Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 46 › Conversation 046-002

Nixon phone call with Trudeau on Watergate scandal and Henry Kissinger

Friday, May 11, 1973 · 12:11 PM–12:13 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Trudeau, Pierre E.Conversation046-002 on Tape 46StartFriday, May 11, 1973 at 12:11 PMEndFriday, May 11, 1973 at 12:13 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 046-002 ↗

AI Summary

Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau called President Nixon to express personal support and sympathy regarding the political fallout from the Watergate scandal. The two leaders discussed the pressures of political life, with Nixon characterizing the scandal as the result of misguided actions by subordinates. Nixon also updated Trudeau on Henry Kissinger’s upcoming trip to Paris to meet with Le Duc Tho, promising to provide the Prime Minister with a follow-up report on the negotiations.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Mr. President, Prime Minister Trudeau.
Hello.
Mr. President.
Hello.
Hello.
How are you?
Very well.
I just got back from vacation earlier this week, and I wanted to phone you to tell you how distressed I was about all this noise that is...
going on around the Watergate thing.
I want to tell you that, you know, as far as I'm concerned, the people here that I know have, and certainly myself, have great confidence and respect.
And I think amongst politicians, we realize how an issue like this can be seized upon and distorted.
Right.
Well, how kindly of you to call.
Let me say that it is a
really an implorable incidents and then what it is is like as you know in campaigns people your best friends with the best of intentions do things they shouldn't and then you have to let them go and it breaks your heart but that's the way it happens well exactly and and you're quite right the sad thing is they do it with good intentions that's right and and and this was all such a picky damn thing but it was wrong
But I'll tell you, we'll survive it, Mr. Prime Minister.
But your call, I will always remember.
Well, I certainly never forgot that you called me when I was... Well, you know, we sort of have a union.
We politicians have got to stick together.
Well, that's the way we got to do it, and I think we see things the right way.
Well, I appreciate it.
Incidentally, I wanted to tell you, Kissinger just left.
He's going over to see Lee Ducktoe.
It'll be announced today in Paris next week.
And as soon as he gets back, I'll have him be sure that you get a report, because I know your decision on this thing is...
And that way we'll have a better fix on how to let you know how the thing is coming.
But we do appreciate what you've done, and I'll keep you totally posted on his visit, which will be next Thursday.
Certainly appreciate that.
Thank you very much, Mr. President.
How good of you to call.
Thank you.
Bye.

NARA Description

On May 11, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Pierre E. Trudeau talked on the telephone from 12:11 pm to 12:13 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 046-002 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 46-2

Date: May 11, 1973
Time: 12:11 pm -12:13 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Pierre E. Trudeau.

[See also Conversation No. 916-16A]

     Greetings

     Watergate
          -Trudeau’s view
          -President’s view

     Henry A. Kissinger’s schedule
          -Paris Talks
                -Le Duc Tho
          -Report to Trudeau

Also recorded on May 11, 1973

  • 046-001 12:03 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:03 pm and 12:07 pm.
  • 916-015 12:03 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at 12:03 pm.
  • 916-016 12:03 PM · 36 min — President Richard M. Nixon, unknown person(s), Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and Pierre E. Trudeau met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:03 pm and 12:43 pm.
  • 916-017 12:44 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon, John C. Slemp, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:44 pm to 12:50 pm.
  • 916-018 12:50 PM · 33 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:50 pm and 12:53 pm.
  • 916-019 12:53 PM · 1 hr 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:53 pm to 2:02 pm.
  • 046-003 2:00 PM · 22 sec — Alexander M. Haig, Jr. and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone from 2:00 pm to 2:01 pm.
  • 916-020 2:02 PM · 1 min — United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:02 pm and 11:59 pm.

All 78 conversations from May 11, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 046-002, May 11, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/046-002 (accessed October 5, 2026).