Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 182 › Conversation 182-001

Nixon, Tower & Camp David Operator on 1972 Presidential Election

Sunday, October 29, 1972 · 8:55 PM–9:02 PM ET · Camp David Study Desk · 4 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Brennan, John V.; Camp David Operator; Tower, John G.Conversation182-001 on Tape 182StartSunday, October 29, 1972 at 8:55 PMEndSunday, October 29, 1972 at 9:02 PMRecording deviceCamp David Study DeskSourceNixon Library record for 182-001 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 417174941 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon contacted Senator John G. Tower via a telephone hookup to address a gathering of Texas supporters during the final stretch of the 1972 presidential campaign. Nixon praised Tower’s legislative record, specifically highlighting his support for national defense, fiscal responsibility, and the administration’s goal of 'peace with honor.' The President used the call to solidify political support in Texas and emphasize the necessity of Tower’s continued presence in the Senate for his upcoming second term.

Audio

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NARA Description

On October 29, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, John V. Brennan, Camp David operator, and John G. Tower talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 8:55 pm and 9:02 pm. The Camp David Study Desk taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 182-001 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 182-1

Date: October 29, 1972
Time: Unknown between 8:55 pm - 9:02 pm
Location: Camp David Study Desk

John V. ("Jack") Brennan conferred with the President at an unknown time between 8:55 pm and
8:58 pm.

         The President's telephone call to John G. Tower
             -Telephone line
                 -Security line

[End of conferral]

Brennan talked with the Camp David operator.

The President talked with Tower between 8:58 pm and 9:02 pm.

[See Conversation No. 152-3 and Conversation No. 222-4A]

        Greetings

        Reception in Texas
            -The President's supporters
                -Forthcoming Presidential election
            -Tower
                -Record in Congress
                     -Support for the President's goals
                          -National defense
                          -Peace with honor
                          -Economic measures
                              -Taxes
                              -Welfare
            -Support for the President in Texas
            -The President's forthcoming term in office
                -Work with Tower
                     -Future accomplishments
            -Forthcoming election
                -Inauguration Day, 1973

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.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).

I'm ready, sir.
See ya.
This one right here, sir, but it's not a security phone.
This one right here, sir, but it's not a security phone.
This one right here, sir, but it's not a security phone.
This one right here, sir, but it's not a security phone.
This one right here, sir, but it's not a security phone.
This one right here, sir, but it's not a security phone.
This one right here, sir, but it's not a security phone.
This one right here, sir, but it's not a security phone.
This one right here, sir, but it's not a security phone.
This one right here, sir, but it's not a security phone.
This one right here, sir, but it's not a security phone.
This one right here, sir, but it's not a security phone.
This one right here, sir, but it's not a security phone.
This one right here, sir, but it's not a security phone.
This one right here,
Thank you.
Hello?
Hello?
Hello, Mr. President?
Hello, John.
How are you?
Fine, Mr. President.
There are a great number of your loyal supporters here waiting to hear you say a few words tonight.
I'd like to welcome you to Texas via this telephone hookup.
We wish you could be here in person, but we understand why you can't be.
But in any case, you've got lots of great people here that have followed you behind you and are going to give you the greatest margin anybody ever got in Texas for the present.
But, John, I just want to say that I regret, too, that I can't be there.
And I'm glad to hear that applause in the background.
I want you to know that as I look over the record of those who have been in the United States Senate over these past four years, there isn't one man in the United States Senate
who has a stronger record or a better record than you, John Tower, have had in supporting what we've been trying to do for this country.
And particularly when it comes to keeping America strong, when it comes to having peace with honor, when it comes to...
keeping our financial situation in a way that we won't have a tax increase, that will stop the increase in the welfare rolls.
You've really been magnificent in every respect.
I want you to know, and I want all the people in Texas to know, that I appreciate the support of the people of Texas.
Republicans, Democrats, Independents.
But I also want everybody down there to know that as I look forward to this next four years, that I have appreciated working with John Tower over the last four years, and I want the opportunity to work with you, John Tower, for the next four years, because I believe
I am convinced that working together with your strong support as one of the major leaders in the United States Senate, we can do great things for this country.
Just putting it very directly, Texas needs you in the Senate.
America needs you in the Senate.
I need you in the Senate.
And I hope that on Election Day that we win together in the state of Texas.
And we'll be seeing you in Washington on Inauguration Day, John.
I'll be back.
You'll be there, no doubt about it.
Thank you very much.

Also recorded on October 29, 1972

  • 222-001 12:56 PM · 10 sec — unknown person(s) met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 12:56 pm and 8:58 pm.
  • 182-002 5:22 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Camp David operator, and John D. Ehrlichman talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:22 pm and 5:40 pm.
  • 152-001 7:55 PM · 1 min — John V. Brennan and unknown person(s) talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 7:55 pm and 8:58 pm.
  • 152-002 7:55 PM · 2 min — John V. Brennan, Camp David operator, unknown person(s), and Dan Milne talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 7:55 pm and 8:58 pm.
  • 222-002 7:55 PM · 13 sec — John V. Brennan and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 7:55 pm and 8:58 pm.
  • 222-003 7:55 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, John V. Brennan, Camp David operator, and unknown person(s) met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 7:55 pm and 8:58 pm.
  • 152-003 8:55 PM · 40 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, John V. Brennan, Camp David operator, and John G. Tower talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 8:55 pm and 9:02 pm.
  • 222-004 8:55 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, John V. Brennan, Camp David operator, and John G. Tower met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 8:55 pm and 9:03 pm.

All 40 conversations from October 29, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 182-001, October 29, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417174941). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/182-001 (accessed November 1, 2026).