Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 40 › Conversation 040-090

Nixon phone call with Ziegler on Watergate and Press relations

Wednesday, June 13, 1973 · 10:01 PM–10:03 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.Conversation040-090 on Tape 40StartWednesday, June 13, 1973 at 10:01 PMEndWednesday, June 13, 1973 at 10:03 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 040-090 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler discussed the press reaction to the President’s recent economic speech and its potential to shift media focus away from the Watergate scandal. While Nixon expressed concern that journalists remained obsessed with Watergate, Ziegler noted that the press was generally impressed by the President's display of leadership and control. The two concluded that the positive reception of the address had successfully mitigated negative media scrutiny.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Hello.
Mr. Ziegler.
Yes, sir.
Oh, Ron, I, uh, don't want to, you know, irritate you a little, but I just got a report from, uh, I have a couple of spies in the press room said that they've never seen them so infuriated because, uh, took attention off of Watergate.
Was that their attitude?
No.
No.
Okay, good.
These guys may just have been reaching for something.
I think they were.
They were a little put out, though, weren't they?
Well, they were surprised.
They didn't want it taken off Watergate.
Well, no, I didn't sense that, Mr. President.
Really?
No, no, not at all.
There are a couple who float around, but nothing was said.
I think the main reaction in the press over the last, really the last...
Five days has been that they're starting to think about something else.
Even guys like Norm Kempster of UPI, who's basically a shallow, liberal eunuch, said that he felt that the president took the right step.
The main thing in all of this, it was a great presentation.
The American people saw the president.
in control taking so therefore the press is a hell of a time writing it otherwise don't that's that's right but well i just thought i could pass this on for you there was no there was no discussion even of watergate good good good good okay bye okay sir

NARA Description

On June 13, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 10:01 pm to 10:03 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 040-090 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 40-90

Date: June 13, 1973
Time: 10:01 pm - 10:03 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Ronald L. Ziegler.

     Press relations
           -President’s speech on the economy
                  -Watergate
                  -Norm Kempster of United Press International [UPI]
                        -Ziegler’s description
                  -President’s leadership
           -Watergate

Also recorded on June 14, 1973

  • 040-086 9:41 PM · 13 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 9:41 pm to 9:53 pm.
  • 040-087 9:54 PM · 4 min — Alexander M. Haig, Jr. and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone from 9:54 pm to 9:57 pm.
  • 040-088 9:57 PM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:57 pm and 10:01 pm.
  • 040-089 9:57 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:57 pm and 10:01 pm.
  • 040-091 10:10 PM · 37 sec — Charles W. Colson and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone from 10:10 pm to 10:11 pm.
  • 040-092 10:12 PM · 1 min — Stephen B. Bull and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone from 10:12 pm to 10:13 pm.
  • 040-093 10:14 PM · 7 min — Louis Harris and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone from 10:14 pm to 10:26 pm.
  • 040-094 10:26 PM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:26 pm and 10:32 pm.

All 74 conversations from June 14, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 040-090, June 14, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/040-090 (accessed October 12, 2026).