Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 23 › Conversation 023-137
Nixon phone call with Ehrlichman on Richard Kleindienst
Wednesday, May 3, 1972 · 2:48 PM–2:49 PM ET · White House Telephone · 38 sec
AI Summary
President Nixon and John Ehrlichman coordinate the logistics and messaging strategy for an upcoming announcement regarding the appointment of an acting Attorney General. They determine that the announcement should be handled personally rather than through Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler due to political sensitivities regarding Richard Kleindienst. The President confirms that the designated spokesperson has been fully briefed on the necessary talking points to manage the public narrative.
- Richard Kleindienst
- Acting Attorney General
- White House messaging
- Ronald Ziegler
- Personnel appointments
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
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NARA Description
On May 3, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman talked on the telephone from 2:48 pm to 2:49 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 023-137 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 23-137
Date: May 3, 1972
Time: 2:48-2:49 pm
Location: White House Telephone
John D. Ehrlichman talked with the President.
[See also Conversation No. 335-16B]
Ronald L. Ziegler's announcement
-Clarification
-Acting Attorney General
-Richard G. Kleindienst's opinion
-ArrangementsAlso recorded on May 3, 1972
- 023-136 2:30 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 2:30 pm.
- 335-012 2:30 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 2:30 pm.
- 335-013 2:30 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 2:30 pm.
- 335-014 2:30 PM · 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John K. Andrews, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:30 pm to 2:40 pm.
- 335-015 2:40 PM · 19 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:40 pm and 2:41 pm.
- 335-016 2:41 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, unknown person(s), and John D. Ehrlichman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:41 pm to 2:49 pm.
- 335-017 2:50 PM · 36 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Richard G. Kleindienst, L[ouis] Patrick Gray, III, unknown person(s), John D. Ehrlichman, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:50 pm to 3:35 pm.
- 023-138 2:53 PM · 2 min — John D. Ehrlichman, White House operator, and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:53 pm and 3:10 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 023-137, May 3, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/023-137 (accessed October 10, 2026).