Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 34 › Conversation 034-049
Nixon phone call with Ziegler on Washington Post and Press relations
Monday, December 11, 1972 · 7:49 PM–7:50 PM ET · White House Telephone · 44 sec
AI Summary
President Nixon expressed intense frustration to Press Secretary Ronald L. Ziegler regarding the presence of Washington Post reporters at the White House Christmas tree display. Reasserting a previous ban on the newspaper's staff, the President ordered Ziegler to contact Connie Stuart to demand an explanation for the breach and to threaten her with immediate termination should such an unauthorized access occur again. Ziegler was instructed to verify the situation and report back to the President promptly.
Audio
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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.
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NARA Description
On December 11, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 7:49 pm to 7:50 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 034-049 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 34-49
Date: December 11, 1972
Time: 7:49 pm - 7:50 pm
Location: White House Telephone
The President talked with Ronald L. Ziegler.
Press relations
-Constance M. (Cornell) (“Connie”) Stuart
-Washington Post reporters
-Christmas tree
-Ziegler’s forthcoming call to StuartAlso recorded on December 12, 1972
- 034-050 7:54 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 7:54 pm to 7:55 pm.
- 820-001 9:50 AM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:50 am and 9:57 am.
- 820-002 9:50 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:50 am and 9:57 am.
- 820-003 9:50 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:50 am and 9:57 am.
- 820-025 9:50 AM · 36 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:50 am and 9:57 am.
- 820-026 9:50 AM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:50 am and 9:57 am.
- 034-051 9:57 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 9:57 am.
- 820-004 9:57 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at 9:57 am.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 034-049, December 12, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/034-049 (accessed October 1, 2026).