Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 45 › Conversation 045-047

Nixon, Bull & Cox on White House administration and Staff resignations

Monday, April 30, 1973 · 10:20 PM–10:33 PM ET · White House Telephone · 1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operator; Cox, Tricia Nixon; Bull, Stephen B.Conversation045-047 on Tape 45StartMonday, April 30, 1973 at 10:20 PMEndMonday, April 30, 1973 at 10:33 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 045-047 ↗

AI Summary

Following the recent departures of H.R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman, President Nixon spoke with Stephen Bull to reorganize the handling of incoming telephone calls. Nixon issued explicit instructions to route all calls from key administration figures and associates, such as William P. Rogers, Elliot Richardson, and Billy Graham, directly to the Lincoln Sitting Room. He emphasized the necessity of maintaining open lines of communication to preserve morale during a period of transition.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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).
Mr. Ball, I'll take it.
All right.
Honey, put some more of that, please.
You are, sir.
Yes, sir.
Steve, what's your problem?
No problem, Mr. President.
We have various people taking the calls, and we're ready to put them through if you want them.
When Ball called through, something went wrong because
I've been instructed that all calls, you know, you know, with Bob and John gone, God damn it, I've got to take him.
All right, sir, that's it.
Now, who's called, do you know?
Rogers, Richardson, Weinberger.
No, Richardson I must take.
Weinberger I have already taken.
All right, sir.
I'm talking to Rogers.
I haven't talked to Richardson.
Who else?
I talked to Brother Graham.
Who else?
I'll have to get back to you.
That's all, huh?
No, sir.
There have been a number of calls.
All right.
Have them all come through here, right through the Lincoln City Room.
Okay, sir.
I'll start... Don't cut anything off unless it's an asshole, you know.
All right, sir.
Fine.
We'll start until you... All right.
Fine.
No longer want them.
Boom, boom.
Yes, sir.
Okay, boy.
Thank you, sir.
Keep the faith.
We've always had the faith, Mr. President.

NARA Description

On April 30, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, Tricia Nixon Cox, and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:20 pm and 10:33 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 045-047 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 45-47

Date: April 30, 1973
Time: Unknown between 10:20 pm and 10:33 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

     Request for telephone call
          -Stephen B. Bull

The President conferred with Tricia Nixon Cox at an unknown time after 10:20 pm.

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

     Request

[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
*****************************************************************
                                               -32-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                              Conversation No. 45-47 (cont’d)

The President talked with Bull at 10:32 pm.

     Instructions to switchboard
           -Problems
           -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman
           -Calls
                  -William P. Rogers, Elliot L. Richardson, Caspar W. (“Cap”) Weinberger, and
                   William F. (“Billy”) Graham
                  -Lincoln Sitting Room
           -Morale

Also recorded on May 1, 1973

  • 045-039 10:09 PM · 5 min — Rose Mary Woods, White House operator, President Richard M. Nixon, Paul W. Keyes, and John A. Volpe talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:09 pm and 10:16 pm.
  • 045-040 10:12 PM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:12 pm and 10:16 pm.
  • 045-041 10:16 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 10:16 pm to 10:20 pm.
  • 045-042 10:20 PM · 1 min — White House operator, President Richard M. Nixon, and William F. ("Billy") Graham talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:20 pm and 10:32 pm.
  • 045-043 10:20 PM · 25 sec — Rose Mary Woods and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:20 pm and 10:32 pm.
  • 045-044 10:20 PM · 5 min — William P. Rogers, President Richard M. Nixon, and Tricia Nixon Cox talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:20 pm and 10:32 pm.
  • 045-045 10:20 PM · 5 min — 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.
  • 045-046 10:20 PM · 15 sec — White House operator and Tricia Nixon Cox talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:20 pm and 10:32 pm.

All 181 conversations from May 1, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 045-047, May 1, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/045-047 (accessed October 12, 2026).