Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 45 › Conversation 045-037

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on Ronald L. Ziegler

Friday, April 27, 1973 · 6:49 PM–8:02 PM ET · White House Telephone · 16 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation045-037 on Tape 45StartFriday, April 27, 1973 at 6:49 PMEndFriday, April 27, 1973 at 8:02 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 045-037 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon contacted the White House operator to place a telephone call to Press Secretary Ronald L. Ziegler. The brief interaction served as a logistical attempt to initiate communication with a key staff member during the height of the Watergate scandal. The call was ultimately aborted before the connection to Ziegler could be completed.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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

Thank you, sir.

NARA Description

On April 27, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:49 pm and 8:02 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 045-037 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 45-37

Date: April 27, 1973
Time: Unknown between 6:49 pm and 8:02 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

[See also Conversation No. 906-24A]

     Aborted telephone call

     Request for telephone call
          -Ronald L. Ziegler

Also recorded on April 27, 1973

906-017 5:37 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry E. Petersen met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:37 pm to 5:43 pm.
906-018 5:43 PM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 5:43 pm and 6:04 pm.
906-019 5:43 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 5:43 pm and 6:04 pm.
906-020 5:43 PM · 40 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 5:43 pm and 6:04 pm.
906-021 5:43 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 5:43 pm and 6:04 pm.
906-022 5:43 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 5:43 pm and 6:04 pm.
906-023 6:04 PM · 43 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry E. Petersen, Stephen B. Bull, Ronald L. Ziegler, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 6:04 pm to 6:48 pm.
906-024 6:49 PM · 1 hr 13 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Stephen B. Bull, White House operator, Manolo Sanchez, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 6:49 pm to 8:04 pm.

All 42 conversations from April 27, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 045-037, April 27, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/045-037 (accessed October 5, 2026).