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There Johnson received telephone calls from former Presidents Dwight Eisenhower and Harry Truman. Both assured him that they had confidence in him, would do whatever they could to help him in the transitional period. The President called FBI Chief J. Edgar Hoover, told Hoover to throw as many men as he needed into the search for evidence against Kennedy's assassin. Said Johnson: "I want you to do whatever is needed to clean this up."
At his beck, the leaders of Congress assembled in Johnson's office. They included Mike Mansfield, Senators Dirksen, Humphrey, Tommy Kuchel, George Smathers, House Speaker McCormack, House Minority Leader Charlie Halleck, House Majority Leader Carl Albert. "The country needs unity as it has never needed it before," Johnson told them. He said he was worried that some other nations might conclude that this "very abrupt and sudden transition" in U.S. leadership would bring drastic changes in U.S. foreign policy. That would be wrong and dangerous, Johnson said. The leaders of both parties assured him of their cooperation.
Johnson called various members of the White House staff, told them he would need to "lean on them" now. He summoned a few of his own longtime aides—George Reedy, Walter Jenkins, Bill Moyers—and set up more meetings for Saturday, then drove to his home in Washington's Spring Valley section for the night.
Looking Ahead. At home, Johnson retreated to a private sitting room at the rear of the house. The first thing he saw there was a framed color photo of his beloved friend Sam Rayburn. The President saluted, then whispered: "Well, Mr. Speaker, I wish you were here tonight." Joined by several close friends, Johnson asked someone to switch on a television set. It showed films of a grinning Jack Kennedy shaking hands in Dallas shortly before the shooting. Johnson ordered the channel changed. "I just don't believe I can take that," he said.
Johnson called Secret Service Chief Jim Rowley to the house, told him how one of his agents, Rufus Youngblood, had acted heroically at the time of the shooting. Assigned to guard Johnson, Youngblood had thrown the Vice President to the floor of his car at the first sound of the shots, then placed his own body atop Johnson, stayed there all the way to the hospital. Declared Johnson: "I want you to do whatever you can, the best thing that can be done, for that boy."
Despite the day's overwhelming events and despite his weariness, President Johnson was already looking ahead. He listed memos he would need for the next day's meetings, noted people he would have to call. And he said repeatedly: "We really have a big job to do now."