William Casey, the CIA director during Reagan's presidency, gained notoriety for his indistinct speech, which led to various humorous anecdotes. His mumbling became a well-known aspect of his presence in Washington, so much so that President Reagan joked that Casey was unique among CIA directors for not requiring a scrambler phone to communicate securely.

During some National Security Council meetings, Casey's comments were so hard to decipher that they were recorded as question marks, highlighting the challenges his colleagues faced in understanding him. This reputation for unclear communication turned into a memorable point in Washington's narrative around Casey's tenure.