Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 230 › Conversation 230-014

Nixon phone call with Johnson on Vietnam War and Diplomacy

Wednesday, November 22, 1972 · 7:04 PM–7:07 PM ET · Camp David Hard Wire · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Johnson, Lyndon B.Conversation230-014 on Tape 230StartWednesday, November 22, 1972 at 7:04 PMEndWednesday, November 22, 1972 at 7:07 PMRecording deviceCamp David Hard WireSourceNixon Library record for 230-014 ↗

AI Summary

President Richard Nixon contacted former President Lyndon B. Johnson to exchange holiday well-wishes and express concern regarding Johnson's health. During the discussion, Nixon updated Johnson on the status of ongoing Vietnam peace negotiations, emphasizing his goal to secure an honorable conclusion to the conflict that would validate both their administrations' efforts. Nixon committed to having Henry Kissinger provide Johnson with a detailed briefing once a final settlement was reached.

Audio

Download MP3 · 2.8 MB

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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).
Hello?
How are you feeling?
Well, I heard that you were going to the hospital.
I just wanted to tell you that Pat and I, we're tentative and we're going to have Thanksgiving with the kids here tomorrow.
We thought of you and want to send our very best for a happy Thanksgiving to you, to Lady Bird, to Lucy, to Linda, and to your five sons-in-law.
And even the little kids.
That one we had a picture taken with, particularly.
Well, and I want to tell you how much I appreciated your letter.
That was a very, very gracious note.
And I want to tell you, too, that on Vietnam, just so that you know what's going on, we're negotiating hard as hell to try to get it settled, which we think we may.
It's tough.
You know, it's tough with you, and it's tough with the North Vietnamese.
but we're trying to bring it off so that we end up in the war in an honorable way, which will not only justify what we've done, but justify what you did, and that's what history is going to record.
I hear you.
We'll do the best we can, and just as soon as we know there is a settlement, I'll have Henry call you and give you a rundown so that you won't advance.
Right.
Who do you want?
He's going to be in New York with me over the weekend.
I'll have him go down there.
One thing about it, he'll cheer you up.
All right.
Actually, he'll be there before Christmas.
Fair enough.
All right, fine.
Good luck.
I love all of you folks.
Bye-bye.
Thank you.

NARA Description

On November 22, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Lyndon B. Johnson met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 7:04 pm to 7:07 pm. The Camp David Hard Wire taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 230-014 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 230-14

Date: November 22, 1972
Time: Between 7:04 pm - 7:07 pm
Location: Camp David Hard Wire

The President talked with Lyndon B. Johnson.

[See Conversation No. 155-31; one item has been withdrawn from this conversation]

Also recorded on November 23, 1972

  • 155-031 7:04 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Camp David operator, and Lyndon B. Johnson talked on the telephone at Camp David from 7:04 pm to 7:07 pm.
  • 230-015 7:07 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Fina Sanchez met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 7:07 pm on November 22, 1972 and 3:36 pm on November 23, 1972.
  • 230-016 7:07 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 7:07 pm on November 22, 1972 and 3:36 pm on November 23, 1972.
  • 230-017 7:07 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 7:07 pm on November 22, 1972 and 3:36 pm on November 23, 1972.
  • 230-018 7:07 PM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon, and Julie Nixon Eisenhower met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 7:07 pm on November 22, 1972 and 3:36 pm on November 23, 1972.
  • 230-019 7:07 PM · 32 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 7:07 pm on November 22, 1972 and 3:36 pm on November 23, 1972.
  • 230-020 7:07 PM · 15 sec — Julie Nixon Eisenhower and Tricia Nixon Cox met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 7:07 pm on November 22, 1972 and 3:36 pm on November 23, 1972.
  • 230-021 7:07 PM · 12 sec — Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 7:07 pm on November 22, 1972 and 3:36 pm on November 23, 1972.

All 18 conversations from November 23, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 230-014, November 23, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/230-014 (accessed October 10, 2026).