Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 38 › Conversation 038-153

Nixon phone call with Kleindienst on Daniel Ellsberg and National Security

Wednesday, April 25, 1973 · 7:22 PM–7:25 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Kleindienst, Richard G.Conversation038-153 on Tape 38StartWednesday, April 25, 1973 at 7:22 PMEndWednesday, April 25, 1973 at 7:25 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 038-153 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon directs Attorney General Richard G. Kleindienst to ensure that the prosecutor and judge in the Daniel Ellsberg case understand the extreme sensitivity of the underlying national security investigation. Nixon emphasizes that information regarding these sensitive sources and methods should be handled with restraint to prevent public exposure. This directive seeks to protect classified intelligence gathering operations by framing the scope of the legal proceedings accordingly.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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I had a good talk with Henry Peterson.

That's fine.

Are you home?

Yes, sir.

One thing I wanted to say, only as a suggestion that, I don't know, I guess you might have him pass on.

You're in charge of this one, though, aren't you?

Yeah, this is the Ellsberg case.

Yeah.

Your case, isn't it?

Yes.

I do think it's important to let the prosecutor know, as it's passed on, that this was a national security investigation of very great sensitivity.

I just think it's important that that be known.

You know what I mean?

So that he can use some restraint in terms of, like...

We're trying to get in the sources and all that sort of thing.

I don't understand.

I'm not going to .

The point being that, look, this is a national security investigation.

It involves great sensitivity.

And to have it, we're just giving it for information.

None of this was ever presented to the prosecution.

absolute assurances on that under the circumstances.

And I think the judge should know that too.

Yes, sir.

It's very important.

Okay.

Be sure that...

Okay.

Good deal.

NARA Description

On April 25, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Richard G. Kleindienst talked on the telephone from 7:22 pm to 7:25 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 038-153 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 38-153

Date: April 25, 1973
Time: 7:22 pm - 7:25 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Richard G. Kleindienst.

[See also Conversation No. 430-33]

      Watergate
           -President’s meeting with Henry E. Petersen
                 -Daniel Ellsberg case
                       -National security investigation
                       -Disposition of information

Also recorded on April 26, 1973

038-151 7:17 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman talked on the telephone from 7:17 pm to 7:19 pm.
038-152 7:19 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:19 pm and 7:25 pm.
430-032 7:19 PM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 7:19 pm and 7:22 pm.
430-033 7:22 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Richard G. Kleindienst met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 7:22 pm to 7:25 pm.
038-154 7:25 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at 7:25 pm.
038-155 7:25 PM · 14 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman talked on the telephone from 7:25 pm to 7:39 pm.
430-034 7:25 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 7:25 pm.
430-035 7:25 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 7:25 pm to 7:39 pm.

All 73 conversations from April 26, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 038-153, April 26, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/038-153 (accessed October 5, 2026).