Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 639 › Conversation 639-020

Nixon & Connally on Media Relations and Press Briefing

Saturday, December 18, 1971 · 5:26 PM–5:28 PM ET · Oval Office · 1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Connally, John B.Conversation639-020 on Tape 639 (tape position 02:04:36–02:05:52)StartSaturday, December 18, 1971 at 5:26 PMEndSaturday, December 18, 1971 at 5:28 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 639-020 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and John Connally discuss the logistics of an upcoming trip, specifically timing their travel and public engagement to accommodate a press briefing. They coordinate the sequence of events, focusing on how to effectively address the media after thanking their associates. The brief exchange concludes with Connally noting a critical, high-priority matter that requires the President's attention.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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I bet you what I've done, I've delayed my New York Department of Air Force Air Force, and then the motor came in there.
I delayed it 20 minutes, so... How long did it take you to get there?
About 10 minutes, about 10 minutes to fly.
And then if I could get away from there by 10 or 16, that was 16, about as late as 20 minutes.
and congratulate everybody and thank them.
Take them to the press.
Yeah, we'll just sort it over with the press.
And then we'll say a word.
Oh, I have one thing to tell you.
This is the most down-to-earth story, the most critical, as far as we can expect it to be happening.

NARA Description

On December 18, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and John B. Connally met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:26 pm to 5:28 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 639-020 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 639-020

Date: December 18, 1971
Time: 5:26 pm - 5:28 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President talked with John B. Connally.

[See Conversation No. 16-118]

Also recorded on December 18, 1971

  • 639-025 5:03 PM · 1 hr 32 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Jerrold L. Schecter, Hugh S. Sidey, Hedley W. Donovan, Henry A. Grunwald, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:03 pm to 6:35 pm.
  • 639-015 5:05 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 5:05 pm and 5:12 pm.
  • 639-016 5:05 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 5:05 pm and 5:12 pm.
  • 639-017 5:05 PM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 5:05 pm and 5:12 pm.
  • 639-018 5:12 PM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:12 pm to 5:20 pm.
  • 639-019 5:20 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 5:20 pm and 5:26 pm.
  • 016-118 5:26 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John B. Connally talked on the telephone from 5:26 pm to 5:28 pm.
  • 639-021 5:28 PM · 33 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at 5:28 pm.

All 52 conversations from December 18, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 639-020, December 18, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/639-020 (accessed October 11, 2026).