Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 23 › Conversation 023-127
Nixon phone call with Dent on Vietnam War and Moscow Summit
Tuesday, May 2, 1972 · 9:25 PM–9:31 PM ET · White House Telephone · 6 min
AI Summary
President Nixon consulted with advisor Harry Dent regarding ongoing North Vietnamese military offensives and their potential impact on his upcoming diplomatic trip to Moscow. They evaluated the political risks of visiting the Soviet Union while Soviet-supplied weaponry was being used against South Vietnamese forces, specifically considering the possibility of postponing the summit. The conversation also touched upon the status of current Democratic primary races and Nixon's efforts to maintain public support for a firm military response in Vietnam.
- 1972 Presidential Election
- Vietnam War
- Moscow Summit
- North Vietnamese Offensive
- Soviet Relations
- Democratic Primaries
Audio
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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.
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Hello?
Well, you know, you're hearing and you will hear some more about some tough battles in the South Vietnamese.
You know, they're going to lose some more towns.
We understand that.
But as you know, wars are not won or lost by battles.
They're won and lost by the end.
And we're bombing the hell out of them, I can tell you.
We had 1,200 sorties yesterday.
I just ordered some more B-52s out.
They were just scraping the bottom of the barrel of it.
Well, the point is that if the South Vietnamese really can't make it because of their inability on the ground, then we've done our best.
But we're going to do our goddamnedest to see that they do make it.
But I think people are for it.
What do you think, Terry?
They like a strong stand.
Is that it?
Let me ask you this.
Don't you think there's a real problem in going to Moscow as long as this thing's going on?
The difficulty is, though, that just putting it out, and I think they'll probably go, but just putting it out, if you've got Soviet tanks shelling the way, and I'm in Moscow tipping glasses with freshness, that's not very good, is it?
Well, if we take a hard, we could do it, of course.
We could put it out very hard.
Look, we're going to postpone this until they stop their invasion.
People might like that, too, huh?
Thank you.
you
NARA Description
On May 2, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Harry S. Dent talked on the telephone from 9:25 pm to 9:31 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 023-127 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 23-127
Date: May 2, 1972
Time: 9:25-9:31 pm
Location: White House Telephone
The President talked with Harry S. Dent.
*****************************************************************
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 03/21/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[023-127-w001]
[Duration: 2m 16s]
1972 election
-Primaries
-Latest word
-Returns
-Ohio
-Time
-The President's schedule
-J. Edgar Hoover address
-May 4, 1972
-A report to the President
-Indiana
-Returns
-Time
-Hubert H. Humphrey
-President’s prediction of primary victory
-Ohio
-George S. McGovern
-Chances
-Polls
-California
-George S. McGovern
-Democrats in California
-Composed primarily of leftist Democrats
-Conservative Democrats
-Conflict between groups of Democrats
-Potential difficulty for Hubert H. Humphrey
-Support
-Oregon
-Potential victory for George S. McGovern
-Support for George S. McGovern
*****************************************************************
Vietnam
-North Vietnamese offensive
-South Vietnamese losses
-Bombing
-Number of sorties
-B-52 attacks
-South Vietnam
-Abilities
-US support
-Public support for the President
*****************************************************************
[Previous archivists categorized this section as unintelligible. It has been rereviewed and
released 03/22/2019.]
[Unintelligible]
[023-127-w004]
[Duration: 14s]
[This portion of the tape is mostly tape noise with some muffled background conversation.]
*****************************************************************
Vietnam
-North Vietnamese offensive
-The president's forthcoming trip to Moscow
-Timing
*****************************************************************
[Previous archivists categorized this section as unintelligible. It has been rereviewed and
released 03/22/2019.]
[Unintelligible]
[023-127-w005]
[Duration: 25s]
[This portion of the tape is mostly tape noise with some muffled background conversation.]
*****************************************************************
Vietnam
-North Vietnamese offensive
-The President’s forthcoming trip to Moscow
-Difficulties
-Soviet aid to North Vietnam
*****************************************************************
[Previous archivists categorized this section as unintelligible. It has been rereviewed and
released 03/22/2019.]
[Unintelligible]
[023-127-w006]
[Duration: 30s]
[This portion of the tape is mostly tape noise with some muffled background conversation.]
*****************************************************************
Vietnam
-North Vietnamese offensive
-The President’s forthcoming trip to Moscow
-Possible postponement
-Public perception
*****************************************************************
[Previous archivists categorized this section as unintelligible. It has been rereviewed and
released 03/22/2019.]
[Unintelligible]
[023-127-w007]
[Duration: 20s]
[This portion of the tape is mostly tape noise with some muffled background conversation.]
*****************************************************************
*****************************************************************
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 03/21/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[023-127-w003]
[Duration: 35s]
1972 election
-Primaries
-Returns
-Time expected
-Report from Harry S. Dent
*****************************************************************Also recorded on May 3, 1972
- 023-123 9:14 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:14 pm and 9:17 pm.
- 023-124 9:17 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 9:17 pm.
- 023-125 9:20 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John K. Andrews, Jr. talked on the telephone from 9:20 pm to 9:22 pm.
- 023-126 9:22 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:22 pm and 9:25 pm.
- 023-128 9:31 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:31 pm and 9:35 pm.
- 023-129 9:35 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 9:35 pm to 9:40 pm.
- 718-001 7:58 AM · 11 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 7:58 am to 8:09 am.
- 099-012 8:09 AM · 1 hr 53 min — Richard M. Nixon and Republican Congressional leaders, including Robert P. Griffin, Margaret Chase Smith, Peter H. Dominick, Gordon L. Allott, George D. Aiken, Gerald R. Ford, Leslie C. Arends, John B. Anderson, John J. Rhodes, Barber B. Conable, Jr., Samuel L. Devine, H. Allen Smith, Robert C. ("Bob") Wilson, Richard H. Poff, William S. Mailliard, William E. Timmons, Richard K. Cook, Thomas C. Korologos, Patrick J. Buchanan, Ronald L. Ziegler, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and Adm. Thomas H. Moorer, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 8:09 am and 10:45 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 023-127, May 3, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/023-127 (accessed October 10, 2026).