Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 38 › Conversation 038-085

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

Tuesday, April 17, 1973 · 2:30 PM–2:39 PM ET · White House Telephone · 13 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation038-085 on Tape 38StartTuesday, April 17, 1973 at 2:30 PMEndTuesday, April 17, 1973 at 2:39 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 038-085 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon initiated a brief administrative request to the White House operator to place a telephone call to his domestic advisor, John D. Ehrlichman. This interaction functioned solely as a logistical step to facilitate direct communication between the President and a key staff member during a period of high-level activity. No substantive policy matters or political strategies were discussed during this specific exchange.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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NARA Description

On April 17, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:30 pm and 2:39 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 038-085 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 38-85

Date: April 17, 1973
Time: Unknown between 2:30 pm and 2:39 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

[See also Conversation No. 898-18]

     Telephone call to John D. Ehrlichman

Also recorded on April 17, 1973

  • 898-013 2:20 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:20 pm and 2:30 pm.
  • 898-014 2:20 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:20 pm and 2:30 pm.
  • 898-015 2:20 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:20 pm and 2:30 pm.
  • 898-016 2:20 PM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:20 pm and 2:30 pm.
  • 898-017 2:20 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:20 pm and 2:30 pm.
  • 898-018 2:20 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:20 pm and 2:30 pm.
  • 038-086 2:39 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman talked on the telephone from 2:39 pm to 2:40 pm.
  • 898-019 2:39 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:39 pm to 2:40 pm.

All 53 conversations from April 17, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 038-085, April 17, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/038-085 (accessed October 12, 2026).