Nixon White House TapesTape 18 › Conversation 018-079

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on Ronald L. Ziegler

Thursday, January 13, 1972 · 2:45 PM ET · White House Telephone · 6 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation018-079 on Tape 18 (tape position 03:48:09–03:48:15)StartThursday, January 13, 1972 at 2:45 PMEndThursday, January 13, 1972 at 2:45 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 018-079 ↗

President Nixon instructed the White House operator to connect him with Press Secretary Ronald L. Ziegler. Expressing clear frustration, the President remarked that he was in no mood to speak with his press aide. The brief exchange served solely as a logistical directive to initiate this internal communication.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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No damn mood to talk to him.
Yes, please.
Ziegler, please.
Back in a second.

On January 13, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 2:45 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 018-079 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 18-79

Date: January 13, 1972
Time: 2:45 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

[See Conversation No. 314-1C]

     Request for a call to Ronald L. Ziegler
  • 647-020 2:22 PM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at 2:22 pm.
  • 018-077 2:34 PM · 1 min — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:34 pm and 2:45 pm.
  • 314-001 2:34 PM · 1 hr 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Stephen B. Bull, White House operator, James D. ("Don") Hughes, Ronald L. Ziegler, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:34 pm to 3:41 pm.
  • 018-078 2:45 PM · 46 sec — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman and James D. ("Don") Hughes talked on the telephone at 2:45 pm.
  • 018-080 2:45 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 2:45 pm to 2:47 pm.
  • 018-081 2:47 PM · 2 min — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman and James D. ("Don") Hughes talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:47 pm and 3:09 pm.
  • 018-082 2:47 PM · 1 min — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, and James D. ("Don") Hughes talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:47 pm and 3:09 pm.
  • 018-083 2:47 PM · 1 min — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, President Richard M. Nixon, and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:47 pm and 3:09 pm.

Conversation 018-079, January 13, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/018-079 (accessed September 24, 2026).