Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 45 › Conversation 045-054

Nixon phone call with Shultz on Watergate scandal and Resignations

Monday, April 30, 1973 · 10:51 PM–10:54 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsShultz, George P.; Nixon, Richard M. (President)Conversation045-054 on Tape 45StartMonday, April 30, 1973 at 10:51 PMEndMonday, April 30, 1973 at 10:54 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 045-054 ↗

AI Summary

Secretary of the Treasury George Shultz called President Nixon to express personal support following the high-profile resignations of H.R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman amid the Watergate scandal. Shultz commended the President’s recent televised address and reaffirmed his commitment to the administration's continued governance. Nixon discussed his upcoming schedule, specifically confirming his intent to attend an upcoming Labor Management Advisory Board meeting and a Cabinet meeting to project stability and resolve.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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.
Secretary Schultz, sir.
Yeah.
There you are.
Hello, Mr. President.
Lord George Schultz speaking.
Mr. President, I know how terribly hard this must be to have John and Bob leave your side and all of us involved with you.
We'll miss them a great deal.
And I...
I...
I know, I know.
You're such a decent, kind man that you would feel that way, and most others don't give a damn, but you do, and that's to your great credit.
Well, they're great people, and they've done a wonderful job.
And I know it very well, and I— I know you already do.
Fine.
But I thought your speech tonight was
We all listened to it, including my children, and they all felt the same way.
It had to be said.
I think we—the thing is to go on and govern.
That's right.
Go on and do the job that has to be done for this country.
That's right, sir, and I will be standing with you in trying to do that.
You always have, George.
As I understand, we're having our meeting with the labor management group Wednesday, right?
Yes, sir.
They're going to be in here Wednesday.
Good.
I'll be there.
Yeah, that would be great.
Drop in hell.
I'll be there.
Well, okay.
You know that.
Wonderful.
We're going to have a cabinet meeting Wednesday, you know.
Well, you may not know, but I ordered it today.
We must have a cabinet meeting.
A very brief, undue staff meeting.
But by God, I'm going to stay in that labor management thing.
We're going to fight it out.
Good.
Okay.
All right, sir.
All right, George.
And it's so sweet of you to call.
Will.
Give my best to your lovely wife.
I sure will.

NARA Description

On April 30, 1973, George P. Shultz and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone from 10:51 pm to 10:54 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 045-054 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 45-54

Date: April 30, 1973
Time: 10:51 pm - 10:54 pm
Location: White House Telephone

George P. Shultz talked with the President.

     Watergate
          -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman
                -Resignations
          -Shultz’s decency
          -Haldeman and Ehrlichman
          -President’s speech
                -Effectiveness
                -Shultz’s support

     President’s schedule
           -Labor Management Advisory Board meeting
                 -President’s participation
           -Cabinet meeting

Also recorded on May 1, 1973

  • 045-049 10:39 PM · 2 min — White House operator, Tricia Nixon Cox, President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, Harry S. Dent, and [Dwight] David Eisenhower, II talked on the telephone from 10:39 pm to 10:40 pm.
  • 045-050 10:41 PM · 1 min — White House operator, Tricia Nixon Cox, and Adm. Thomas H. Moorer talked on the telephone from 10:41 pm to 10:42 pm.
  • 045-051 10:43 PM · 2 min — White House operator, Tricia Nixon Cox, Rose Mary Woods, and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 10:43 pm to 10:45 pm.
  • 045-052 10:45 PM · 20 sec — Tricia Nixon Cox, White House operator, and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:45 pm and 10:48 pm.
  • 045-053 10:48 PM · 2 min — White House operator, Tricia Nixon Cox, President Richard M. Nixon, and Ronald W. Reagan talked on the telephone from 10:48 pm to 10:50 pm.
  • 045-055 10:54 PM · 44 sec — White House operator, President Richard M. Nixon, Tricia Nixon Cox, and Edward R. F. Cox talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:54 pm and 11:04 pm.
  • 045-056 10:54 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon, Julie Nixon Eisenhower, Tricia Nixon Cox, and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:54 pm and 11:04 pm.
  • 045-057 11:04 PM · 2 min — White House operator, Tricia Nixon Cox, President Richard M. Nixon, and Hobart D. Lewis talked on the telephone from 11:04 pm to 11:06 pm.

All 181 conversations from May 1, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 045-054, 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/045-054 (accessed October 10, 2026).