Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 165 › Conversation 165-014

Nixon phone call with Ash on John B. Connally and Energy policy

Saturday, May 12, 1973 · 11:58 AM–12:00 PM ET · Camp David Study Table · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ash, Roy L.Conversation165-014 on Tape 165StartSaturday, May 12, 1973 at 11:58 AMEndSaturday, May 12, 1973 at 12:00 PMRecording deviceCamp David Study TableSourceNixon Library record for 165-014 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon directed Office of Management and Budget Director Roy Ash to contact John B. Connally to solicit his advice and assistance on several administration priorities, including energy policy, export promotion, tax legislation, and wage and price controls. Nixon expressed concern over the political optics of Connally’s potential involvement in energy, given Connally’s known business interests in Soviet and Middle Eastern gas deals. Ash agreed to coordinate with Connally, acknowledging the need to balance utilizing Connally's expertise while insulating the administration from criticisms regarding his private sector ties.

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Transcript (AI-generated)

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Well, I forgot to tell you, Roy, that when you talked to John Connolly, you might say the president also mentioned that in his conversation in Florida with John John had expressed approval of what we'd done in the energy thing, but felt we should have done more.
And that I realize that he has a problem in being out in front here because of his business interests, but that the president is
Very, very interested in anything he's got here and ask him how he feels he could, you know, step in and give us some help on that.
All right.
I will do that, yes, sir.
Don't you think it's a good idea?
I have five subjects to talk to him about.
One of them is export promotion activities of U.S. tax legislation, impoundments, and the dealing with Congress on that, price and wage controls, and energy.
Yes.
Now, you tell him on that that you and I discussed it all, and tell him on the energy thing that I realize his problem.
He's going to take a leave from his firm, so that'll help some.
But on the other hand, everybody knows his firm is enormously interested in the Russian gas deal and the Mideast deal and all that sort of thing.
And he knows a lot about it, but the point is...
If he gets out in front of them, they'll kill him and us.
That's right.
And that's the point that I'm calling it.
What does he think that he can do consistently with that problem and that the Senate president considers him to be the top outside man in this field and that we ought to have a meeting on the thing and maybe we ought to put something together.
All right.
We'll do that.
All right.
All right.
Thank you.

NARA Description

On May 12, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Roy L. Ash talked on the telephone at Camp David from 11:58 am to 12:00 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 165-014 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 165-14

Date: May 12, 1973
Time: 11:58 am - 12:00 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table

The President talked with Roy L. Ash.

     Ash’s forthcoming call to John B. Connally
          -President’s conversation with Connally in Florida
                 -Energy
                      -Connally’s business interests
                      -Connally’s role
          -Export promotion
          -Tax legislation
          -Impoundment of funds
          -Wage and price controls
                 -Congress
                                               -18-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                              Conversation No. 165-42 (cont’d)

            -Energy
                 -Connally’s business interests
                      -Gas deals with Soviet Union, Middle East
                 -Connally’s role

Also recorded on May 12, 1973

  • 165-012 11:50 AM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Roy L. Ash talked on the telephone at Camp David from 11:50 am to 11:56 am.
  • 165-013 11:56 AM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 11:56 am and 11:58 am.
  • 165-015 12:22 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone at Camp David from 12:22 pm to 12:30 pm.
  • 165-016 12:30 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 12:30 pm and 12:31 pm.
  • 165-017 12:31 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone at Camp David from 12:31 pm to 12:36 pm.
  • 165-018 12:36 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 12:36 pm and 12:37 pm.
  • 165-019 12:37 PM · 17 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone at Camp David from 12:37 pm to 12:54 pm.
  • 165-020 12:54 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 12:54 pm and 12:59 pm.

All 25 conversations from May 12, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 165-014, May 12, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/165-014 (accessed October 12, 2026).