Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 31 › Conversation 031-126

Nixon, Smith & Mansfield on Senate adjournment and People's Republic of China

Wednesday, October 18, 1972 · 7:00 PM–7:03 PM ET · White House Telephone ·2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Smith, Margaret Chase;  Mansfield, Michael J. ("Mike");  Nixon, Richard M. (President);  Smith, Margaret Chase;  Mansfield, Michael J. ("Mike")Conversation031-126 onTape 31StartWednesday, October 18, 1972 at 7:00 PMEndWednesday, October 18, 1972 at 7:03 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 031-126 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon consulted with Senate leaders Margaret Chase Smith and Mike Mansfield regarding the formal adjournment of the Senate. During the call, the President granted permission for the adjournment and briefly discussed Mansfield's upcoming diplomatic trip to the People's Republic of China. Nixon also expressed his personal support for Senator Smith's reelection campaign in Maine.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Senator Smith and men still calling you, sir.
Hello?
Mr. Francis.
Margaret, how are you?
I'm fine, thank you.
You're sitting there with the leaders, working all these things out, huh?
That's right.
Senator Matthew and I are here, instructed by the Senate to tell you that we're ready to adjourn and if you have anything further to say to us.
Well, only that I wish you the very best in this period between this Congress and the next, to thank you for your hard work and your dedicated service to the nation with regard to party over these past two years.
It's okay if we go out?
It's okay, Mike.
And speaking purely in personal terms, I look forward to that trip you may be taking.
Good enough.
As you know, we
That's very good news, sir.
Very good.
Right.
Will you adjourn today?
Yes, we'll adjourn tonight.
I'll tell Margaret about an hour or so.
Right.
I know this doesn't need to be said, but I know, Mike, that in Maine you'd probably vote for Margaret.
You bet I would.
Let me say I would.
Thank you, Mr. President.
That's right.
Margaret, I want you in by two to one, okay?
Well, if I do, you'll be ahead.
No, no, I want you to be ahead.
Well, bye then.
We wanted 40 years more.
Right.
And then the mic, when you get back from that thing we just talked about, we'll have a little chat.
Okay.
But we've talked about it and we haven't had an answer yet, but I think it'll come out.
Well, I hope so, Mr. President.
Bye.
Well, we wish you the best and have a...
Great time.
I mean, I'm not going to talk about the next three weeks.
That's something that we have to worry about.
But after the next three weeks, we can all start governing the country again.
That's right.
I hope so.
Bye.
Okay.
Have a nice day, Mr. Nixon, Mr. President.
Oh, thank you, Margaret.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Bye.

NARA Description

On October 18, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Margaret Chase Smith, and Michael J. ("Mike") Mansfield talked on the telephone from 7:00 pm to 7:03 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 031-126 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 31-126

Date: October 18, 1972
Time: 7:00 pm - 7:03 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Margaret Chase Smith and Michael J. Mansfield.

[See Conversation No. 369-16]

        Senate adjournment
            -Report to the President
                -Permission for adjournment
            -Mansfield
                -Forthcoming trip to the People's Republic of China [PRC]

                                        (rev. Oct-06)

        Maine
           -Support for Smith
               -The President's support
                   -The President's leadership

        Mansfield's forthcoming trip to PRC
           -Meeting with the President

        Greetings to Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon

Also recorded on October 18, 1972

  • 031-125 6:51 PM · 20 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:51 pm and 7:00 pm.
  • 369-014 6:51 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:51 pm and 7:00 pm.
  • 369-016 7:00 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Margaret Chase Smith, and Michael J. ("Mike") Mansfield met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 7:00 pm to 7:03 pm.
  • 031-127 7:03 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:03 pm and 7:05 pm.
  • 369-017 7:03 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 7:03 pm and 7:05 pm.
  • 369-018 7:03 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 7:03 pm and 7:05 pm.
  • 031-128 7:05 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 7:05 pm to 7:14 pm.
  • 369-019 7:05 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 7:05 pm to 7:14 pm.

All 86 conversations from October 18, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 031-126, October 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/031-126 (accessed September 18, 2026).