Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 38 › Conversation 038-088

Nixon, Ehrlichman & Haldeman on Watergate and Sam Ervin

Tuesday, April 17, 1973 · 3:50 PM–4:35 PM ET · White House Telephone · 1 min

ParticipantsEhrlichman, John D.; [Unknown person(s)]; Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Timmons, William E.Conversation038-088 on Tape 38StartTuesday, April 17, 1973 at 3:50 PMEndTuesday, April 17, 1973 at 4:35 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 038-088 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon, H. R. Haldeman, and John Ehrlichman coordinated with William Timmons to communicate the administration's forthcoming Watergate-related statement to Senator Sam Ervin and Senator Howard Baker. Ehrlichman directed Timmons to read specific portions of the document to both senators rather than soliciting their feedback. This action reflects the White House’s attempt to manage congressional expectations and control the narrative surrounding the President’s impending public announcement.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
He just went down the hall, due back in a minute.
Can we call back?
Uh, I'm in the president's office.
Um...
I can't get him where he is.
He'll only be a second, too.
Well, maybe I better hold, then.
Okay.
Hello, Bill.
John.
I'm tied up.
Can you call Irvin and just read him the first page plus the first two lines of the second page?
Okay, now who's got the copy?
I don't have the copy.
Ron, I think, has the copy.
First page, first two lines of the second page.
Right.
Solicit comments?
Pardon me?
Should I ask for comments from him?
No, just tell him that that's the statement that's going to be made.
Okay.
How about Baker?
Hold on just a minute.
Yes, sure.
By all means.
Both of them?
Yeah.
Okay.
All right.
Should I let you know?
Uh, no.
Just do it.
Go ahead and do it.
Okay.
Thanks.

NARA Description

On April 17, 1973, John D. Ehrlichman, unknown person(s), President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and William E. Timmons talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:50 pm and 4:35 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 038-088 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 38-88

Date: April 17, 1973
Time: Unknown between 3:50 pm and 4:35 pm
Location: White House Telephone

John D. Ehrlichman talked with an unknown woman.

[See also Conversation No. 898-23]
                                             -49-

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                            Conversation No. 38-88 (cont’d)

     Location of William E. Timmons

     Return call

     Location of Ehrlichman

Ehrlichman conferred with the President and H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman at an unknown time.

[Begin conferral]

[See Conversation No. 898-23]

[End conferral]

Ehrlichman talked with Timmons at an unknown time.

     Timmons’s call to Sam J. Ervin, Jr.
         -President’s forthcoming statement
         -Copies
               -Ronald L. Ziegler

     President’s statement
           -Timmons’s call to Howard H. Baker, Jr.

Ehrlichman conferred with the President and Haldeman at an unknown time.

[Begin conferral]

[See Conversation No. 898-23/899-1]

[End conferral]

     President’s statement
           -Timmons’s call to Baker
                                               -50-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Also recorded on April 17, 1973

  • 898-022 3:49 PM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Lawrence M. Higby met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:49 pm and 3:50 pm.
  • 898-025 3:49 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:49 pm and 3:50 pm.
  • 038-087 3:50 PM · 48 sec — John D. Ehrlichman and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:50 pm and 4:35 pm.
  • 898-023 3:50 PM · 1 hr 11 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman, White House operator, unknown person(s), William E. Timmons, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:50 pm and 4:41 pm.
  • 899-001 3:50 PM · 12 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:50 pm to 4:41 pm.
  • 899-002 4:35 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:35 pm and 4:41 pm.
  • 899-003 4:35 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:35 pm and 4:41 pm.
  • 899-005 4:35 PM · 15 sec — unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:35 pm and 4:41 pm.

All 53 conversations from April 17, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 038-088, 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/038-088 (accessed October 12, 2026).