Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 46 › Conversation 046-162

Nixon phone call with Ziegler on Watergate and Wiretapping

Tuesday, May 22, 1973 · 8:02 PM–8:03 PM ET · White House Telephone · 50 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.Conversation046-162 on Tape 46StartTuesday, May 22, 1973 at 8:02 PMEndTuesday, May 22, 1973 at 8:03 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 046-162 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon directed Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler to leak information regarding the administration's surveillance of journalists to the press. Nixon emphasized that the leak should frame the disclosure as a response to mounting pressure from senators demanding the release of wiretap records. Ziegler was instructed to disseminate this information immediately to control the narrative surrounding the ongoing Watergate investigations.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Hello?
Yes, sir.
It's one of your press people that you can really trust.
This story, I want out tomorrow.
Understand, the other one we talked about, that you must get out, Ron.
You understand why?
Fine.
This one should be, the president is under great pressure from various senators to release the content of the tapes on Newsmen and so forth that they had, and is going to do so Friday.
All right.
Get my pint.
Get that out.
All right.
Do you have somebody you can get it to?
Yes, sir.
All right.
Get it out.
Just let it ride.
Okay, boy.

NARA Description

On May 22, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 8:02 pm to 8:03 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 046-162 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 46-162

Date: May 22, 1973
Time: 8:02 pm - 8:03 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Ronald L. Ziegler.

     Watergate
          -Release of wiretap information on newsmen
                -Congressional pressure
                -Timing

Also recorded on May 23, 1973

  • 046-163 8:03 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:03 pm and 8:08 pm.
  • 046-164 8:08 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 8:08 pm to 8:09 pm.
  • 046-165 8:09 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:09 pm and 8:28 pm.
  • 046-166 8:28 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 8:28 pm to 8:30 pm.
  • 046-167 8:30 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:30 pm and 8:39 pm.
  • 046-168 8:39 PM · 15 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Bryce N. Harlow talked on the telephone from 8:39 pm to 8:54 pm.
  • 124-001 12:00 AM · 22 sec — a White House tour group met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 12:00 am and 9:41 am.
  • 926-001 8:04 AM · 35 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:04 am and 8:23 am.

All 56 conversations from May 23, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 046-162, May 23, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/046-162 (accessed October 12, 2026).