Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 38 › Conversation 038-133

Nixon phone call with Ziegler on Watergate and Media relations

Tuesday, April 24, 1973 · 9:19 PM–9:22 PM ET · White House Telephone · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.Conversation038-133 on Tape 38StartTuesday, April 24, 1973 at 9:19 PMEndTuesday, April 24, 1973 at 9:22 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 038-133 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler discussed the potential publication of damaging press stories, specifically addressing a rumor involving Herbert Klein and Art Buchwald that was ultimately retracted. The conversation shifted to a Washington Star article concerning internal conflicts between John Ehrlichman and Clark MacGregor regarding the Committee to Re-elect the President's (CRP) investigation of itself. Nixon directed Ziegler to coordinate with Bryce Harlow to secure a briefing on the situation before the President's upcoming morning meeting.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
We got this straightened around.
It was one of those overheard conversations that never took place apparently.
Art Buchwald or something said it in a conversation with Klein up there.
They were having a peer in a Waldorf and a couple post lawyers overheard it and it went from there and Buchwald and Klein have straightened it all out and the story's not running.
Yeah, but he apparently—I talked to Herb and he said, well, Buckwold was sitting there kidding around, really, you know, the way Buckwold is.
And Herb said that he put him down.
He said, how do you know?
How do you know?
That type of thing.
And three lawyers who didn't know Klein apparently overheard it and it spread from there.
That's how those things happen sometimes.
What is the situation with regard to that?
I see something in the star, that Ehrlichman and... That's the only McGregor thing.
I discussed that with you yesterday, didn't I?
I don't recall.
That's the...
The thing I discussed with you yesterday was the Haldeman-McGregor stands meeting at Roosevelt Room.
This story in the star relates to the fact that at the time of the Tanaka meeting,
There was discussion for the— Tanaka?
When you went to Hawaii.
Not Tanaka.
Yes, Tanaka.
I guess that was it.
In Hawaii, yes, sir.
When was that?
Oh, boy.
I don't know.
That was December, January, I don't know.
No, it was in October, I think.
Oh, not before the election.
Well, maybe it was.
Okay.
what was supposed to happen then.
But Ehrlichman asked—apparently the story says Ehrlichman encouraged the committee to examine themselves as carefully as we could.
We had to examine ours here and then to put out a statement.
And apparently the story says it never went.
The story says that he never said that?
The story says that the statement was not put out apparently.
McGregor disagrees with what Ehrlichman said or what?
I think so.
I have not read the story as such.
I received a report, but I think there's some point of difference between John and McGregor in the story.
Well, at least John was asking the committee to... To move, yes.
To move, huh?
That's the thrust of the story, yes, sir.
Burdickman looks pretty good on that one, doesn't he?
Yes, he does.
Well, I'm going to...
Get together with Harlow at about 7.30 in the morning.
Good.
To get his view.
Is he available for that person?
Well, I have a call in to him now.
I'm sure he will be.
His line at home is busy.
Good.
He wanted to report on that before your 9.30 meeting, didn't you?
Fine.
If you could get it, yeah.
Yes, sir.

NARA Description

On April 24, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 9:19 pm to 9:22 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 038-133 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 38-133

Date: April 24, 1973
Time: 9:19 pm - 9:22 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Ronald L. Ziegler.

     Art Buchwald’s conversation with Herbert G. Klein
          -Washington Post story

     Watergate
          -Washington Star story
               -John D. Ehrlichman’s conversation with Clark MacGregor
               -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman, Maurice H. Stans, and MacGregor, meeting
                     Roosevelt room
               -President’s meeting with Kakuei Tanaka in Hawaii
               -Committee to Re-elect the President [CRP] investigation
          -MacGregor’s disagreement with John D. Ehrlichman
          -Bryce N. Harlow

Also recorded on April 25, 1973

  • 038-132 9:05 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:05 pm and 9:19 pm.
  • 038-134 8:10 AM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:10 am and 8:17 am.
  • 904-001 8:10 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:10 am and 8:17 am.
  • 904-002 8:10 AM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:10 am and 8:17 am.
  • 038-135 8:17 AM · 13 sec — White House operator and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone at 8:17 am.
  • 038-136 8:17 AM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:17 am and 8:25 am.
  • 904-003 8:17 AM · 12 sec — White House operator and President Richard M. Nixon met in the Oval Office of the White House at 8:17 am.
  • 904-004 8:17 AM · 33 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:17 am and 8:25 am.

All 59 conversations from April 25, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 038-133, April 25, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/038-133 (accessed October 5, 2026).