Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 15 › Conversation 015-095

Nixon phone call with MacGregor on Legislative Strategy and Special Session

Monday, November 22, 1971 · 2:25 PM–2:26 PM ET · White House Telephone · 53 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); MacGregor, ClarkConversation015-095 on Tape 15 (tape position 03:03:47–03:04:41)StartMonday, November 22, 1971 at 2:25 PMEndMonday, November 22, 1971 at 2:26 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 015-095 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 417191035 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Clark MacGregor discussed the strategic potential of threatening a special congressional session to influence legislative voting behavior. MacGregor confirmed he broached the topic with Senate Minority Leader Hugh Scott as a way to pressure the Senate to avoid passing an unacceptable bill before their December 15th adjournment. Nixon approved of MacGregor's approach to planting the idea without directly linking it to the President.

Audio

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NARA Description

On November 22, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Clark MacGregor talked on the telephone from 2:25 pm to 2:26 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 015-095 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 15-95

Date: November 22, 1971
Time: 2:25 pm - 2:26 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Clark MacGregor.

[See also Conversation No. 293-30B]

     Senate
          -Possibility of special session
               -MacGregor's conversation with Hugh Scott

Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Clark, Mr. President.

I wonder if this idea of yours with regard to the fact that they may have a special session for Trump and staring him in the face might swing a vote or two.

Or do you think it's too much to hold up there?

Well, I talked to Hugh Scott about 15 minutes ago, Mr. President.

I didn't go so far with him because, as you know, he takes a ball and runs with it.

But I said to him, I suppose, Hugh, that...

If we had a scenario that went as follows, that you made this the last order of business and you presented the president with an unacceptable bill and you went home on December 15th, the president could always call you back.

And Hugh Scott said, say, he said, maybe that'd be a good idea.

So he's, I planted the idea in his mind without suggesting that it came from you, sir.

Just good that you did.

Okay.

Thank you, sir.

Also recorded on November 22, 1971

015-091 1:30 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Clark MacGregor talked on the telephone from 1:30 pm to 1:32 pm.
015-092 1:32 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:32 pm and 1:42 pm.
015-093 1:42 PM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone from 1:42 pm to 1:43 pm.
015-094 1:43 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:43 pm and 2:25 pm.
015-096 3:44 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 3:44 pm.
015-097 3:44 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:44 pm and 3:48 pm.
622-001 3:51 PM · 11 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:51 pm to 3:58 pm.
015-098 4:02 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Hobart D. Lewis talked on the telephone from 4:02 pm to 4:07 pm.

All 59 conversations from November 22, 1971 →

Nixon phone call with Scott on Phase II and Federal pay bill October 6, 1971 · 5 min
Nixon phone call with Ford on Richard H. Poff and Charles Colson October 6, 1971 · 2 min
Nixon phone call with Kissinger on Foreign aid and Senate October 29, 1971 · 1 min
Nixon phone call with Scott on Health and Vietnam June 20, 1972 · 7 min
Nixon phone call with Scott on Presidential veto and Congressional relations October 18, 1972 · 2 min
Nixon, Baker & Byrd on Busing legislation and Cloture October 10, 1972 · 24 min

Cite this conversation

Conversation 015-095, November 22, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417191035). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/015-095 (accessed November 15, 2026).