Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 22 › Conversation 022-018

Nixon phone call with Ziegler on Presidential press conference

Friday, March 24, 1972 · 2:05 PM–2:06 PM ET · White House Telephone · 32 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.Conversation022-018 on Tape 22 (tape position 00:53:06–00:53:37)StartFriday, March 24, 1972 at 2:05 PMEndFriday, March 24, 1972 at 2:06 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 022-018 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler coordinate the sequence of questioning for an upcoming press conference. They finalize a strategy to prioritize the wire services, specifically directing that Frank Cormier of the Associated Press and the representative from United Press International be called upon first and second, respectively. Ziegler is tasked with relaying this order to the reporters and notifying the President of any necessary adjustments prior to the event.

Audio

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Yeah.
Yes, sir.
Maybe five minutes before.
You should tell Cormier and is Thomas here today?
I haven't seen her today.
Well, whoever is the UPI fellow.
Right.
That I'll call on Cormier first and then who do you want?
I think I ought to hit the two wire services first.
Right.
Okay.
Cormier first and then Thomas second.
And if there's a change in that, I'll tell you before you go on.
Yes, sir.

NARA Description

On March 24, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 2:05 pm to 2:06 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 022-018 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 22-18

Date: March 24, 1972
Time: 2:05 pm - 2:06 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Ronald L. Ziegler.

[See Conversation No. 326-20]

     The President’s press conference
          -Ziegler’s meeting with Frank Cormier and Helen A. Thomas
               -United Press International [UPI]
               -Wire services
               -Order of questions

Also recorded on March 24, 1972

  • 022-016 1:28 PM · 51 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 1:28 pm to 1:29 pm.
  • 022-017 1:29 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:29 pm and 2:05 pm.
  • 326-020 2:05 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:05 pm to 2:06 pm.
  • 022-019 2:06 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:06 pm and 2:22 pm.
  • 326-021 2:06 PM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:06 pm and 2:22 pm.
  • 022-020 2:22 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Edward J. Gurney talked on the telephone from 2:22 pm to 2:23 pm.
  • 326-022 2:22 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Edward J. Gurney met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:22 pm to 2:23 pm.
  • 328-001 2:23 PM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:23 pm and 2:59 pm.

All 38 conversations from March 24, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 022-018, March 24, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/022-018 (accessed September 20, 2026).