Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 725 › Conversation 725-028

Nixon & Connally on Latin America diplomacy and Treasury Department

Tuesday, May 16, 1972 · 11:31 AM–11:35 AM ET · Oval Office · 5 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Connally, John B.Conversation725-028 on Tape 725 (tape position 03:34:53–03:40:00)StartTuesday, May 16, 1972 at 11:31 AMEndTuesday, May 16, 1972 at 11:35 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 725-028 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and John B. Connally discuss the logistics of Connally's upcoming diplomatic trip to Latin America, which is intended to counter regional influence while Nixon visits the Soviet Union. The two also coordinate the transition of the Treasury Department leadership, planning a joint walk to the department to announce George P. Shultz as the successor to the resigning Connally. Additionally, they touch upon recent international diplomatic missions, including Henry Kissinger's trip to the People's Republic of China and William P. Rogers' NATO engagement.

Audio

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Position in tape: 03:34:53 – 03:40:00

part B, 1:33:02

725a.mp3
725b.mp3
725c.mp3

NARA Description

On May 16, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and John B. Connally met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:31 am to 11:35 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 725-028 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 725-28

Date: May 16, 1972
Time: 11:31 am - 11:35 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with John B. Connally.

      Connally
         -Cabinet meeting
               -Comments
                     -President's appreciation
         -Trip to Latin America
               -President's discussion with Henry A. Kissinger
               -Colombia
               -Brazil
               -Argentina
               -Peru
                     -Reasons
                           -Chile
                           -Size
               -Connally's role

      Other trips
         -Kissinger
                -People’s Republic of China [PRC]
         -William P. Rogers

                -North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO]
           -The President’s trip to the Soviet Union

      Connally
         -Trip to Latin America
               -Role
               -Mexico
               -Timing with President's Soviet trip

      President's schedule
          -Announcement of Connally's resignation
                -George P. Shultz
                -President's statement
                      -Departure
                -Connally's statement
                      -Questions
                            -Ronald L. Ziegler
          -Walk to Treasury Department with Connally and Shultz
          -Meeting with Treasury Department staff
                -Time
          -Walk to Treasury Department
                -Purpose
                      -New York Times editorial
                -Handshaking with tourists
                -Secret Service protection

      George C. Wallace
         -Assassination attempt

The President and Connally left at 11:35 am.

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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This is because John stepped in for one minute before the other.
I haven't seen him a minute before.
I appreciate your nice comments.
What I had in mind was to talk to Henry, and he had a hell of a good idea.
If you were going to do that trip, go to them.
And we figured out the four countries, the four biggest.
If you could do Colombia, Brazil, where you should spend a little more time, Argentina, and Peru.
Peru.
Well, Peru only because we're trying to stick it to Chile.
He's no good, but he's better than the other ones.
But Peru is a big country, that's the point.
So if you could tell us what I have learned.
If it'll serve any useful value, it's reporting.
Basically, Henry's going to go to China to report, and Rogers is going to go to NATO.
And I just had an idea that somebody came down and talked to these people after my trip, and I thought, I didn't see anything.
Ben's still out in America, because I'm not the Mexican person here, so I will cover Mexico.
You can do that.
That's why I mean, when I talk to press, I'll say, do you agree?
Another thing I have in mind, I'd love to have you, the way I'm doing this at all.
I'll make a brief statement, and then I'll leave.
Then I'll let you go on.
You'll have to take a couple of questions while I'm close here to cut it off quickly.
I'll come home quick for it.
Oh, I'm sure that we can.
And then, the other one asked if it'd be better, but they'll be also on file.
Right.
So we've got that.
And the other thing is, I thought I'd walk over to the treasury with you and George.
And they want to just walk over there.
And you might want to call.
You might want to get all of your staff.
They're supposed to be here at 12 o'clock.
No, that's fine.
We won't be ready for 12 o'clock.
Because it's 25 o'clock.
Fair enough.
Yes, sir.
I don't believe in this business.
Now, okay, the agent can't be in the television as long as...
I told him no increase in my service.
That's correct.

Also recorded on May 16, 1972

  • 101-009 11:03 AM · 26 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Cabinet officers and staffers, including John N. Irwin, II, John B. Connally, [David] Kenneth Rush, Richard G. Kleindienst, Rogers C. B. Morton, Earl L. Butz, Peter G. Peterson, James D. Hodgson, Elliot L. Richardson, George W. Romney, John A. Volpe, George P. Shultz, Donald H. Rumsfeld, George H. W. Bush, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman, Henry A. Kissinger, Peter M. Flanigan, Clark MacGregor, Dr. Edward E. David, Jr., John A. Scali, Herbert G. Klein, Raymond K. Price, Jr., Ronald L. Ziegler, Alexander P. Butterfield, Charles W. Colson, Frederic V. Malek, Robert J. Brown, Caspar W. ("Cap") Weinberger, Ezra Solomon, and Kenneth R. Cole, Jr., met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 11:03 am and 11:59 pm.
  • 725-039 11:03 AM · 14 min — United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:03 am and 11:30 am.
  • 725-027 11:30 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House at 11:30 am.
  • 024-149 11:49 AM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:49 am and 11:54 am.
  • 725-029 11:49 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:49 am to 11:56 am.
  • 725-030 11:49 AM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:49 am and 11:57 am.
  • 024-150 11:54 AM · 56 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon talked on the telephone from 11:54 am to 11:55 am.
  • 725-031 11:55 AM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon, unknown person(s), H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, John B. Connally, George P. Shultz, Caspar W. ("Cap") Weinberger, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:55 am and 12:03 pm.

All 74 conversations from May 16, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 725-028, May 16, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/725-028 (accessed November 2, 2026).