.
But they used a term like a rat or something like that, but my God.
The world murderer.
The world murderer.
And as a matter of fact, Pat used the rat on himself.
And he said, even a rat when cornered will fight.
Poor William Howard.
Even a rat when cornered will fight.
Yeah, I'll never forget that.
Yes, but we behaved very badly.
We did.
The Bull Moose, we behaved dreadfully.
Yeah, well.
We were dreadful, but never mind.
That language was nothing compared to what they used, though.
Oh, but dear Mr. President, I'm nice to call you.
I nearly wrote you a note.
call you dear dick because it was between time well of course between the nomination and the next right right i retreat now right to mr president right and dear pat she's doing such a good job yes well actually you know they uh they they i really was proud of the family pat and julie and tricia they they banged her out at 30 states oh i think but of course when i look at when i consider the
As I've told the people about me, my mother and I were put behind a screen door in the drawing room and allowed to listen, but we couldn't be seen.
When my father was nominated for vice president.
Vice president, right, right, right, right, right.
Oh, and the rest of the time, once I did dedicate...
dedicated bridge or something.
Right.
Before he went out.
And that is considered iconoclastic.
Of course.
Boy, how times have changed.
Well, I hate to see you.
Let me know sometime when you and Patterson are around.
Well, we'll do it.
But you're in good spirits, obviously.
I'm not quite in good spirits.
I'm rather old.
Well, so am I.
Did you realize that I will reach that magic age of 60 on January the 9th?
January 9th, 60.
And that is really old.
For this office, you know.
Yes, that's right.
For this office.
I was reading a biography of your, of T.R.
T.R.
And he died when he was 60, didn't he?
I know.
Didn't he?
He was a little bit over 60.
Remember, he was, because he left the presidency when he was only 52.
He was only 52 when he left the presidency.
And he just managed to get there about...
two months earlier than John Kennedy did.
Right.
Well, one thing I think we really must—you know, when you stop to think, after all of the abuse we took, that we took—we not only got forty-nine states, and Julie, who went to Smith, said, if we had to lose one, I'm glad it was Massachusetts, because they treat them pretty rough up there.
But anyway, you get the point.
But we also, as it turned out, you know, we had the biggest numerical margin and also the biggest—
Yes.
Oh, yes.
The biggest in America.
And also the biggest percentage spread.
It was bigger than—you see the what?
They're very pleasing figures.
I've gone through them all with very many channels.
Oh, what fun.
And now there's no word used still.
Yeah, we are going to try the Vietnam thing, as I said.
When the story comes out, I think you'll think we look pretty good, because we knew, I knew three days before that we were going to go forward with everything, you know?
Did you really?
Of course, but I couldn't say it.
No, of course not.
Because, you know, he didn't want to blow it.
But it's all right.
It's all right.
I figured it.
And I knew we were going to take heat for it, but it was a little rough to have them saying that the whole damn thing was a hoax.
Well, you know, and to have some of our brethren in the press play it that way, like Peter Lissigar, people like that.
A little bit shocking.
Well, all right.
But I do hope I'll see you soon.
Yes, we will.
We'll get together and we'll have a little fun with some good reactionaries, if you don't mind.
Good reactionaries.
Good.
And let me know when I can come down and see Pat.
Great.
I'll do it.
Okay.
Okay.
Bye.
Bye.
NARA Description
On November 13, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Camp David operator, and Alice Roosevelt Longworth talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 3:55 pm and 5:07 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 153-001 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 153-1
Date: November 13, 1972
Time: Unknown between 3:55 pm and 5:07 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table
The President talked with the Camp David operator.
[See Conversation No. 224-3]
The President talked with Alice Roosevelt Longworth between 5:01 pm and 5:07 pm.
[See Conversation No. 224-3]
Greetings
Longworth’s health
******************************************************************************
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift during
chronological review 2007-2013]
1972 Election
-The President’s campaign
Longworth’s recent telephone call
-Rose Mary Woods
-Florida
The President’s location
-Camp David
******************************************************************************
Vietnam negotiations
-2-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.’s return from Saigon [Phuom Penh and Seoul, November
13, 1972]
-Status
-Progress
-Conclusion
******************************************************************************
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift during
chronological review 2007-2013]
1972 Election
-Reaction of Democrats
-The President’s victory
-Margin
-Congress
-Longworth’s friends’ reactions
-Longworth
-Activities in campaign
-Democrats
-Campaign tactics
-George S. McGovern, R. Sargent Shriver
-Rhetoric
-Theodore (“Teddy”) Roosevelt [TR]
-William H. Taft
-Bull Moose campaign
-Longworth’s note
-The President’s family
-Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
-Julie Nixon Eisenhower
-Tricia Nixon Cox
-Campaigning
-1900 campaign
-TR’s family
-Role in campaign
The President’s schedule
-3-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 153-1 (cont’d)
Longworth’s spirits
-Age
TR
-Death
-Age
-Age as President
-John F. Kennedy
1972 election
-The President’s victory
-States
-Julie Nixon Eisenhower
-Massachusetts
-Margin
-Percentages
******************************************************************************
Vietnam negotiations
-Status
-Progress
-Publication of the record
-Henry A. Kissinger
******************************************************************************
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift during
chronological review 2007-2013]
Vietnam negotiations
-Criticism
-Democrats
-Press
-Peter Lisagor
Longworth
-Meeting with the President and Mrs. Nixon
-4-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 153-1 (cont’d)
******************************************************************************Also recorded on November 13, 1972
- 814-001 9:05 AM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander P. Butterfield, and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:05 am to 9:06 am.
- 814-002 9:06 AM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:06 am and 9:09 am.
- 814-003 9:09 AM · 48 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, Henry A. Kissinger, Alexander P. Butterfield, and John V. Brennan met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:09 am to 9:57 am.
- 224-001 3:08 PM · 30 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 3:08 pm to 3:55 pm.
- 224-002 3:55 PM · 19 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and John V. Brennan met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 3:55 pm and 5:01 pm.
- 224-003 3:55 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Camp David operator, and Alice Roosevelt Longworth met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 3:55 pm and 5:01 pm.
- 224-004 5:07 PM · 20 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:07 pm and 7:40 pm.
- 224-005 5:07 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:07 pm and 7:40 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 153-001, November 13, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/153-001 (accessed October 5, 2026).