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Conversation 045-045

TapeTape 45StartMonday, April 30, 1973 at 10:20 PMEndMonday, April 30, 1973 at 10:32 PMParticipantsGraham, William F. ("Billy");  Nixon, Richard M. (President)Recording deviceWhite House Telephone
AI Summary

Reverend Billy Graham called President Nixon to offer encouragement and praise following Nixon's televised address regarding the Watergate scandal and the resignations of H.R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman. Graham expressed his belief that the President’s performance was sincere and demonstrated commendable humility, noting that it resonated positively with others, including his father-in-law Dr. L. Nelson Bell. Nixon reflected on the personal difficulty of the recent staff dismissals and discussed the mixed reactions from various television networks while maintaining his resolve.

WatergateBilly GrahamNixon's SpeechH.R. HaldemanJohn EhrlichmanPublic Opinion
AudioNARA Description

On April 30, 1973, William F. ("Billy") Graham and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:20 pm and 10:32 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 045-045 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 45-45

Date: April 30, 1973
Time: Unknown between 10:20 pm and 10:32 pm
Location: White House Telephone

William F. (“Billy”) Graham talked with the President.

     Watergate
          -President’s speech
                -President’s opponents
                      -Ruth McC. (Bell) Graham’s opinion
                                            -30-

                NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                     (rev. October-2012)

                                                             Conversation No. 45-45 (cont’d)

                       -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman’s and John D. Ehrlichman’s resignations

*****************************************************************
[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]

    Hannah Milhous Nixon’s Funeral

    Graham’s prayers

[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
*****************************************************************

    Watergate
         -Elliot L. Richardson
         -Graham’s statement to Associated Press [AP]

    Graham’s location
         -Montreat, North Carolina

    Watergate
         -Dr. L. Nelson Bell’s telephone call to Graham
               -Ruth Graham
         -President’s speech
               -Comparison with “Checkers” speech
               -Networks’s reaction
                     -American Broadcasting Company [ABC]
                     -National Broadcasting Company [NBC]
                     -Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
                           -Dan Rather’s comment
         -Ruth Graham, Bell
         -John B. Connally’s telephone call to President
         -President’s speech
               -Closing
               -Delivery
               -President’s appearance

    Graham’s friendship
                                               -31-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                        (rev. October-2012)
Transcript (AI-Generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

Mr. President, Mr. Reverend Billy Graham.
Yep.
Hello.
President?
Yeah, hello.
I think this is your finest hour.
Well, nice of you, Billy.
Really, I wanted to reach through that screen and hug you.
I thought you were just great.
And everybody I've talked to feels the same way.
You know, they'll continue to slash away, so what the hell.
Well, you know, Ruth— Excuse me, excuse me the hell.
Well, you know, Ruth, she thinks it's all a communist plot and left wing and everything else.
It is, it is, it is.
You know that.
And before she left for Minneapolis tonight, she pinned on my pillow to tell you if I talked to you this little note.
She said, to be able to stand steady and defeat is in itself a victory.
You haven't been defeated, but you stood steady and you won a victory tonight.
and a big one, maybe one of the best in history.
You felt—of course, it was a deliberate and rather—I didn't have much time to work on it.
I was so busy.
I had to tell Holmes and Ehrlichman to resign, which they wouldn't do involuntarily, and that was tough.
But your sincerity, your humility, your asking for prayer,
All of that had a tremendous impact.
You really think so, Billy?
I'm telling you the truth, and I'm not trying to just encourage you.
I know you get all that, but I really mean it.
Well, that's good of you, Billy.
You've been a friend, and I'll never forget when you were there for my mother's funeral.
Well, bless your heart.
All this week, I've just pled before the Lord that he would help you and that this would—
Don't you think that Richard's the thing that's good?
You know, here's a guy, my God, now he's in charge, and he can do anything he wants.
Well, of course.
The Associated Press called me about ten minutes ago, and here's what I said.
I said the president demonstrated a commendable humility.
He accepted the responsibility.
He provided an appropriate course of action.
He asked for our prayers.
He deserves the prayers and unity of all Americans, and he has mine.
Good for you, Billy.
Good, good, good, good.
Well, where are you?
At Montreat?
Yes, sir.
Well, it was so good of you to call.
The thing about Billy Graham, he always calls when it's good or bad.
You know how I love you.
Well, I love you.
And I'll do all in my power.
I love Ruth, and I love your father-in-law.
I know you do.
And he was the first one to call me.
What'd he say?
He said he thought it was the most moving speech he'd ever heard, and he puts it above the checker speech.
You're fine with that?
Yes, sir.
Isn't that nice?
That's exactly what he said.
Isn't that nice?
Well, that's good, then.
Other networks, ABC and NBC, everybody's...
I don't listen to these other networks.
That's CBS.
What's CBS?
Can they knock it?
I felt like slashing their throats.
But anyway, God be with you.
CBS was knocking it, but ABC and NBC were not bad.
They were all favorable.
Right.
We don't care about CBS.
You've got to have, you know, it's a free press.
And Dan Rather at the end was very good on CBS even.
He sought to rebuke the others, I thought.
What did he say?
Well, he was quoting what you had said to the press after your speech.
When you went in there and said, when I'm wrong, give me hell.
And he said, if this is the attitude the president's going to have by George, we're going to cooperate with him.
Right.
I thought that was a good move, don't you think?
It was.
Showed a little humility.
Billy, how good of you to call and give my love to Ruth and be her father-in-law.
And we love you all.
You know that.
John Conley was the first one to call me, you know?
Well, bless your heart.
Good old John.
God bless you.
God bless you.
You didn't mind my putting in the little thing at the end, you know?
That was just off the top of my head when I said, God bless America, God bless all of you.
Some people thought that it was a little bit melodramatic, but I thought, God damn it.
Excuse me.
That's what I felt.
That's what I believed.
You didn't mind it?
No, sir.
I thought you looked good and you delivered it so well.
And you know, I thought that you would look tired.
I thought you would look haggard.
I thought you would look bad.
But my goodness, you came on there.
It was really one of your great moments.
Thank you, Billy.
And God bless you.
And God bless you, and thank you for your wonderful friendship.
I'll never forget it.
I don't care.
Win or lose, win or lose, I don't care.
You're winning tonight.
All right, boy.
Goodbye.
Thank you.
Go for it.
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