Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 322 › Conversation 322-054

Nixon alone in his EOB office on Florida primary and John B. Connally

Sunday, March 12, 1972 · 8:35 PM–9:25 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 4 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President)Conversation322-054 on Tape 322 (tape position 03:33:56–03:37:44)StartSunday, March 12, 1972 at 8:35 PMEndSunday, March 12, 1972 at 9:25 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 322-054 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon dictates a memorandum regarding his recent discussions with H. R. Haldeman concerning the political landscape following the Florida primary. The conversation evaluates the performance of Democratic candidates George Wallace, Hubert Humphrey, and Edmund Muskie, while weighing the future of Vice President Spiro Agnew. Additionally, Nixon explores the prospect of John B. Connally switching parties or assuming a more prominent role within the administration.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 3 minutes of this recording (about 83% of it) is represented by only a few words. Listen to the audio rather than relying on the text below; a corrected transcript is queued.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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related to memoranda and the important .
I also discussed the advice that was given to it in college.
He's still fighting for it.
He sent the direction of Connelly and the NDA to support it down.
He felt strongly about it.
He not only did not want to be president, but he also did not want to be president-elect.
He was invested in it, because it happened to be one of those kind of women who's gone right into it.
These days, the White House is trying to act in a very defensive way, and they're looking at it as if it's no longer going to happen.
These days, the White House is trying to act in a very defensive way.
.
.
.
I had to sit in a chair with a gavel.
I was always going to use the gavel as I had.
Easy.
Easy.
Easy.
Easy.
Easy.
Easy.
Easy.
Easy.
... ... ...
... ... ... ... ...
Wallace first, Humphrey second, Muskie third, Bill fourth, and I don't know, quite a lot of them except three of them.
That would be better.
My husband would be better than Andrew.

NARA Description

On March 12, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 8:35 pm and 9:25 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 322-054 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 322-54

Date: March 12, 1972
Time: Unknown between 8:35 pm and 9:25 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President dictated a memorandum for the file.

******************************************************************************

[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 10/10/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[322-054-w001]
[Duration: 3m 34s]

       Memorandum
            -The President’s conversation with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
                   -Vice President
                           -John B. Connally
                                   -The President
                                   -Democrats
                           -Spiro T. Agnew
                           -John B. Connally
                                   -Nelson A. Rockefeller [?]
                                   -Democratic National Convention
                                   -Possible party change
                   -Senate
            -The President’s conversation with unknown person

       Ronald L. Ziegler
              -Pepperdine University

       Florida primary
               -Results
                      -George C. Wallace
                      -Hubert H. Humphrey
                      -Edmund S. Muskie
                      -George S. McGovern
                      -John N. Ashbrook

******************************************************************************

Also recorded on March 13, 1972

  • 021-045 7:46 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 7:46 pm.
  • 021-047 8:05 PM · 30 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman talked on the telephone from 8:05 pm to 8:35 pm.
  • 322-048 8:05 PM · 25 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 8:05 pm to 8:35 pm.
  • 322-049 8:35 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 8:35 pm and 9:25 pm.
  • 322-050 8:35 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 8:35 pm and 9:25 pm.
  • 322-051 8:35 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 8:35 pm and 9:25 pm.
  • 322-052 8:35 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 8:35 pm and 9:25 pm.
  • 322-053 8:35 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 8:35 pm and 9:25 pm.

All 72 conversations from March 13, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 322-054, March 13, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/322-054 (accessed October 3, 2026).