LBJ and George Wallace, 3/18/65, 4.33P. 1 of 3.

Telephone Conversation between President Johnson and George Wallace.
Citation No.: 7094. Continues to 7095 and 7096.
March 18, 1965
Time: 4:33PM. Continues.
Speakers: President Johnson and George Wallace
General Topics: Civil Disorders; Civil Rights; Crime & Law Enforcement; Defense; Judiciary; Presidency; Religion
Topics: Wallace Reports On Influx Of Protesters To Alabama, Their Inflammatory Actions, Inability Of Alabama Forces To Maintain Order During Selma March; Possible Need For Federal Help; LBJ Encourages Wallace To Avoid Further Postponement, Call Up National Guard
More info on the LBJ telephone conversations: www.lbjlib.utexas.edu/johnson/...
President Johnson assigned his copyright to the United States government; however, the copyright of the President may not extend beyond statements made by President Johnson. Statements uttered by officials of the United States government in the course of their duties are considered to be in the public domain. Users of the recordings and transcripts are cautioned, however, that not all persons recorded were government officials. A number of the people recorded were, at the time of recording, private citizens. Therefore, those intending to quote from this material beyond the accepted limits of fair use are cautioned to determine the copyright implications of any intended publication.

[@nav1pi983]

I have been watching LBJ for almost a week now. And in a short time, this history lesson has made me a better man.

[@kenitcimm3467]

Wwwwooowwwww!! Thats a statement!

[@ChristopherMarshburn]

This here is what is called a veiled threat. LBJ called his bluff.

[@franksantore2327]

Boy, LBJ basically told George, "You made the mess, now fix it!"

[@BAMAVADER]

@@tristanmullen8015 another ignorant Buffoon speaks about something they have no clue about...idiot

[@dorothygale1104]

@@BAMAVADER Enlighten us about the wit and wisdom of George Wallace. That is if you have time to do so before your klan meeting starts, Ellie Mae.

[@franksantore2327]

And the irony of Wallace asking for Federal troops!

[@syafsmith5085]

Guess "states rights" are only convenient to racist authoritarians to suppress dissent.

[@BAMAVADER]

@@syafsmith5085 George Wallace has more brains than you will ever have...you are speaking about something you are very ignorant about...

[@chiragnaik3436]

Irony of Wallace is he is a demonrat lol

[@Spunky1991]

@@chiragnaik3436 George Wallace was a CONSERVATIVE DEMOCRAT. He would be a Republican today.

[@michaelvasquez9677]

former president George hw Bush, always had great respect for lbj, who to this Republican, was a democrat, who I truly respected. he had good judgement, passed major legislation with bipartisan support, and worked and had a personal friendship with one of my heroes, Everett dirksen. I wish the nastiness and invective of today's political climate would just go away

[@vnmsenior]

Why did this president take out JFK? Honor or fear?

[@loralarose9615]

@@vnmsenior we

[@amartinjoe]

just watched "Path to War"; there's a great exchange between LBJ & Wallace; unforgettable!

[@adamivester9789]

"Hundreds of bearded beatniks" I guess this was before the word Hippie was invinted

[@teresalinton5898]

true

[@TheFinchmonster]

If anyone is wondering they are talking about the (then) upcoming Selma to Montgomery march led by Martin Luther King Jr.

[@kenitcimm3467]

Thankyou! INCREDIBLE LISTENING TO THESE DOCUMENTED PHONE CALLS!!!

[@markstaten9526]

when he said "stop something" he meant hurt the protesters sort of veiled warning... by wallace

[@Ariamaluum]

That last comment by George is pretty disturbing and manipulative.

[@paulabarrows7023]

This pulled the good of LBJ to the forefront. Wallace was a menace!

[@ITILII]

Nowhere near the menace that Johnson turned out to be, involved in the assassinations of JFK and RFK, possibly MLK too. Got us involved in Vietnam to the cost of over 58,000 American lives, 1 MILLION Vietnamese, and more than 200 billion dollars. Increased greatly the number of government control programs that "entitle" people to "free" government money (which is the Taxpayer's money) LBJ is easily one of the WORST Presidents of the USA, following 2 GREAT Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy. That's ok LBJ is now burning in hell as he deserves.

[@fredglave8864]

Johnson was a sociopath and a liar. Any perceived good he did was only to cover his ass so he could do even more despicable things.

[@bigbopper8747]

@@fredglave8864 when you're in charge and have dirty FBI doing all the dirty work they could assassinate anybody at that point . Johnson was a sociopath for sure

[@andymullarx6365]

Two Democrats

[@paulbentley1705]

@@fredglave8864 Agreed!

[@professorspf]

"bearded beatniks" oh man this is hilarious...

[@mgsimba1]

What was the exchange?

[@desmondbanks5796]

He didn’t have the same enthusiasm when he talked to DR king!

[@mjames4709]

Why should he?

[@BOBBYBOMACLLC]

@@mjames4709 that’s why he’s burning in hell

[@talmadgerussell8986]

@@BOBBYBOMACLLC Very True Martin C oon king is burning at this moment for being a rabble rouser

[@mortensenegbert6619]

"Negro ministers asked Patrolmen what their wives were doing and said they would have dates with their wives." (6:12) Can't imagine that happened. LBJ must have been rolling his eyes.

[@Michaelbos]

Wallace was crazy.

[@Michaelbos]

Imagine, something like that was really said, there be a lot of spilt heads going on. The good days when cops could do such things.

