Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 24 › Conversation 024-076

Nixon phone call with Scott on Vietnam War and Public opinion polling

Thursday, May 11, 1972 · 11:49 AM–11:51 AM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Scott, HughConversation024-076 on Tape 24 (tape position 01:25:00–01:26:52)StartThursday, May 11, 1972 at 11:49 AMEndThursday, May 11, 1972 at 11:51 AMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 024-076 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 646314468 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Senate Minority Leader Hugh Scott discuss recent public support for the administration's Vietnam policy, specifically focusing on the favorable response to Nixon’s blockade decision as evidenced by Erie County poll results. Scott praises the President's recent rhetoric and language, leading Nixon to request that Scott share his colorful phrasing directly with Chuck Colson for use in future White House communications. Both parties agree on the strategic importance of using favorable polling data to bolster their public position.

Audio

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NARA Description

On May 11, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Hugh Scott talked on the telephone from 11:49 am to 11:51 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 024-076 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 24-76

Date: May 11, 1972
Time: 11:49 am - 11:51 am
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Hugh Scott.

[See also Conversation No. 338-41B]

     Vietnam
          -Blockade
               -Scott's statements
                     -White House news summary report
                     -The President's view
                     -Phrases and language
                            -Use by the White House
                                 -Contacts with Charles W. Colson
               -Success
                     -The President’s view
               -Poll in Erie County, Pennsylvania
                     -Response to the President's speech
                            -Support and opposition
               -Opinion Research Corporation [ORC] poll
                     -Accuracy
               -Sindlinger poll

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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.
Senator Scott, Mr. President.
Hello.
I don't think it is about... Hello, Mr. President.
Well, you've done many great jobs.
I didn't get to see it, but I've just read my news summary, and I think this is probably the best you've ever done.
Your language is so good.
I mean, where do you get all these things?
Well, I work up some moral indignation that comes to me.
Could I ask you to do...
I know it was really superb, superb, but could I ask you to do one thing that would be very helpful, and I'll have Chuck keep in touch with your office.
You know, there may be sometimes you've got some words that you don't want to use, you know, that are a little rougher.
And could you, you know, the phrase making, remember like you did with me on the plane in 1960.
Would you mind feeding a little to them?
Because, you see, we don't have, we have good writers on here, but they are not colorful writers.
Who do you want me to give it to?
To Chuck Colson.
Chuck Colson.
Is that all right?
Yes, sir.
And we'll protect you on it.
But listen, that was great.
But if you've got a good one, you use it yourself.
But give us your Liebens from the table, okay?
Okay.
Well, I enjoy this.
It's a great job.
I think you're everlastingly right.
We're doing the right thing, and it's going to work.
There's a poll returned up in my county of Erie, by the way, which shows that... Erie County, yeah.
Erie County, that no previous public issue has drawn so extensive a response from listeners.
Ninety percent of the phone calls were late to it, and out of a total, 122...
People calling in favorite drill position, 59 opposing.
That's very good.
Now, that's in the back country.
That's right.
That's good.
And, you know, you saw that ORC pole, you know.
We used that, yeah.
That's right on the nose, you know.
Those poles are totally accurate.
I didn't admit one.
Sindlinger also, you know, came out the same thing.
I never admit where we get those poles.
Right, right.
We use them on television.
Good.
Well, keep hammering them, and good luck.
Thank you, sir.
I appreciate your call.
Bye.

Also recorded on May 11, 1972

  • 024-074 11:34 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Tricia Nixon Cox talked on the telephone from 11:34 am to 11:35 am.
  • 338-039 11:34 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Tricia Nixon Cox met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 11:34 am and 11:35 am.
  • 338-040 11:35 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 11:35 am and 11:43 am.
  • 024-075 11:43 AM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:43 am and 11:49 am.
  • 338-041 11:43 AM · 52 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, Hugh Scott, Robert P. Griffin, and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 11:43 am to 12:40 pm.
  • 024-077 11:51 AM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:51 am and 11:56 am.
  • 024-078 11:56 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Robert P. Griffin talked on the telephone from 11:56 am to 11:57 am.
  • 338-042 12:04 PM · 30 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:04 pm and 12:51 pm.

All 35 conversations from May 11, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 024-076, May 11, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 646314468). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/024-076 (accessed November 1, 2026).