Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 45 › Conversation 045-130

Nixon phone call with Kissinger on Watergate scandal and H. R. Haldeman

Tuesday, May 1, 1973 · 11:50 PM–11:52 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsKissinger, Henry A.; Nixon, Richard M. (President)Conversation045-130 on Tape 45StartTuesday, May 1, 1973 at 11:50 PMEndTuesday, May 1, 1973 at 11:52 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 045-130 ↗

AI Summary

Henry Kissinger calls President Nixon to offer praise for a recent toast and to discuss the political fallout from the Watergate scandal. The two reflect on the necessity of the President’s recent televised address and the resignation of top aides H.R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman. Nixon expresses resolve to shift focus back to national governance, while Kissinger encourages the President to maintain personal support for his outgoing staff.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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).
Hello.
Mr. President, Dr. Kistrick calling.
Yes, sir.
All right.
Thank you.
Go ahead, please.
Hello.
Mr. President.
Hello, Henry.
I thought that was a very touching toast you made.
Oh, thank you.
Thank you.
It was really, it showed great strength.
Well?
Well, everyone at my table was tremendously moved.
Well, that's fine.
And
Just keep the faith, Henry.
I mean, all this yakking about the Senate and the special prosecutor.
Hell, Richardson's got that power.
It's what he's going to do.
Mr. President.
And they're all they want.
They're not after home.
Erdogan, I suppose, and they're after me.
Oh, no, they're after you.
But that's all right.
We made the right move, though, didn't we?
No, you had to do it.
It was unbelievably painful and tragic.
But it had to be done.
We've had a very good reaction from the country in the speech, if you don't mind.
And it wouldn't have done any good to delay it, because it would have destroyed John and Bob even more.
I agree.
And so you did the right thing by them and the right thing by the country.
And going on television was very important, because we had 70 million people, and that's the important thing.
You know, we ought to be over the heads of the press that way.
Well, the press will scream for another few days.
That's right.
If there aren't any more major things coming out, I think that we'll do it.
Oh, there may be, but what the hell.
There's much more left in me.
But the thing now is to get on with the business of this country.
Exactly.
And that's what we're doing.
The way you put it today was really beautifully done.
Also the manner.
Very relaxed, very confident.
Good, Henry.
What's good of you to call?
Not at all.
Be sure you let Bob and John know you're still behind them.
I called them every day, and I called their wives.
Right, Mr. Smith.

NARA Description

On May 1, 1973, Henry A. Kissinger and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone from 11:50 pm to 11:52 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 045-130 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 45-130

Date: May 1, 1973
Time: 11:50 pm - 11:52 pm
Location: White House Telephone

Henry A. Kissinger talked with the President.
                                                -83-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                               Conversation No. 45-130 (cont’d)

     President’s toast at state dinner
           -Reaction

     Watergate
          -Special Prosecutor
                -Senate
                -Elliot L. Richardson
          -Target of opponents
                -John D. Ehrlichman, H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
                -President
          -President’s previous speech
                -Reaction in nation
                -Ehrlichman and Haldeman
                -Audience
                      -Number
          -President’s activity
          -Kissinger’s conversations with Haldeman and Ehrlichman

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.
  • 045-128 11:38 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and William P. Rogers talked on the telephone from 11:38 pm to 11:40 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.

All 82 conversations from May 2, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 045-130, 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/045-130 (accessed October 5, 2026).