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Conversation 339-005

TapeTape 339StartMonday, May 15, 1972 at 8:10 PMEndMonday, May 15, 1972 at 9:16 PMTape start time02:05:20Tape end time02:35:28ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Yates, Nellie L.;  Felt, W. MarkRecording deviceOld Executive Office Building
AI Summary

President Nixon met with Nellie L. Yates and briefly conferred with FBI Associate Director W. Mark Felt following the attempted assassination of Governor George Wallace. The conversation centered on the implications of the shooting, with Nixon drawing historical parallels to the assassinations of Robert F. Kennedy and the wounding of John B. Connally. Nixon emphasized the need for a thorough FBI investigation to avoid the controversies associated with previous high-profile political shootings.

George WallaceAssassination attemptFBIW. Mark FeltPolitical violencePresidential security
AudioNARA Description

On May 15, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Nellie L. Yates, and W. Mark Felt met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 8:10 pm and 9:16 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 339-005 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 339-5

Date: May 15, 1972
Time: Unknown between 8:10 and 9:16 pm

                                        (rev. Dec-01)
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Nellie L. Yates.

     George C. Wallace
         -Assassination attempt
               -Compared with Robert F. Kennedy assassination
               -Secret Service agent's condition
         -Assailant
         -The President’s view
         -Assassination attempt
               -Theodore Roosevelt
         -Third party candidacy
         -Possible recovery

W. Mark Felt talked with the President between 8:15 and 8:18 pm.

[Conversation No. 339-5A]

[See Conversation No. 24-116]

[End of telephone conversation]

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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 8m 10s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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

     President's travels
          -Moscow’s [Soviet] Summit
          -Iran
          -Previous travels
          -Warsaw

     Wallace

                                        (rev. Dec-01)
          -Future victories
               -Maryland

     Robert F. Kennedy

     John B. Connally
          -Wounding in John F. Kennedy assassination

     Wallace
          -Assassination attempt
               -Responsibility

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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 11m 33s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
*****************************************************************

Yates left at an unknown time before 9:16 pm.
Transcript (AI-Generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

8 o'clock now.
Why don't we wait until about 10.30 or so to get a summary report.
I'll get to you then.
Call me at 10.30.
Okay, sir.
Dinner's free.
Very good.
What do you think of all this?
I can't say necessarily, because I'm watching that on television, but I can't wait.
Robert Kennedy, you know, I remember him writing to me the other night when we watched that happen.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
You know, I used to follow, you know, I had a long hair.
I was getting married.
You know, we're at Margaret College now, where there's very hungry ladies.
I know.
They shot Pedro as well.
Right.
They're very hungry now.
They're very hungry.
Well, they shot him.
They shot him.
You know, particularly...
Yeah.
Yeah.
Welcome back.
Woof!
They didn't have guns.
It wasn't a hell of a thing to hit him.
Don't you agree?
With this fellow, the main thing is to be sure that we don't go through the things that we went through with the Kennedy assassination, because if we did, we'd follow them back and we'd be gone.
We've got to remember that if we don't follow them back, even with this fellow, they're not going to put a line down.
Can't be shot in the body, Joseph.
Well, the main thing is you'll keep right on it.
Remember, the FBI is in charge, and they're responsible, and I don't want to be so much of a hit.
Right.
Bye.
We appreciate your coming.
Thank you.
Thank you.
There you go.
You can run it and be faster.
You can run it and be faster.
I was there at nine, of course, and I was gone.
And I was there briefly, and I was just stumbling on my way to school.
It was evening, and I was just stumbling on my way to school.
And I was just stumbling on my way to school.
You'll win big now.
You'll sleep merrily.
Whatever you do.
Thank you.
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