Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 46 › Conversation 046-020

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on Ronald L. Ziegler

Sunday, May 13, 1973 · 9:54 PM–10:04 PM ET · White House Telephone · 11 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation046-020 on Tape 46StartSunday, May 13, 1973 at 9:54 PMEndSunday, May 13, 1973 at 10:04 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 046-020 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon instructed the White House operator to place a telephone call to Press Secretary Ronald L. Ziegler. The conversation served solely as a brief administrative request to facilitate direct communication with his staff. No further substantive policy matters or tactical decisions were discussed during this short exchange.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

Yes, please.
Yes, sir.

NARA Description

On May 13, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:54 pm and 10:04 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 046-020 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 46-20

Date: May 13, 1973
Time: Unknown between 9:54 pm and 10:04 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

     Telephone call to Ronald L. Ziegler

Also recorded on May 14, 1973

  • 046-021 10:04 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 10:04 pm to 10:08 pm.
  • 046-022 10:08 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:08 pm and 10:09 pm.
  • 046-023 10:09 PM · 33 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone from 10:09 pm to 10:43 pm.
  • 917-041 5:15 AM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 5:15 am and 5:17 pm.
  • 917-001 8:42 AM · 2 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:42 am and 8:56 am.
  • 917-002 8:56 AM · 2 hr 14 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and Lawrence M. Higby met in the Oval Office of the White House from 8:56 am to 10:50 am.
  • 917-003 10:50 AM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:50 am and 11:00 am.
  • 917-004 10:50 AM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:50 am and 11:00 am.

All 102 conversations from May 14, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 046-020, May 14, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/046-020 (accessed October 1, 2026).