Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 153 › Conversation 153-055

Nixon phone call with Keyes on 1972 Presidential Election and Florida travel

Friday, November 17, 1972 · 8:53 PM–8:56 PM ET · Camp David Study Table · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Keyes, Paul W.Conversation153-055 on Tape 153StartFriday, November 17, 1972 at 8:53 PMEndFriday, November 17, 1972 at 8:56 PMRecording deviceCamp David Study TableSourceNixon Library record for 153-055 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon calls Paul W. Keyes to extend an invitation for an upcoming post-Thanksgiving getaway at Mermaid Key with Robert Abplanalp and Bebe Rebozo. The two briefly discuss the President's recent landslide election victory, with Nixon noting that his electoral margin surpassed that of Lyndon B. Johnson. Keyes commends the tone of Nixon's victory remarks, and they finalize logistical plans for their Florida trip.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Hello?
Mr. Keyes?
Mr. President?
Hello?
Yes, sir.
How are you?
Paul, how are you?
Fine.
How are things going out there?
Fine, sir.
You know, on the day after Thanksgiving, I'm going down to Mermaid Key.
You've been there, you know?
No, I haven't been there.
Well, if you can get off for that, you know, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Bob Appelamp, Bebe Rebozo, and if you can go, you and I will go down there and have a little fun.
Fine.
I'm free and I'd love to.
Fine.
Yes, sir.
You'll have to—what we should do is take a plane so that you arrive—let me see—arrive to Thanksgiving—no, go to Florida.
That's the best thing.
And then—
and see Bebe there Thanksgiving night, if you can.
And then from there we'll go over to Walker's and have a little, you know, we have nothing to do except just to relax
I hope you've got a couple of new jokes.
I do.
I think that would be marvelous.
How'd you feel about the election?
I—how did that come out?
I missed a news meeting.
I thought it was marvelous.
You must have been very, very delighted, I thought.
It's come out now, you know, we're going to get, I think, a bigger overall margin—well, the margin is bigger than Johnson's.
Oh, it is?
But overall, we're going to get a bigger
a bigger percentage even than he got, 61.1, I think, or 61.2.
I watched that night, of course, and I saw your remarks in the Oval Room and then later at the showroom were marvelous.
You think they came off okay?
I deliberately played it, you know, very low key and all that.
You thought that was right, don't you think?
It was very, you know, it was a chance to stand up there and
and tell them what to do with themselves.
But, you know, the thing that you did about the margin, it's what you do with it, I thought was very, very good.
And I know everybody did.
Yeah.
How'd the people out in California take the whole thing?
I suppose many of your friends were...
They couldn't be happier.
They really couldn't.
Really?
Yes, sir.
They just couldn't be happier.
Good, Bob.
Well, then, we'll see you in...
Okay.
Now, when do you arrive there, sir?
Well...
We're going to leave.
I don't arrive there until I'm going to go down there, let's see, Friday morning, the day after Thanksgiving.
But if you could get there, say, Thursday night or Friday morning, that'll be fine.
Great.
Look forward to seeing you.
I'm going to a stag party.
Okay.
Okay, bye.
Bye.

NARA Description

On November 17, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Paul W. Keyes talked on the telephone at Camp David from 8:53 pm to 8:56 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 153-055 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 153-55

Date: November 17, 1972
Time: 8:53 pm - 8:56 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table

The President talked with Paul W. Keyes.

[See Conversation No. 226-22]

       Greetings

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

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

       The President’s schedule
            -Trip to Florida
                  -Thanksgiving
                  -Mermaid Key
                  -Robert H. Abplanalp
                  -Charles G. (“Bebe”) Rebozo
                  -Invitation to Keyes
                         -Timing
                         -Travel arrangements
                  -Entertainment

       1972 Election
            -The President’s victory
                  -Margin
                        -Lyndon B. Johnson
                              -Percentage
            -The President’s statements
                  -Oval Office
                  -Shoreham Hotel
                  -Tone
                                                 -60-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                             Conversation No. 153-55 (cont’d)

                   -Margin
                   -Public reaction in California

       The President’s schedule
            -Trip to Florida
                  -Timing
                  -Stag party

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

Also recorded on November 18, 1972

  • 153-052 8:40 PM · 28 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Patricia B. McKee talked on the telephone at Camp David from 8:40 pm to 8:41 pm.
  • 153-053 8:47 PM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at 8:47 pm.
  • 153-054 8:47 PM · 26 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 8:47 pm and 8:53 pm.
  • 226-020 8:47 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at 8:47 pm.
  • 226-021 8:47 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 8:47 pm and 8:53 pm.
  • 226-022 8:53 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Paul W. Keyes met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 8:53 pm to 8:56 pm.
  • 153-056 8:56 PM · 18 sec — Camp David operator and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 8:56 pm and 11:59 pm.
  • 226-023 8:56 PM · 12 sec — Camp David operator and President Richard M. Nixon met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 8:56 pm and 11:59 pm.

All 50 conversations from November 18, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 153-055, November 18, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/153-055 (accessed October 23, 2026).