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Conversation 724-006

TapeTape 724StartMonday, May 15, 1972 at 5:06 PMEndMonday, May 15, 1972 at 5:14 PMTape start time03:06:50Tape end time03:15:17ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Butterfield, Alexander P.;  Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob");  White House operator;  Nixon, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan)Recording deviceOval Office
AI Summary

President Nixon met with Alexander P. Butterfield to receive an urgent update regarding the assassination attempt on Governor George Wallace, including details about the assailant, the victims, and the severity of Wallace’s injuries. Following this, the President consulted with H. R. Haldeman and First Lady Pat Nixon to assess how to handle a scheduled Blue Room reception in light of the national tragedy. They ultimately decided to restrict press access to the event to avoid optics that would appear inappropriate given the gravity of the shooting.

George WallaceAssassination attemptPresidential scheduleWhite House press policySecret Service
AudioNARA Description

On May 15, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander P. Butterfield, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:06 pm to 5:14 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 724-006 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 724-6

Date: May 15, 1972
Time: 5:06-5:14 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Alexander P. Butterfield.

     George C. Wallace
         -Condition
               -Possibility of paralysis
         -Offer of services by the President
               -Dr. William M. Lukash
               -Facilities
         -Assailant
               -Race
               -Sex
               -Identity
         -Other victims
               -Alabama state policeman
         -Secret Service protection
         -Shooting
         -Other victims
               -Dora Thompson
                     -Wallace staffer
               -State policeman
               -Secret Service agent
         -Assailant
               -Apprehension

Butterfield left and H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman entered at an unknown time after 5:06 pm.

     President's schedule
          -Blue Room reception
                 -Press coverage
                 -Possible public reaction
                 -Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
                 -President's appearance
                 -Mrs. Nixon's schedule

The President talked with the White House operator at an unknown time between 5:06 and 5:10
pm.

[Conversation No. 724-6A]

[See Conversation No. 24-82]

[End of telephone conversation]

     President's schedule
          -Blue Room reception
                 -President's attendance
                       -Actions

The President talked with Mrs. Nixon between 5:10 and 5:13 pm.

[Conversation No. 724-6B]

[See Conversation No. 24-83]

The President conferred with Haldeman during the telephone conversation.

     Blue Room reception
          -Press coverage

[End of conferral]

[End of telephone conversation]

     President's schedule
          -Meeting with John B. Connally and John N. Mitchell

Haldeman left at 5:14 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.

The other shot was under the light armpit, so it's under the light armpit.
But, uh, he has a temporary paralysis.
It appears that way.
Yes, sir.
But it could be a permanent paralysis, I suppose.
Yeah, but no one in the defense is on the edge.
They're not associated anymore.
They don't know anything.
Um, but he's living.
And we sent him to a gun shop.
We dumped it on your behalf, just to offer him the best facilities that we have.
And White Channel 3540 was there.
We have no idea who he was or how much he had.
And three other people were shot as well.
By the same man?
Yes, an Alabama State policeman.
Where the hell was the service officer?
I mean, where did the people who were supposed to be with him?
One agent was shot.
But they didn't see him?
Well, a law guy had just come down into the crowd after speaking and was taking his coat off.
This fellow was about three rows back, jumped out, fired, emptied his revolver.
And then we've got three others as well, as well as twice.
He hit a woman, Mrs. Thompson.
They said the governor's staff, I assume, I mean, Wallace's staff, they may be from Maryland, which I guess they didn't want.
He wouldn't be there.
And a policeman, a state policeman, and a secret service agent.
And another agent jumped on the fellow and hit the ground.
Oh, good.
The agent was there.
The dog, yeah.
One of them's dead.
There were a bunch of, several agents there apparently.
One guy dead, another was on the app.
Yeah.
Thank you.
Well, what do we do about it?
Well, I just got the report from the town.
It's fixed on the opponent.
The problem you got, this of course is just totally not made in the news.
If you go out to open the blue room,
You have full press coverage there.
There you are, laughing around about the pretty new pictures on your wall, while everybody in the country is thinking about Jesus Christ that shot another candidate.
Has anybody talked to Mr. Nixon about it?
No, because we wanted to get a fix here.
I don't think you can.
I don't think you can.
She could go ahead.
I don't think she should do that.
I think we should tell people at the gate when they arrive because of the unfortunate thing.
Mr.
And then open it by saying, let's have three minutes of silence.
Oh, shit.
And then say, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
We've got a problem.
You've heard about Wallace?
No, but he's quite serious.
He's paralyzed in the past.
The strong feeling is that, for me, to be there, smiling, laughing, and so forth, as we will have to in the preceding line, when the whole country is concerned about this as abolishing all things, is just not a good idea.
Well, let me put it this way.
I think you could, maybe.
But I don't think I should.
I mean, I think it's not a good thing.
You don't think it could postpone it, do you?
Well, my own view is that I, as much as we'd like to, you can see the problem.
If anything happens during the time, or even when he's critically injured, he's got just one bullet in his stomach, near the spine, and they, I mean, who knows?
They think he's alive.
He may be paralyzed.
He may not be, but he has pain.
Well, do you want us to think a little about it when I call you back?
I just want you to know a little bit.
What do you feel about it?
What do you feel?
Maybe you, or maybe you and Quinn could do it without the breast cancer.
But if you and Quinn could do it, well, without breast, that's the problem.
Could you do it without breast and let the breast see it another time?
I don't know.
I don't see how you could do that.
Yeah?
The press has already had it.
I don't believe, I think if you and Glenn Walter received them without, without any press pictures or, you see what I mean?
I think that would be all right.
In other words, if you just received them without... Why don't we just tell the press it's closed to the press because of this event?
And then you receive them.
How's that?
So you've done your part already.
Could that be all right?
See, if you receive them without the press being there, I see no problem in it.
No problem in it.
I know, I know that if you receive them without the press being there, they aren't here to get their pictures in the paper.
They aren't here to get their pictures.
But I do feel... Yeah.
Okay.
All right, if you will, I'll call us back.
All right.
Ask Tommy and Mitchell to perform.
Tommy and Mitchell.
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