Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 23 › Conversation 023-037

Nixon phone call with Ziegler on Vietnam War and Public Relations

Wednesday, April 19, 1972 · 2:17 PM–2:18 PM ET · White House Telephone · 46 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.Conversation023-037 on Tape 23StartWednesday, April 19, 1972 at 2:17 PMEndWednesday, April 19, 1972 at 2:18 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 023-037 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler strategize on how to counter criticism from Ivy League university presidents regarding the recent U.S. bombing campaign in Vietnam. Nixon suggests a biting public retort emphasizing that university leadership should condemn the enemy rather than the United States. They ultimately decide against a direct White House statement, opting instead to have a political ally like Senator Barry Goldwater deliver the line to deflect attention and maintain a strategic distance.

Audio

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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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Yeah.
Yes, sir.
I thought of a good line to handle this, and it may be worth your doing it, is just to say, well, gentlemen, that really isn't news.
What would be news is if the presidents of these universities, instead of condemning the United States, condemned the enemy of the United States.
What would be news?
And that would be certainly like a man biting a dog.
A man biting dog.
Right.
I think it's worth saying.
I was just talking to Chuck when you called back, and his instinct was what mine was.
To leave it alone?
Leave it alone, because it would, you know... Give him that quote for somebody.
I will.
Put it out from the hill or something.
Have somebody up there, like Goldwater or something.
That's right.
All right.
Right, yes, sir.

NARA Description

On April 19, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 2:17 pm to 2:18 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 023-037 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 23-37

Date: April 19, 1972
Time: 2:17-2:18 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Ronald L. Ziegler.

[See also Conversation No. 331-32]
     Vietnam
          -Bombing
              -Objections of Ivy League presidents
                   -North Vietnamese actions
                   -Ziegler's conversation with Charles W. Colson
                         -Barry M. Goldwater

Also recorded on April 19, 1972

  • 023-034 1:49 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:49 pm and 2:11 pm.
  • 331-027 1:49 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:49 pm and 2:11 pm.
  • 331-028 1:49 PM · 36 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:49 pm and 2:11 pm.
  • 023-035 2:11 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 2:11 pm to 2:16 pm.
  • 331-030 2:11 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:11 pm to 2:16 pm.
  • 023-036 2:16 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:16 pm and 2:17 pm.
  • 331-031 2:16 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:16 pm and 2:17 pm.
  • 331-032 2:17 PM · 47 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:17 pm to 2:18 pm.

All 56 conversations from April 19, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 023-037, April 19, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/023-037 (accessed October 1, 2026).