Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 46 › Conversation 046-087

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

Wednesday, May 16, 1973 · 9:33 PM–9:53 PM ET · White House Telephone · 11 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation046-087 on Tape 46StartWednesday, May 16, 1973 at 9:33 PMEndWednesday, May 16, 1973 at 9:53 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 046-087 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon requested that the White House operator connect him with his Press Secretary, Ronald L. Ziegler. This brief administrative exchange served as the precursor to a subsequent discussion between the President and his top spokesperson. No substantive policy matters or decisions were finalized during this specific interaction.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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

Ron Ziegler please.
Thank you.

NARA Description

On May 16, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:33 pm and 9:53 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 046-087 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 46-87

Date: May 16, 1973
Time: Unknown between 9:33 pm and 9:53 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

     Telephone call to Ronald L. Ziegler

Also recorded on May 17, 1973

  • 920-012 8:40 PM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:40 pm and 8:45 pm.
  • 920-013 8:45 PM · 48 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr., and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 8:45 pm to 9:33 pm.
  • 920-015 8:45 PM · 48 sec — unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:45 pm and 9:33 pm.
  • 046-088 9:53 PM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 9:53 pm to 9:59 pm.
  • 921-001 8:20 AM · 15 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 8:20 am to 8:40 am.
  • 921-002 8:40 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:40 am and 8:44 am.
  • 921-003 8:44 AM · 1 hr 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House from 8:44 am to 9:36 am.
  • 046-089 9:36 AM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:36 am and 9:59 am.

All 70 conversations from May 17, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 046-087, May 17, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/046-087 (accessed October 12, 2026).