Presidential Recordings

C-SPAN
Presidential Recordings

At least 6 U.S. Presidents recorded conversations while in office. Hear those conversations on this C-SPAN podcast.  Season 2 focuses on President Richard Nixon's secretly-recorded private telephone conversations. Through eight episodes, hear Richard Nixon talk with key aides about Watergate strategy, potential Supreme Court Nominees, and hear his reaction to the leaked publication of the Pentagon Papers.  Season 2: President Nixon  Season 1: President Johnson

  1. 18/11/2023

    FEED DROP: JFK 60 Years Later Ep. 2

    Join C-SPAN on a journey through the events following November 22, 1963, as we listen to the events after that fateful day in Dallas. Hear calls from President Lyndon Johnson, Michigan Governor George Romney, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    40 min

  2. 17/11/2023

    FEED DROP: JFK 60 Years Later Ep. 1

    Step back in time with C-SPAN as we dive deep into one of the most iconic and controversial events in modern history—the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. In this episode, we explore the history surrounding JFK's tragic death through official phone calls from Dallas, Texas, the White House, and Air Force 1. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    23 min

  3. 27/08/2023

    FEED DROP: March on Washington: Post Oval Office Meeting Part 1

    NAACP President Roy O. Wilkins isthe first speaker captured on this recording. He gives a long report on the significance of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, which had taken place earlier in the day. Following Wilkins were A. Philip Randolph, a fixture in the labor field and the leader of the March on Washington; Whitney M. Young Jr., director of the National Urban League; Walter Reuther, president of the United Auto Workers (UAW); Reverend Eugene Carson Blake, the leader of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and former president of the National Council of Churches; Floyd McKissick, national chairman of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE); and Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). The emphasis in this meeting was clearly on the “Jobs” part of the “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom,” as most of the participants emphasized the necessity of a powerful FEPC to address employment discrimination and the importance of education and job training programs in an era when automation struck fear into the hearts of workers and economists alike. President Kennedy emphasized the need to get Republican support for the bill and the danger of going too far. He was especially concerned about gaining the favor of House Minority Leader Charles A. “Charlie” Halleck [R–Indiana] and William M. “Bill” McCulloch [R–Ohio], the ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee, who Kennedy believed was the key to securing the necessary 60 Republican votes in the House—although Kennedy repeatedly referred to him mistakenly as “McClintoch” in this recording. You can find a full transcript of this audio at: https://prde.upress.virginia.edu/conversations/4006294 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 2m

  4. 27/08/2023

    FEED DROP: March on Washington: Post Oval Office Meeting Part 2

    In the second half of the conversation between President John F. Kenny and Civil Rights leaders, A. Phillip Randolph called for a crusade with President Kennedy as its leader. Vice President Johnson explained the realities of political power in Congress and how to craft a coalition of support.  And approaches to attracting the support of Former President Dwight Eisenhower were discussed. We pick up the meeting as Roy Wilkins, NAACP Executive Director, presses President Kennedy on who is taking credit for what…and how to leverage that for votes moving forward.   You can find a full transcript of this audio at: https://prde.upress.virginia.edu/conversations/4006294 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    29 min

  5. 16/10/2022

    BONUS EPISODE: Cuban Missile Crisis 60th Anniversary

    October 2022 marks 60 years since the Cuban Missile Crisis that rocked the Presidency of John F. Kennedy and brought the world close to nuclear war. C-SPAN's Presidential Recordings dives into those 13 days in October…with a bonus episode…featuring calls between JFK and his senior advisors, press conferences, and Oval Office addresses. Plus, historical context from presidential historian Barbara Perry of the University of Virginia Miller Center. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 11m

  6. 12/08/2022

    Ep. 8 The Fall's Gonna Kill You - President Nixon Resigns

    Listen to President Richard Nixon's resignation speech from August 8th, 1974. Plus, CBS News reports from after the "smoking gun" tape was released, then Vice President Gerald Ford's post-resignation statement, and President Nixon's thoughts 9 years later on his decision to resign.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    48 min

  7. 05/08/2022

    Ep. 7 Intelligence Matters - Calls w/ the FBI & CIA Directors

    Listen to phone calls between President Richard Nixon, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover & CIA Director Richard Helms. President Nixon and Director Hoover discuss the murder of two police officers in New York City, the Pentagon Papers, and more.  CIA Director Helms and President Nixon speak about Vietnamization, the Soviet Union, and his eventual move to being the U.S. Ambassador to Iran.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    48 min

  8. 29/07/2022

    Ep. 6 The Short List - Nixon's SCOTUS Nominees

    President Nixon considers nominees to fill not one but two more Supreme Court seats.  Plus, just how close did President Nixon come to nominating the first woman to the court…? Listen to phone calls between President Richard Nixon, Attorney General John Mitchell, White House Special Counsel Richard Moore, and Julie Nixon Eisenhower.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    1h 8m
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At least 6 U.S. Presidents recorded conversations while in office. Hear those conversations on this C-SPAN podcast.  Season 2 focuses on President Richard Nixon's secretly-recorded private telephone conversations. Through eight episodes, hear Richard Nixon talk with key aides about Watergate strategy, potential Supreme Court Nominees, and hear his reaction to the leaked publication of the Pentagon Papers.  Season 2: President Nixon  Season 1: President Johnson

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