Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 153 › Conversation 153-013

Nixon phone call with Cox on White House renovation and Supreme Court

Tuesday, November 14, 1972 · 1:10 PM–1:15 PM ET · Camp David Study Table · 4 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Cox, Tricia NixonConversation153-013 on Tape 153StartTuesday, November 14, 1972 at 1:10 PMEndTuesday, November 14, 1972 at 1:15 PMRecording deviceCamp David Study TableSourceNixon Library record for 153-013 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and his daughter, Tricia Nixon Cox, discussed recent personal social visits, including the Coxes' trip to the Supreme Court to meet Chief Justice Warren E. Burger. The President also requested that Tricia coordinate with Pat Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower to oversee the renovation and redecoration of the White House third-floor solarium into a more comfortable family room. Additionally, the conversation touched upon the President's current workload at Camp David and included disparaging remarks regarding the political character of George McGovern following the 1972 election.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Oh, thanks.
Daddy?
Hi, Trish.
Hi, Fawn.
How are you doing getting along?
We're getting along fine.
We went to the Supreme Court, and Berger had us back to his chambers afterwards.
Is that your first visit?
No, it's our second visit.
And then we liked it so much we went back today.
Our first was with you.
Remember when you presented your case?
But he wasn't there.
Betty wasn't there.
No, that's right.
No, it's our first visit together.
It's his first visit.
Berger saw you there.
Yeah, and then he passed us two cute notes.
And yesterday he said, I'm sorry, this is so boring.
This case is so boring.
And then he invited us to come back for tea.
Isn't that nice?
And Mrs. Berger dropped by.
And we had a nice chat for about half an hour.
Yeah.
Isn't that nice?
And he said he was at Bill Rogers' house for the election return.
Right.
And stayed until about 11.30.
And he said he was so happy.
You know, he's just really glad.
Of course.
Isn't that nice?
Yeah.
Right.
You know, one thing that you and me and Julie ought to talk about is
I don't want to get too much into it, but I really think it's important that we take that third floor room and make it into a really, you know, warm, pleasant— What kind of a room do you envision it to be?
A family room.
Well, a room— A family room.
That's right, where we can go up and, you know, sit around and, I mean, maybe the bar thing should be kept, I mean, obviously.
leave it with that, but set it up so that it looks nicer, you know.
It's ugly the way it's done now, with a proper little bar locked in the back there.
But then with the furniture more comfortable and decorated more colorfully.
I'd like to see it decorated colorfully.
Why don't you talk to Mommy and Julie about it, okay?
Okay.
And is there a place to watch TV and get away from it all?
It's a hell of a good project.
That's right.
And you see, there are times when
People would want to be using the West Hall or the Yellow, or anybody may want to go up and be away, or where you have guests who may want to be, but the room should be made into a pleasant room.
It's rather barren in my view.
It's a horrible room.
Right.
But, you know, just get a damn good decorator in and have them fix it up with bright colors.
That's what I'd like.
What's your favorite color?
What would you like at the beach?
It's really bright.
I like anything.
I like blues and reds and yellows and, you know,
But they'll know how.
That sounds pretty.
That sounds like a nice color scheme already.
Okay.
Well, anyway.
How's everything at Camp David?
It's fine.
We're working on, it's winter here now.
All the leaves are gone.
Right.
It's foggy.
Well, I like it.
I like it.
I've been working inside all of it because I've got a tremendous amount of work I can do.
I know.
I know.
But it's come along fine.
No, everything sounds good in the paper, but.
Right.
Anyway, that's...
I see.
I see.
McGovern complained that all of his votes went to us.
Isn't that too bad?
He complained about that.
Then he said, oh, I didn't really lose.
The country lost.
He's really pathetic.
He's really had it, you know?
As Ed said, he's just a true believer.
That's right.
He is.
He's a communist, basically.
Well, he's not quite that, but he's worse.
Ed thinks he is.
He's worse, in a sense.
He's a total ideologue.
Yeah, exactly.
A fanatic.
And he's not as smart as a communist.
Well, anyway...
You have a good time now.
Okay, now we're planning Beanie's birthday on Friday or not?
Yeah, he's going to be here.
He's going to come up.
What?
He's going to come up for that.
He's going to come up for that.
That sounds good.
All right.
Great.
Bye, Daddy.

NARA Description

On November 14, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Tricia Nixon Cox talked on the telephone at Camp David from 1:10 pm to 1:15 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 153-013 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 153-13

Date: November 14, 1972
Time: 1:10 pm - 1:15 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table

The President talked with Tricia Nixon Cox.

[See Conversation No. 224-19]

******************************************************************************
                                            -15-

                  NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                           Conversation No. 153-13 (cont’d)

[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift during
chronological review 2007-2013]

      Tricia Nixon Cox’s and Edward R. F. Cox’s visit to the Supreme Court
            -Warren E. Burger
            -Earlier visit with the President
            -Burger
                  -Case
                         -Interest
                  -Tea
                         -Elvera Burger
                  -1972 election returns
                         -William P. Rogers
            -Rogers
                  -Election returns

******************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal Returnable]
[153-013-w001]
[Duration: 41s]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

******************************************************************************

      White House renovation
           -Solarium
                 -Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
                 -Julie Nixon Eisenhower
                 -Decoration
                 -West Hall
                 -Color scheme

      Camp David
                                              -16-

                  NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                        Conversation No. 153-13 (cont’d)

            -Weather

       The President’s workload
            -Press coverage

       George S. McGovern
            -Complaints
                  -George C. Wallace voters
                  -Election loss
            -Characterized
            -Edward Cox
            -Communist

       Charles G. (“Bebe”) Rebozo
            -Birthday party

******************************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal Returnable]
[153-013-w002]
[Duration: 21s]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

******************************************************************************

******************************************************************************

Also recorded on November 14, 1972

  • 153-010 12:40 PM · 24 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at 12:40 pm.
  • 153-011 12:40 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 12:40 pm and 12:42 pm.
  • 153-012 12:42 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods talked on the telephone at Camp David from 12:42 pm to 12:44 pm.
  • 224-017 12:42 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 12:42 pm to 12:44 pm.
  • 224-018 12:44 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 12:44 pm and 1:10 pm.
  • 224-019 1:10 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Tricia Nixon Cox met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 1:10 pm to 1:15 pm.
  • 153-014 1:15 PM · 21 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 1:15 pm and 2:05 pm.
  • 224-020 1:15 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 1:15 pm and 2:05 pm.

All 56 conversations from November 14, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 153-013, November 14, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/153-013 (accessed October 25, 2026).