Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 23 › Conversation 023-052
Nixon phone call with Ziegler on Bob Hope and Vietnam War
Thursday, April 20, 1972 · 2:46 PM–2:48 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min
AI Summary
President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler coordinate logistics for an upcoming meeting with Bob Hope, ensuring photographer Ollie Atkins captures images in both the Oval Office and the Rose Garden for a commemorative album. They also review the political fallout from a recent Democratic caucus vote on Vietnam, with Nixon emphasizing the importance of highlighting low attendance and partisan dynamics. To counter the narrative, they discuss leveraging Republican allies and staffer Charles Colson to amplify support for the position from loyal Democrats.
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
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NARA Description
On April 20, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 2:46 pm to 2:48 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 023-052 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 23-52
Date: April 20, 1972
Time: 2:46-2:48 pm
Location: White House Telephone
The President talked with Ronald L. Ziegler.
[See also Conversation No. 332-16]
The President's schedule
-Meeting with Leslie T. (“Bob”) Hope
-Length
-Photographs
-Oliver F. (“Ollie”) Atkins
-Oval Office
-Rose Garden
-Album
Vietnam
-Democratic caucus
-Resolution
-News reports
-Vote
-Attendance/absentees
-Vote on floor
-United Press International [UPI] story
-Changes
-The President's supporters
-Republican praise
-Charles W. ColsonAlso recorded on April 20, 1972
- 332-016 2:46 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:46 pm to 2:48 pm.
- 023-053 2:48 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:48 pm and 3:08 pm.
- 332-017 2:48 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:48 pm and 3:08 pm.
- 332-018 2:48 PM · 22 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 2:48 pm and 3:08 pm.
- 023-054 3:08 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 3:08 pm to 3:09 pm.
- 332-019 3:08 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:08 pm to 3:09 pm.
- 332-020 3:09 PM · 52 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 3:09 pm and 3:10 pm.
- 023-055 3:10 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:10 pm and 3:15 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 023-052, April 20, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/023-052 (accessed October 1, 2026).