Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 46 › Conversation 046-149

Nixon phone call with Ziegler on Watergate scandal and Press relations

Tuesday, May 22, 1973 · 2:52 PM–2:53 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.Conversation046-149 on Tape 46StartTuesday, May 22, 1973 at 2:52 PMEndTuesday, May 22, 1973 at 2:53 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 046-149 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler coordinate the rollout of an upcoming White House statement regarding the Watergate scandal. The discussion focuses on the strategy for a press briefing, which will include Leonard Garment and J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr., intended to project a relaxed and positive image. Nixon emphasizes that the staff must maintain a firm conviction in the truthfulness of the forthcoming statement before scheduling a follow-up meeting to finalize implementation details.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Ron, I don't want to take you away from anything that's getting us out of it, but as soon as you have maybe five minutes, you know, that you can come over, I want to just run over two or three things with you in terms of how we implement this son of a bitch.
Okay, we're preparing for the briefing now.
Do you want to see me before we brief her after?
Oh, you're going to brief what?
Well, we're going to hand this out, and then we're going to go out and just, you know, handle it in a positive way.
You're going to brief the press?
Yes, sir.
Oh, the hell with it.
No, no, no, no, no.
When do you brief the press?
Well, we're getting ready.
We're doing the mechanics and getting it all organized.
Are you going to brief it, or who's going to brief it?
No, Garment and Lozart and I are going out.
Just to show a relaxed, you know, positive tone.
Good, good, good.
I won't bother you about it.
What time will you finish?
I'll be over at about 0415.
Is that okay, sir?
I'll come over now if you'd like, but I just wanted to... No, no, no, no.
Prepare for the briefing.
Right, right.
But remember, Joe, I mean, lend spirit as good as it...
best, quite frankly.
And Mozart's up for it.
Yes, sir.
He's worked his ass off, all of you have.
And the main thing that the three of you have got to know is that, by God, this is the truth.
You know, I mean, I don't care what... And you and I have got to understand this, because you've got to go out there and brief, and you've gotten a lot of crap from people, you know, but...
There's no question about it.
As you well know, this is...
that I know about this.
Yes, sir.
I know that.
In fact, even more than I really ought to admit.
I've done it.
Well, I know that better than anyone does.
Yes, sir.
All right.
Fine.
Well, then come over at 4.30.
Okay.
Good, sir.

NARA Description

On May 22, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 2:52 pm to 2:53 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 046-149 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 46-149

Date: May 22, 1973
Time: 2:52 pm - 2:53 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Ronald L. Ziegler.

[See also Conversation No. 440-7]

     Watergate
          -Ziegler’s schedule
                -President
                -Press briefing
                      -Leonard Garment and J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr.
                -Forthcoming White House statement on Watergate
                      -President’s veracity

Also recorded on May 22, 1973

  • 046-146 2:44 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:44 pm and 2:45 pm.
  • 046-147 2:45 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 2:45 pm to 2:46 pm.
  • 440-005 2:45 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:45 pm to 2:46 pm.
  • 046-148 2:46 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:46 pm and 2:52 pm.
  • 440-006 2:46 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:46 pm and 2:52 pm.
  • 440-007 2:52 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:52 pm to 2:53 pm.
  • 046-150 2:53 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:53 pm and 3:00 pm.
  • 440-008 2:53 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:53 pm and 3:00 pm.

All 80 conversations from May 22, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 046-149, May 22, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/046-149 (accessed October 12, 2026).