Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 46 › Conversation 046-040

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

Monday, May 14, 1973 · 8:20 PM–9:01 PM ET · White House Telephone · 13 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation046-040 on Tape 46StartMonday, May 14, 1973 at 8:20 PMEndMonday, May 14, 1973 at 9:01 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 046-040 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon instructed the White House operator to place a telephone call to Press Secretary Ronald L. Ziegler. This brief administrative interaction served as a logistical step to facilitate direct communication with a key advisor during a period of intense public scrutiny. No further substantive discussion occurred between the President and the operator.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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NARA Description

On May 14, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:20 pm and 9:01 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 046-040 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 46-40

Date: May 14, 1973
                                               -24-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Time: Unknown between 8:20 pm and 9:01 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

[See also Conversation No. 436-18A]

     Telephone call to Ronald L. Ziegler

Also recorded on May 15, 1973

  • 436-016 8:15 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 8:15 pm and 8:20 pm.
  • 436-017 8:15 PM · 12 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 8:15 pm and 8:20 pm.
  • 436-018 8:20 PM · 47 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., Manolo Sanchez, White House operator, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 8:20 pm to 9:15 pm.
  • 046-041 9:01 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 9:01 pm to 9:03 pm.
  • 046-042 9:12 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:12 pm and 9:15 pm.
  • 046-043 9:15 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 9:15 pm to 9:22 pm.
  • 046-044 9:22 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:22 pm and 9:32 pm.
  • 046-045 9:32 PM · 15 sec — White House operator and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone at 9:32 pm.

All 67 conversations from May 15, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 046-040, May 15, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/046-040 (accessed October 1, 2026).