Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 38 › Conversation 038-036

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on John D. Ehrlichman

Saturday, April 14, 1973 · 11:16 PM–11:22 PM ET · White House Telephone · 13 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation038-036 on Tape 38StartSaturday, April 14, 1973 at 11:16 PMEndSaturday, April 14, 1973 at 11:22 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 038-036 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon initiates a late-night telephone call to reach his domestic affairs advisor, John D. Ehrlichman. The brief exchange serves as a request to the White House operator to facilitate an immediate connection with Ehrlichman. This interaction reflects the ongoing, high-level administrative communication occurring during the height of the Watergate scandal.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Mr. Perlichman, please.
Yes, sir.

NARA Description

On April 14, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:16 pm and 11:22 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 038-036 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 38-36

Date: April 14, 1973
Time: Unknown between 11:16 pm and 11:22 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator

     Telephone call to John D. Ehrlichman

Also recorded on April 15, 1973

  • 038-033 10:28 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:28 pm and 11:02 pm.
  • 038-034 11:02 PM · 14 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 11:02 pm to 11:16 pm.
  • 038-035 11:16 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:16 pm and 11:22 pm.
  • 038-037 11:22 PM · 31 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman talked on the telephone from 11:22 pm to 11:53 pm.
  • 038-038 12:45 AM · 17 sec — White House operator and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:45 am and 1:01 am.
  • 038-039 1:01 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 1:01 am to 1:09 am.
  • 896-006 10:35 AM · 1 hr 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, John D. Ehrlichman, Manolo Sanchez, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:35 am to 11:15 am.
  • 038-040 1:12 PM · 26 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Richard G. Kleindienst talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:12 pm and 2:22 pm.

All 20 conversations from April 15, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 038-036, April 15, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/038-036 (accessed October 12, 2026).