Politics and the Presidency | The LBJ Telephone Tapes

LBJ laying a wreath on President Kennedy's coffin

November 22, 1963

“The President Is Dead”

Pierre E. G. Salinger | Oliver S. Hallett

JFK Assassination

LBJ talks to advisers in the White House pool

January 6, 1964

“Never Felt Better in My Life”

Lyndon B. Johnson | Walker Stone

Presidential Transition

Barry Goldwater and LBJ in the Oval Office looking at a portrait of Franklin Roosevelt

January 8, 1964

“Finest Advertisement He Could Give Me”

Lyndon B. Johnson | Thomas G. Corcoran

Election of 1964

President Lyndon B. Johnson with Senate Democratic Leadership and Democratic Members of Senate Finance Committee

January 23, 1964

“Can’t You Help Me”

Lyndon B. Johnson | R. Vance Hartke | Abraham A. "Abe" Ribicoff

1964 Tax Cut, Johnson Treatment

LBJ and Hubert Humphrey sitting in chairs outside

January 28, 1964

“This Is What We Stand For”

Lyndon B. Johnson | Hubert H. Humphrey Jr.

Party Politics

Secret service members gathered around a car

June 15, 1964

“Y’all Can’t Keep a Secret”

Lyndon B. Johnson | Jack Valenti | Floyd Boring

Presidential Security

LBJ leans toward Everett Dirksen while they talk

June 23, 1964

“You’re a Hard Bargainer”

Lyndon B. Johnson | Everett M. Dirksen

Bipartisanship, Johnson Treatment

Larry O'Brien and LBJ sit around a desk in the Oval Office

August 7, 1964

“Keep the Boys That Should Be Sober, Sober”

Lyndon B. Johnson | Lawrence F. "Larry" O'Brien Jr.

Congress, Economic Opportunity Act

President Lyndon Johnson walking outside with Robert Kennedy

August 17, 1964

“A Very, Very Ambitious Young Man”

Lyndon B. Johnson | Dean Rusk

RFK

August 25, 1964

“I Do Not Believe I Can”

Lyndon B. Johnson | Walter W. Jenkins

Election of 1964, LBJ Health

August 25, 1964

“That’s What the Democratic Party’s For”

Lyndon B. Johnson | Hubert H. Humphrey Jr. | Walter P. Reuther

Election of 1964, Party Politics

President Johnson on stage with a group at a campaign rally

September 9, 1964

“They Can’t Argue with Themselves”

Lyndon B. Johnson | W. Willard "Bill" Wirtz Jr.

Election of 1964

October 1, 1964

“That Wasn’t What Killed Kennedy”

Lyndon B. Johnson | Hubert H. Humphrey Jr.

Election of 1964, Presidential Security

LBJ sitting at a desk with White House aide Walter W. Jenkins standing behind him

October 23, 1964

“I Think He Ought to Be Institutionalized”

Lyndon B. Johnson | J. Edgar Hoover

Walter Jenkins

Walter W. Heller wearing glasses, Kermit Gordon has hand to chin, Luther Hodges looking at them both, all seated in blk chairs with papers in hand.

October 27, 1964

“A Better Way to Do It”

Lyndon B. Johnson | Kermit Gordon

Election of 1964

President Lyndon Johnson holding his face

November 3, 1964

“I’m Aching All Over”

Lyndon B. Johnson | Hubert H. Humphrey Jr.

Election of 1964, LBJ Health

President Lyndon B. Johnson standing with Hon. Edwin Weisl Sr.

November 4, 1964

“We’ve Got to Build That Up”

Lyndon B. Johnson | Edwin L. "Eddie" Weisl Sr.

