Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 39 › Conversation 039-004

Nixon phone call with Scott on Watergate and National Security

Thursday, May 24, 1973 · 1:36 PM–1:38 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Scott, HughConversation039-004 on Tape 39StartThursday, May 24, 1973 at 1:36 PMEndThursday, May 24, 1973 at 1:38 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 039-004 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon calls Senator Hugh Scott to commend his recent public defense of the administration, specifically regarding the Watergate scandal. Nixon encourages Scott to emphasize the importance of national security and secrecy in facilitating major foreign policy achievements, such as diplomatic relations with China and the Soviet Union, and the return of POWs from Vietnam. By framing the protection of sensitive information as vital to peace negotiations, Nixon urges Scott to contrast the administration's national security efforts with the actions of those who leak classified materials.

Audio

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NARA Description

On May 24, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Hugh Scott talked on the telephone from 1:36 pm to 1:38 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 039-004 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 39-4

Date: May 24, 1973
Time: 1:36 pm - 1:38 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Hugh Scott.

[See also Conversation No. 440-38]

       Watergate
             -Scott’s actions, May 23
                     -Ronald L. Ziegler’s opinion

       Scott’s schedule
               -Pittsburgh

       Watergate
             -White House response
                    -National security
                            -Motives of opponents
                            -Effect on United States foreign policy
                                    -Importance of secrecy
                                           -People’s Republic of China [PRC]
                                           -Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR]
                                                   -Arms limitations [?]
                                           -Vietnam
                                                   -Prisoners of war [POWs]
                            -Scott’s possible statement
                                    -Leakers
                                           -Celebration
                                           -Negative effects
                    -Scott’s statement, May 23
                            -Ervin Committee
                                              -4-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                             Conversation No. 39-5 (cont’d)

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).

Yes, Mr. President.
I thought you should know that Ziegler and all of our fellows here thought you were never so brilliant as you were yesterday.
And I am very grateful.
And one fellow who's sort of a new guy, he says, I didn't know Scott this smart.
I said, for Christ's sakes.
I said, he's for Scott more than most of you guys ever learned.
That was a brilliant job, and I'm most grateful.
Well, thank you, sir.
I'm on my way to Pittsburgh.
Well, Foreign Affairs.
Yes, sir.
I'm well to pass, sir.
All right.
I think we've got a good position now to stick to.
Don't you agree?
Yes, sir.
I think it is.
I think the kind of issues that we have to deal with in Washington are not the same as out in the country.
I'll know better when I get to Pittsburgh.
But I do believe, sir, that holding the position and making the clear
between national security.
And I have said to some of these characters, what are you trying to do, shake the country?
Yeah, let me say this.
One thing you can say, that without secrecy, secret diplomacy, we wouldn't have had the China Initiative, we wouldn't have had the Soviet limitation, and the POWs would still be in Vietnam, North Vietnam.
And therefore, it is a great, you ought to say this in Pittsburgh, that it's a
really a great irony when they make national heroes out of those who steal secrets and publish them and condemn those who try to protect the national security so that we can conduct negotiations for peace.
Yes, you're right.
That's a good line.
Yes, it is.
I made the point yesterday that the committee, some of the members of the committee seem to be torn between a thief and a Harvard man, but they made the right choice.
Okay, bye.
Good luck.
Thank you, sir.

Also recorded on May 24, 1973

  • 039-002 1:34 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at 1:34 pm.
  • 039-003 1:34 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:34 pm and 1:36 pm.
  • 440-036 1:34 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 1:34 pm.
  • 440-037 1:34 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:34 pm and 1:36 pm.
  • 440-038 1:36 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Hugh Scott met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:36 pm to 1:38 pm.
  • 039-005 1:39 PM · 2 min — White House operator, President Richard M. Nixon, and Leslie C. Arends talked on the telephone from 1:39 pm to 1:40 pm.
  • 440-039 1:39 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Leslie C. Arends met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:39 pm to 1:40 pm.
  • 039-006 1:40 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:40 pm and 4:52 pm.

All 40 conversations from May 24, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 039-004, May 24, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/039-004 (accessed October 28, 2026).