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Conversation 045-091

TapeTape 45StartTuesday, May 1, 1973 at 2:51 PMEndTuesday, May 1, 1973 at 2:52 PMParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Bull, Stephen B.Recording deviceWhite House Telephone
AI Summary

President Nixon directs his aide, Stephen B. Bull, to ensure that a memorandum authored by Leonard Garment is revised to explicitly assert the President's personal ownership of presidential papers and national security funds. Expressing intense frustration with Garment’s approach, Nixon dismisses the memorandum's cosmetic focus and demands that his staff not be portrayed as criminals. He threatens to fire his entire staff if these instructions regarding the document's substance and tone are not immediately executed.

WatergatePresidential PapersLeonard GarmentNational Security FundsWhite House Staff
AudioNARA Description

On May 1, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:51 pm and 2:52 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 045-091 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 45-91

Date: May 1, 1973
Time: Unknown between 2:51 pm and 2:52 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Stephen B. Bull.

[See also Conversation No. 433-24]

       Watergate
            -Leonard Garment’s memorandum
            -William P. Rogers
            -President’s ownership of papers
            -Purpose
                                               -63-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                      (rev. October-2012)

                                                                Conversation No. 45-91 (cont’d)

           -Orders to Bull
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 Do not cite this transcript as authoritative.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.

Yes, sir.
Steve Ball.
What has Garment done on that project?
Garment has rewritten it, sir.
It's going to be submitted to Secretary Rogers momentarily for his perusal, and then submitted to you after we've gotten Secretary Rogers' approval, sir.
Garment is to the point that the asshole hadn't had in the fact that the presidential papers belong not to these people but to me, and that the national security funds belong not to them but to me.
Do you understand it, goddamn his soul or not?
Yes, sir.
He understands that the purpose of this appears to be more cosmetics than anything else.
To hell with the cosmetics.
I'm not going to have these men treated like criminals and tell that to Garment and do that right away or goddamn it, I'll fire this whole fucking staff.
You understand that?
Yes, sir.
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