Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 45 › Conversation 045-113

Nixon phone call with Rebozo on Watergate and Public Opinion

Tuesday, May 1, 1973 · 7:04 PM–7:06 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsRebozo, Charles G. ("Bebe"); Nixon, Richard M. (President)Conversation045-113 on Tape 45StartTuesday, May 1, 1973 at 7:04 PMEndTuesday, May 1, 1973 at 7:06 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 045-113 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon consulted his close confidant Bebe Rebozo regarding public and staff reactions to his recent television address concerning the Watergate scandal. Rebozo reported a significant, positive shift in morale and public sentiment, emphasizing that the address successfully portrayed the President as uninvolved and proactive. The two also coordinated plans for the President’s upcoming trip to Florida and the island residence of Robert Abplanalp.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Bozo, returning your call.
Oh, yeah.
Bebe?
Hello, Mr. President.
How's the weather going to be this weekend?
Well, it's sure beautiful right now.
Good, good.
Just got in.
Yeah, well, we'll be down, I hope to get down Thursday afternoon.
Great.
Stay with you a little while, then maybe go over to the island for a day, you know, the usual thing.
Very good.
Very good.
Fine, fine, fine.
I look forward to seeing you.
Right, right, right.
Your reaction to the speech is still the day is the same in the coal-lighted day as it was last night?
Oh, my God, it's even better.
Absolutely even better.
Have you talked to anybody?
Yes, sir.
I've talked to a lot of people, and Bob talked to a lot of people, got a lot of people.
They say?
Well, the reaction seems to be that the whole picture is totally reversed.
totally reversed.
I really believe from—you know I'm prejudiced, so sometimes what I say may not carry the weight that it might otherwise, but the fact of the matter is that people feel that you have totally reversed the direction.
And I even noticed an air of
of optimism around staff people and all, for that matter.
Whereas just yesterday, they were sort of gloomy and all that.
Very, very noticeable change, President.
Very noticeable.
And everybody feels that way.
They knew that you had nothing to do with it, but they just needed something said and something done, and they know now that it's an open book.
And we've begun to fight.
Yes, sir.
I know I think that now...
Check around with the folks down in Florida and see what the average people feel, and I'll give you a ring tomorrow.
All right, sir.
Fine.
You bet.

NARA Description

On May 1, 1973, Charles G. ("Bebe") Rebozo and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone from 7:04 pm to 7:06 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 045-113 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 45-113

Date: May 1, 1973
Time: 7:04 pm - 7:06 pm
Location: White House Telephone

Charles G. (“Bebe”) Rebozo talked with the President.

[See also Conversation No. 433-52]

     Weather in Florida

     President’s trip to Florida
           -Robert H. Abplanalp

     Watergate
          -President’s speech
                -Reactions
                      -Abplanalp’s conversations
                -Impact
                      -Staff morale
          -Lack of President’s involvement

Also recorded on May 1, 1973

  • 045-111 6:55 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:55 pm and 7:02 pm.
  • 045-112 7:02 PM · 38 sec — White House operator, President Richard M. Nixon, and Thomas Hart talked on the telephone from 7:02 pm to 7:03 pm.
  • 433-051 7:02 PM · 37 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Thomas Hart met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 7:02 pm to 7:03 pm.
  • 433-052 7:04 PM · 2 min — Charles G. ("Bebe") Rebozo and President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 7:04 pm to 7:06 pm.
  • 045-114 7:10 PM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at 7:10 pm.
  • 433-053 7:10 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 7:10 pm.
  • 433-054 7:10 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 7:10 pm and 7:15 pm.
  • 433-055 7:10 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 7:10 pm and 7:15 pm.

All 181 conversations from May 1, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 045-113, 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/045-113 (accessed October 5, 2026).