Lyndon Johnson and Martin Luther King, Jr. on 25 November 1963


Transcript

Edited by Max Holland, with David Shreve, Ashley Havard High, and Patricia Dunn

See the daily introduction for 1963-11-25  [from the Norton edition]

The conversation with the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was part of President Johnson’s methodical cultivation of all the major civil rights leaders.

President Johnson

. . . interest and your cooperation, and your communication, and a good many people told me that they heard about your statement.[note 1] King had publicly stated his support for the new President. I guess it [was] on TV wasn’t it?

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Yes, that’s right—

President Johnson

I—

King

—uh-huh.

President Johnson

I been locked up in this office, and I haven’t seen it. But I want to tell you how grateful I am, and how worthy I’m going to try to be of all your hopes.

King

Well, thank you very much. I’m so happy to hear that, and I knew that you had just that great spirit and you know you have our support and backing—

President Johnson

Well—

King

—because we know what a difficult period this is. [Unclear]—

President Johnson

—it’s a—it’s just an impossible period. We got a budget coming up that’s—we got nothing to do with it, it’s practically already made. And we got a civil rights bill that hadn’t even passed the House, and it’s November, and Hubert Humphrey told me yesterday everybody wanted to go home. We got a tax bill that they haven’t touched. We just got to let up—not let up on any of them and keep going and—

King

[Unclear]—

President Johnson

—I guess they’ll say that I’m repudiated. But I’m going to ask the Congress Wednesday to just stay there until they pass them all.[note 2] Johnson was referring to his upcoming speech before a Joint Session of Congress. They won’t do it. But we’ll just keep them there next year until they do, and we just won’t give up an inch.

King

Uh-huh. Well this is mighty fine. I think it’s so imperative. I think one of the great tributes that we can pay in memory of President Kennedy is to try to enact some of the great, progressive policies that he sought to initiate.

President Johnson

Well, I’m going to support them all, and you can count on that. And I’m going to do my best to get other men to do likewise, and I’ll have to have you-all’s help—

King

Right.

President Johnson

—I never needed it more than I do now.

King

Well, you know you have it, and just feel free to call on us for anything.

President Johnson

Thank you so much, Martin—

King

All right. Give my—

President Johnson

—call me when you’re—

King

—regards to the family.

President Johnson

I sure will. And call me when you’re down here next time.

King

I certainly will, Mr. President.

President Johnson

Let’s get together. And any suggestions you got, bring them in.

King

Fine, I certainly will do that.

President Johnson

Thank you so much.

King

Thank you for calling.

Cite as

“Lyndon Johnson and Martin Luther King, Jr. on 25 November 1963,” Tape K6311.02, PNO 22, Presidential Recordings Digital Edition [The Kennedy Assassination and the Transfer of Power, vol. 1, ed. Max Holland] (Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2014–). URL: http://prde.upress.virginia.edu/conversations/9010106

Originally published in

Lyndon B. Johnson: The Kennedy Assassination and the Transfer of Power, November 1963–January 1964, ed. Max Holland, vol. 1 of The Presidential Recordings (New York and London: W. W. Norton and Company, 2005).