Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 225 › Conversation 225-038

Nixon phone call with Chandler on Political patronage and Los Angeles Times

Thursday, November 16, 1972 · 2:18 PM–2:23 PM ET · Camp David Hard Wire · 5 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Chandler, NormanConversation225-038 on Tape 225StartThursday, November 16, 1972 at 2:18 PMEndThursday, November 16, 1972 at 2:23 PMRecording deviceCamp David Hard WireSourceNixon Library record for 225-038 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Norman Chandler discussed their long-standing political relationship, reflecting on Chandler's instrumental support during Nixon's early career in California. The conversation served primarily as a gesture of appreciation following Nixon's 1972 electoral victory, with the President expressing his intent to maintain his current administration team. Nixon also requested Chandler's influence in encouraging an unnamed associate to remain in his current position despite political pressures.

  • Political patronage
  • Los Angeles Times
  • 1972 election
  • Administration personnel
  • Political history

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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?
Norm, and more importantly, how are you?
Great, great.
Well, what are you?
Your voice sounds great.
Well, I'll tell you what I heard about this.
I said, well, and I had somebody tell me that they had a few problems.
I said, well, we need you.
That's the main thing.
We just can't.
You know, at least, you know, I've got to go to the Grove sometime, and I want you to be there, you know.
You know, by the time I get there, I'll probably be in that group where they put over at the side there, you know, the old guard.
Well, what I want to tell you, too, is I've been sitting here at Camp David, actually, in Minnesota, and we're trying to work out all the... We're going to have a massive reorganization, which you'll be very pleased with, I'm sure, but any event.
I have also been working on all the letters and so forth, with thousands of people who have contributed and so forth.
Well, let me say, as I thought about it, I can think of a few indispensables.
And as I've told you before, one of the indispensables was not only the endorsement of the Times in 1946, which of course was essential in my ever-getting nomination as a congressman,
But in 1950, I will never forget when Kyle Palmer, when I was in California, I didn't know what I was going to do at night, you know, just a junior congressman.
Kyle invited me to lunch with him, and he took me to the old milk bar.
And I remember, I remember, I remember to say what I had.
I had a tamale, one of those great big tamales.
And Kyle, now he's sort of blunt, sort of rumbled around, he said, he said, well, David,
He said, I don't think it's a good idea, but Norman told me that I should tell you that if you want to run for the Senate, I will support you.
And I said, well, you know, I told him that.
But without that little word from you, I would have never run, and I'd never be here now.
So, yeah, yeah.
Because I imagine, well, I'll tell you, you were the man, and what you have done through the years, your support has
I mean, not only in the paper, but I remember the time at the Grove after the, you know, before the 68th, when you and Walter Hanover came over to Cayman, you remember?
Yeah, we had a good talk.
Well, I'm going to keep him on for a while.
I'm asking too much next time.
He's done it.
Good.
Yeah.
Well, if you could, you might, you know, I talked to him myself.
I dropped this one.
I wrote a note before the election.
Let me say, everybody wants that job.
And I think, I just feel he should stay there for a while.
And if you, if you're a grommet, you have a notary, you could say, you and I were chatting, he's my same friend.
We get a, you know, a few, a third hand.
That's right.
I sort of had that in mind.
I got enough heat as it is.
Right.
Right.
Now that our total percentage might even, it's already the biggest absolute margin in terms of both, but also the margin may go over 61 points, which is not bad.
Yes, sir, right on the line.
That's right, that's right.
Well, anyway, now you take care, and you're going to meet this thing, you know?
Yes.
I know, I know.
It must be.
Well, yeah.
Oh, well.
Well, yeah.
You'll get a note from me, but just one other little thank you.
That's what I wanted to call you and tell you what we were thinking about.
Give our best about it.

NARA Description

On November 16, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Norman Chandler met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 2:18 pm to 2:23 pm. The Camp David Hard Wire taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 225-038 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 225-38

Date: November 16, 1972
Time: Between 2:18 pm - 2:23 pm
Location: Camp David Hard Wire

The President talked with Norman Chandler.

[See Conversation No. 153-37]

Also recorded on November 16, 1972

  • 153-034 1:51 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower talked on the telephone at Camp David from 1:51 pm to 1:57 pm.
  • 225-035 1:51 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 1:51 pm to 1:57 pm.
  • 153-035 1:57 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 1:57 pm and 2:08 pm.
  • 153-036 2:08 PM · 49 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 2:08 pm to 2:09 pm.
  • 225-036 2:08 PM · 36 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 2:08 pm to 2:09 pm.
  • 225-037 2:09 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John G. Magner met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 2:09 pm and 2:18 pm.
  • 153-037 2:18 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Norman Chandler talked on the telephone at Camp David from 2:18 pm to 2:23 pm.
  • 225-039 2:23 PM · 1 hr 15 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 2:23 pm and 3:45 pm.

All 30 conversations from November 16, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 225-038, November 16, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/225-038 (accessed October 9, 2026).