[@professorspf]

5:33 "I know that - I understand that". Is it just me, or did LBJ's voice fluctuate and get more southern?

[@meflove]

Yep. The Johnson treatment was total

[@NxDoyle]

I listened out for it, on either side of your 5:33 time stamp. But I didn't pick up anything more southern, or hill country Texan. President Johnson's accent was not blunted or rounded by his time in Washington DC. It was apparent in every speech and call.

[@PabluchoViision]

Good ear, man. The way I hear it, it’s not that he necessarily got more “Southern” but that he got more informal in his Texas Southernness. “Ah unnuhstand ‘at” or almost “Ah unn’stand ‘at” is my rendering of how it came out.

[@PabluchoViision]

@@NxDoyle “Mah fellah Amurricunzh.” That’s how I remember it. Larger than life, he was....

[@brianmbaker57]

How dare they " fly preist in"😏

[@Michaelbos]

I know, especially when kids will be there.

[@whitneynettles3830]

Use your SUPERIOR DISCIPLINE??? REALLY???

[@joijaxx]

Lee goodas I caught that too!!! SMH

[@DH-br9kq]

PRIMARY SOURCES

[@mikedocherty6160]

ALL THE WAY WITH LBJ

[@firgasz2920]

LBJ was a crook.

[@bobgriffith1810]

Mike Docherty I'm 73 and from Texas,, Johnson was a manipulative politician who would sell,his brother for a vote, was known as such and for good reason.. expand your knowledge of his career and you'll know now what we have known for 40 years.

[@dongf5628]

@@bobgriffith1810 I’m from Texas and lbj was my first vote ever. We were a much better state politically back then. Today we have idiots like Cruz and Cornyn that represent us.

[@ThomasJones-sz3sx]

@@bobgriffith1810 Took bags of cash from the Root Brothers in his days as U.S. Senator. "Where's my God Damed money!"

[@JerryDArezzo]

Wishy washy

[@NestaVision2007]

Didn't sound wishy-washy...sounded to me like he let Wallace know in a roundabout way that he (Johnson) wasn't going to take the lead on Wallace's problem and if federal troops were involved, Wallace would have to publicly own it....

[@aarond9563]

I can't even stand to hear his voice almost.

[@BAMAVADER]

Truth hurts sometimes

[@steevrawjers]

Classic lyndon johnson

[@unclehousy-leotardo]

LBJ needed a haircut too

[@HassanAli-zd3oh]

Lbj voted against civil rights of 1956 or 57

[@tinnedtuna8242]

LBJ is the reason the '57 act passed. i recommend reading Master of the Senate.

[@billwixon7162]

He passed the Bills. He had to water them down so they would pass. No Civil Rights Bill had been passed since Reconstruction until that point. Without LBJ the Northern Liberals and Southern Dixiecrats (Who controlled the committees and could filibuster) would have still been fighting and passing nothing.

[@adrianmarcolini2210]

That's straight up false.

[@ezio1920]

@@adrianmarcolini2210 his greatest shame was his history of that he said, to get elected, but he did make up for it. Barbara Jordan adored him, and he did a lot to get her elected

[@frc1968]

Kudos to LBJ for even taking the call from that racist. When you are president you have to deal with unpleasant things and Wallace was one of them.

[@strouselawoffices4388]

LBJ, when it came to greasing the wheels and perfecting the art of give and take, may have been the greatest politician in american history.

[@WomanWithAnIssue]

Dear Lord, frc1968! You have the internet! Do your research before you start spouting nonsense. And for heaven sake, do so before you put people on pedestals!

[@billwixon7162]

You should take the opportunity to explain your why you disagree. You comment is unhelpful. What I assume you were getting at is people like Wallace were responsible for LBJ's rise to power. LBJ had been supported by them and had been an instrument for them many, many times. Therefore, LBJ dealing with Wallace was not likely to bother him. My assumption is you are calling LBJ a racist as well?

[@ThomasJones-sz3sx]

@@WomanWithAnIssue LBJ was a documented racist.

[@ThomasJones-sz3sx]

@@billwixon7162 Yes, It's a fact not difficult to document.

[@paulgleitman7754]

LBJ , one of the greatest civil rights leaders in American history.Let no man say differently.

[@psycho_fk]

Wrong

[@kitrichardson5573]

Lol. You obviously know very little about history or you have been taught by people who deliberately set out to manipulate you.

[@truenorth3740]

The BEST President in my lifetime!

[@tmo4330]

Blacks loved these 2 men. Blacks voted Wallace in for governor. Thats real history like it or not.

[@tristanmullen8015]

T mo yeah. They voted for him in the 80’s after he got shot and claimed to have “turned his life around”. Black folks couldn’t vote at all in Alabama in the 60’s so they didn’t vote for him.

[@tristanmullen8015]

And I highly doubt they would have supported the man who made a show in the door of a college in trying to prevent two black students from enrolling.

[@citizen8969]

@@tristanmullen8015 they could vote in the 60's

[@ilae.williams7675]

Excuse me.Native Alabaman here...When Martin Luther King and the civil rights workers came to the the Black Belt of Alabama, they found that not a single Black person had voted in the 20th century...

[@ilae.williams7675]

@@citizen8969 ...Blacks had the "legal right" to vote in the Sixties, but the Klan made sure it didnt happen--you gotta be kidding!?!

[@roblocia437]

LBJ and Wallace both are good people...

[@StephenLuke]

Wallace is not, in the 60s he was a racist until his assassination attempt in 1972