Election of 1964, Media

Presidents Harry S. Truman and Lyndon Johnson stand together

November 4, 1964

“I’m Just So Honored”

Lyndon B. Johnson | Harry S. Truman

Greetings, Harry S. Truman

Posing for camera after conference L-R: Congr. Charles Halleck, Secy. John Foster Dulles (?), Sen. Everett Dirksen, Dean Acheson (?), Speaker Sam Rayburn, Secy. Neil McElroy, Pres. Dwight Eisenhower, V.P. Richard Nixon, Sen. Lyndon B. Johnson

November 4, 1964

“We Got to Try to Unite the Country”

Lyndon B. Johnson | Everett M. Dirksen

Congress, Bipartisanship

Sec. Clark Clifford (left) seated at table, speaking and gesturing as President Lyndon B. Johnson listens

November 4, 1964

“A Passion for Anonymity”

Lyndon B. Johnson | McGeorge "Mac" Bundy | Bill Moyers

Appointments, Clark M. Clifford

November 4, 1964

“He’d Have Been Beat”

Lyndon B. Johnson | McGeorge "Mac" Bundy | Bill Moyers

Election of 1964, RFK

Congressman Howard W. Smith stands outside the White House on the lawn with President Lyndon B. Johnson

November 5, 1964

“We’ve Got to Work Our Will”

Lyndon B. Johnson | John W. McCormack

Congress

Robert Kennedy raises his arm with President Lyndon Johnson at a campaign event

November 5, 1964

Better Days

Lyndon B. Johnson | Robert F. "Bobby" Kennedy

Election of 1964, RFK

LBJ talking to reporters holding microphones

November 16, 1964

“Put Some Better People on Your Team”

Lyndon B. Johnson | George E. Reedy

Appointments, Media

Congressman Mendel Rivers and President Lyndon B. Johnson sit talking to each other

August 23, 1965

“He Ought to Be Removed”

Lyndon B. Johnson | John W. McCormack

Congress, China

Vice President Hubert Humphrey talking to President Lyndon Johnson

December 27, 1965

“He’s a Fool”

Lyndon B. Johnson | McGeorge "Mac" Bundy

Hubert H. Humphrey Jr.

President Lyndon Johnson talks to former President Dwight Eisenhower on a plane

January 25, 1966

“It Doesn’t Bother Me One Bit”

Lyndon B. Johnson | Dwight D. Eisenhower

Appointments

Lyndon Johnson standing in front of a bank of microphones giving a press conference

February 22, 1966

“What I’m Really Worrying About”

Lyndon B. Johnson | McGeorge "Mac" Bundy

Appointments, Media

Nick Katzenbach and LBJ sitting and talking

December 5, 1966

“It’s Just So Unfair”

Lyndon B. Johnson | Nicholas deB. "Nick" Katzenbach

JFK Assassination

February 7, 1967

“It’s for the Economy”

Lyndon B. Johnson | Gerald R. "Jerry" Ford Jr.

Highways, Bipartisanship

March 24, 1968

"I'm Not Master of a Damn Thing"

Lyndon B. Johnson | Henry H. "Joe" Fowler

Election of 1968

LBJ and Eugene McCarthy relaxing at the LBJ Ranch

March 31, 1968

“Our Friendship Was Never Severed”

Lyndon B. Johnson | Lady Bird Johnson | Abigail Q. McCarthy

Election of 1968

people in a crowd holding Humphrey/Muskie signs during the 1968 presidential campaign

August 29, 1968

“The Vice Presidency Is an Impossible Job”

Lyndon B. Johnson | Hubert H. Humphrey Jr.

Election of 1968

LBJ speaking at the 1968 Democratic convention

November 6, 1968

“We’ve Been in Tears”

Lyndon B. Johnson | Hubert H. Humphrey Jr. | Muriel Fay Humphrey | Lady Bird Johnson

Election of 1968

LBJ pointing to something in the Oval Office with Richard Nixon

November 14, 1968

“There’s No Arrangement“

Lyndon B. Johnson | Bryce N. Harlow

Election of 1968, Presidential Transition

December 25, 1968

“We’re Just So Fond of You”

Lyndon B. Johnson | Lady Bird Johnson | Elizabeth V. "Bess" Truman | Harry S. Truman

Greetings, Harry S. Truman