Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 23 › Conversation 023-068

Nixon phone call with MacGregor on Vietnam War and B-52 bombing

Tuesday, April 25, 1972 · 1:59 PM–2:01 PM ET · White House Telephone · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); MacGregor, ClarkConversation023-068 on Tape 23StartTuesday, April 25, 1972 at 1:59 PMEndTuesday, April 25, 1972 at 2:01 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 023-068 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Clark MacGregor discussed ongoing military operations in Vietnam, specifically focusing on continued B-52 bombing raids and the administration's firm stance against North Vietnam. MacGregor provided positive feedback regarding public reception to recent statements made by the Vice President and the appointment of John Mooty as the CRP chairman in Minnesota. Additionally, they reviewed the status of Richard G. Kleindienst’s confirmation proceedings, anticipating a favorable committee vote on his nomination the following morning.

Audio

Download MP3 · 3.7 MB

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Hello.
I am Mr. McGregor, sir.
Hello.
Hello.
Clark?
Yes, Mr. President.
I'm sorry I didn't, sitting here with Chuck Colson, I couldn't inform you, all of you, including him, about what was going on, but I'm sure you realize that this is a hell of a, as what Ziegler says, is a
as a wallbanger.
I guessed as much, Mr. President.
I just had a chance to visit with Henry Kissinger.
In fact, I was in his office about 20 minutes ago when he talked with you briefly on the phone, indicated he'd see you at 3 o'clock.
And although Henry didn't give me too many additional details, I gather that there's already movement from Moscow towards Hanoi, which I'll keep my mouth shut about.
But I can tell you, Mr. President, that there's... We've got him confused, haven't we?
Yes, and there's a confusion in the enemies and in the ranks of your friends...
They're looking forward very much to talking with Henry at 530, and I think they have an expectation that... Oh, no.
All we're going to tell them is we're going to continue to bomb North Vietnam.
They'll be pleased to know that.
Will that satisfy them?
It sure will.
Oh, well, we're going to... As a matter of fact, I ordered a couple of B-52 attacks on a major installation in North Vietnam five minutes ago.
Does that please you?
It sure does, Mr. President.
All right.
I think you're...
I think this is just right from what I know of it, and I think that you're going to get a favorable response here.
Incidentally, the reaction to the Vice President's speech, indicating that, naming them by name, that they had nothing to say when the North Vietnamese... Well, how'd that go?
That went well.
Good.
It went well.
I got some reports from Minnesota from political types there, and last night they've just picked a chairman for your re-election committee who's a darn good one, a fellow named John Moody, a lawyer in Minneapolis.
All right, good.
And the reaction was good.
The reaction was very good.
In fact, people said to me, the vice president, saying what needs to be said about this.
Well, they hear me tomorrow night.
I'm going on tomorrow night, and I'll lay it into the bastards.
That's great.
We're going to do well on client dates tomorrow.
Mac Mathias is on his way back from London, and I talked to him.
Tomorrow?
Oh, is the client date?
I thought it was Thursday.
Committee...
Jim Eastland's coming back from Memphis tonight, and he wants to have a committee meeting tomorrow morning, and that's all right with us.
We've got our six Republicans on hand tomorrow morning.
Good.
The wording of the Byrd motion was not later than Thursday.
Nothing to say they couldn't act tomorrow.
Oh, good.
If they could act tomorrow, that would be good.
That would be good.
We think they will.
Fine.
Now, don't you let your dovish friends get you out of the line, okay?
No chance, Mr. President.
Colson's been bugging me about this.
He says McGregor's a softliner.
Okay.
Okay.
All right.
Good luck.
Thanks, President.
Bye.

NARA Description

On April 25, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Clark MacGregor talked on the telephone from 1:59 pm to 2:01 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 023-068 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 23-68

Date: April 25, 1972
Time: 1:59-2:01 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Clark MacGregor.

[See also Conversation No. 332-48B]

     Vietnam
          -Ronald L. Ziegler's briefing
          -Henry A. Kissinger
                -Briefing of MacGregor
          -Soviets
                -Movement
          -Kissinger briefing
                -Bombing
                      -B-52's
                           -New orders
                      -Support
          -The Vice President's speech
                -Reception
                      -Minnesota
                           -Committee to Re-elect the President [CRP] chairman
                                 -John Mooty
                           -Reaction
          -The President's speech

     Richard G. Kleindienst
          -Confirmation
                -Charles McC. Mathias, Jr.
                -Committee meeting
                     -James O. Eastland
                     -Scheduling
                -Robert C. Byrd motion
                -Committee action

     Vietnam
          -Charles W. Colson
          -MacGregor's position

Also recorded on April 25, 1972

  • 023-065 1:45 PM · 24 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 1:45 pm to 1:46 pm.
  • 332-046 1:45 PM · 19 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:45 pm to 1:46 pm.
  • 023-066 1:48 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 1:48 pm.
  • 332-047 1:48 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 1:48 pm.
  • 023-067 1:55 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:55 pm and 1:59 pm.
  • 332-048 1:55 PM · 37 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, White House operator, Manolo Sanchez, Clark MacGregor, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:55 pm to 2:25 pm.
  • 023-069 2:01 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:01 pm and 2:15 pm.
  • 023-070 2:13 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 2:13 pm to 2:15 pm.

All 54 conversations from April 25, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 023-068, April 25, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/023-068 (accessed October 9, 2026).