Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 164 › Conversation 164-039

Nixon phone call with Ziegler on H. R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman

Sunday, April 29, 1973 · 12:49 PM–12:52 PM ET · Camp David Study Table · 4 min

ParticipantsZiegler, Ronald L.; Nixon, Richard M. (President)Conversation164-039 on Tape 164StartSunday, April 29, 1973 at 12:49 PMEndSunday, April 29, 1973 at 12:52 PMRecording deviceCamp David Study TableSourceNixon Library record for 164-039 ↗

AI Summary

Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler briefs President Nixon on his efforts to secure the resignations of H. R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman. Ziegler confirms that while Haldeman has agreed to comply with the President's decision, he anticipates greater resistance from Ehrlichman and intends to coordinate the process during an upcoming helicopter ride. The two men also discuss the logistical challenge of ensuring the departing aides have sufficient financial support during their transition.

Audio

Download MP3 · 6.8 MB

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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

· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Hello.
Is Mr. Ziegler calling you?
Yeah.
Thank you.
There you are.
Hello, Ron.
Yes, sir.
I talked to Bob and told him that your decision was to ask for the resignation.
And you had, you know, talked to Rogers and thought this through for now three weeks.
You feel that leave of absence would be detrimental to them and to the presidency and that you intended to ask them for the resignations.
And he said, I told him that you recognize that their lawyers don't agree with this approach and that they don't agree with this approach, but the president feels clear in his mind now that this must be done and that's what he wants.
And Bob said, fine.
He understands.
He feels it's wrong decision, but he will abide by it.
And in terms of John, he said,
I think John is going to be more difficult in accepting this.
And I said, I believe the President recognizes that, but is prepared to stand by his decision.
And Bob said, I'll do what I can with John.
Good.
Big man.
He sure is.
Big man.
You think, in other words, he's going to go talk to John, I presume?
We'll talk to him on the helicopter.
The point is, I told him that was your decision, and Bob said, I understand the decision, and I read him that part about, you know, we've considered a leave of absence but do not want to create a period of uncertainty, so he asked me to put down some thoughts as to what he should say in a voluntary resignation letter, and what your response to... And that I, that you, Mr. President, I mean, we have discussed that we have considered the possibility at your suggestion of a leave of absence during this period, but we believe that this...
This would create a hiatus, and there cannot be a hiatus, whether there's any uncertainty because of our not knowing how long these hearings will go on.
We want to return not only cleared of any illegal activity, but also of any improper activity.
And we realize that the time is involved.
We are confident that we will be.
But in the meantime, we feel that
It's important that the work go ahead and that the duties, rather than tell a successor to do it, the duties that we have been performing, that you must have worked out.
We will, of course, be available as long as it's necessary to work out a transition to those who assume the responsibilities that we have been undertaking in your behalf.
I don't know what the hell you do about it.
One problem, it's a real one for John particularly, is what the hell do you do for money for them in this period?
Ron, what the hell do you do about that?
I don't know.
They haven't got any money.
They haven't.
I mean, that's why the leave appealed to John particularly.
Well, nothing appealed, but... Well, I think that in terms of money there, I'm sure that there's a way to...
Friends.
Friends to advance the money.
Okay, thank you.
Yes, sir.

NARA Description

On April 29, 1973, Ronald L. Ziegler and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone at Camp David from 12:49 pm to 12:52 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 164-039 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 164-39
                                               -29-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                           Conversation No. 164-39 (cont’d)

Date: April 29, 1973
Time: 12:49 pm - 12:52 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table

Ronald L. Ziegler talked with the President.

      Ziegler’s conversation with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
            -Resignations of Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman
                  -Haldeman’s reaction
                  -Ehrlichman
            -Haldeman
                  -Forthcoming conversation with Ehrlichman
            -Ziegler’s conversation with Haldeman
                  -Wording of resignation letter
            -Haldeman and Ehrlichman
                  -Money for support

Also recorded on April 29, 1973

  • 164-031 10:36 AM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:36 am and 11:46 am.
  • 164-032 11:46 AM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon, William P. Rogers, and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 11:46 am and 11:52 am.
  • 164-033 11:52 AM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 11:52 am and 12:01 pm.
  • 164-034 12:01 PM · 21 sec — Camp David operator and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone at Camp David at 12:01 pm.
  • 164-035 12:01 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 12:01 pm and 12:28 pm.
  • 164-036 12:28 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and William P. Rogers talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 12:28 pm and 12:30 pm.
  • 164-037 12:30 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 12:30 pm and 12:32 pm.
  • 164-038 12:32 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone at Camp David from 12:32 pm to 12:34 pm.

All 17 conversations from April 29, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 164-039, April 29, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/164-039 (accessed October 12, 2026).