Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 45 › Conversation 045-128

Nixon phone call with Rogers on Watergate and Special Prosecutor

Tuesday, May 1, 1973 · 11:38 PM–11:40 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operator; Rogers, William P.Conversation045-128 on Tape 45StartTuesday, May 1, 1973 at 11:38 PMEndTuesday, May 1, 1973 at 11:40 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 045-128 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon consults with Secretary of State William P. Rogers to manage the escalating Watergate crisis and the appointment of a special prosecutor. Nixon asks Rogers to coordinate with Elliot Richardson to ensure the executive branch retains control over the appointment process, specifically countering public criticism from Senator Charles H. Percy. Rogers agrees to take charge of the situation and guide administration messaging on the matter while also commending the President’s performance at a recent state dinner.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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

Mr. President, I have Secretary Rogers and also Mr. Timmons called in.

All right, I'll talk to Rogers first.

All right, thank you.

Hello?

Yeah, Mr. President.

Hi.

I have a quadriad in the morning at 8.30, so I won't be able to get out anything.

And I would greatly appreciate it if you would sort of take charge with Richardson.

Okay.

And I've already told Ziegler that he should just emphasize in the briefing that...

special prosecutor, no problem.

I mean, that the attorney general has the authority to appoint one.

That's really the answer there.

Sure.

The answer is, I think, for Richardson to pick somebody, name them.

I talked to Elliott tonight.

I'll talk to the people in the Hill tomorrow, and I'll talk to Ron about what to say.

The only thing that makes Elliott mad, I think he's right in that, is the goddamn Percy thing to say that

It's got to be totally out of the executive branch of the government.

Well, that's ridiculous.

What the hell?

I mean, I appoint somebody to investigate?

Well, my God.

I mean, after all, it's the president's people that are being named here.

That would be something nobody would trust either.

Right.

Well, I will work on it in the morning.

And we can work it out, right?

It's not going to be a problem.

I thought you were great in the toast.

I don't know how you did it.

Christ, you must be exhausted.

Oh, I'm fine.

But your toast was really great.

Well, it didn't sound as if you had a care in the world.

Well, that's our job, you know.

But if I would, it would be a great...

If you would sort of take charge tomorrow.

I will.

I haven't got anybody else, you know.

You see, I can't call on all of them or anybody else anymore.

I'll be glad to.

If you would, I would appreciate it very much.

And just take charge.

Tell them what to say.

Take the offensive on the special prosecutor, yes.

I will.

That Richardson is considering one, and that's the way it should be done.

Otherwise, you know, you'd start over again.

You'd take three months to get the goddamn thing going.

We work it out.

All right, Mr. President.

Thank you very much.

Good night.

Thank you.

NARA Description

On May 1, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and William P. Rogers talked on the telephone from 11:38 pm to 11:40 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 045-128 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 45-128

Date: May 1, 1973
Time: 11:38 pm - 11:40 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

     Telephone calls
          -William E. Timmons
          -William P. Rogers

The President talked with Rogers.

     Watergate
          -President’s schedule
          -Elliot L. Richardson
          -Special Prosecutor
          -Ronald L. Ziegler’s forthcoming briefing
          -Rogers’s conversations
          -Charles H. Percy’s statement

     President’s toast at state dinner

     Watergate
          -Assignment for Rogers
          -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman
                                                -82-

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                             Conversation No. 45-128 (cont’d)

                 -Special Prosecutor

Also recorded on May 2, 1973

045-122 11:16 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:16 pm and 11:24 pm.
045-123 11:24 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 11:24 pm to 11:30 pm.
045-124 11:30 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:30 pm and 11:34 pm.
045-125 11:34 PM · 17 sec — White House operator and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone at 11:34 pm.
045-126 11:35 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 11:35 pm to 11:36 pm.
045-127 11:36 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:36 pm and 11:38 pm.
045-129 11:40 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and William E. Timmons talked on the telephone from 11:40 pm to 11:42 pm.
045-130 11:50 PM · 2 min — Henry A. Kissinger and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone from 11:50 pm to 11:52 pm.

All 82 conversations from May 2, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 045-128, May 2, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/045-128 (accessed October 5, 2026).