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Conversation 167-022

TapeTape 167StartSunday, May 20, 1973 at 3:34 PMEndSunday, May 20, 1973 at 3:35 PMParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Lewis, Hobart D.Recording deviceCamp David Study Table
AI Summary

President Nixon initiated this brief call to check on the morale of Hobart D. Lewis amidst the intensifying Watergate scandal. The discussion centered on the President's public image and the strategic difficulty of defending himself against various allegations, including cover-up and clemency claims. They expressed mutual admiration for a recent supportive letter written by John S. D. Eisenhower to the New York Times, contemplating potential future use of the text to shift public focus toward broader international interests like the upcoming Soviet summit.

Watergate scandalPublic relationsJohn S. D. EisenhowerSoviet summitPresidential defense
AudioNARA Description

On May 20, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Hobart D. Lewis talked on the telephone at Camp David from 3:34 pm to 3:35 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 167-022 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 167-22

Date: May 20, 1973
Time: 3:34 pm - 3:35 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table

The President talked with Hobart D. (“Hobe”) Lewis.

     Lewis’s morale

     Watergate
          -White House response
                -Television [TV]
          -Allegations regarding President
                -Clemency
                -Cover-up
          -Lewis’s conversations with Charles G. (“Bebe”) Rebozo and Rose Mary Woods
          -John S. D. Eisenhower’s letter to New York Times

     Public interests
           -Soviet summit
Transcript (AI-Generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

Hello.
Hello, Mr. President.
Just calling to see how your morale is.
My morale is excellent.
I know yours is.
Well, just remember, Hope, keep fighting.
Just keep in there fighting.
That's all there is to do.
We're going to have a lot of crap when I fly around here, but you'll finally come down to it, you know.
there's too many big things to be done in the world that's right and that's that's the whole thing we've got to just get in a strong position and keep on going that's right and all
There'll be more, of course.
I suppose it'll go on for a long time.
And, of course, they thrash around with the president, thinking maybe they've got everything from clemency to cover-up to everything, but he can't get out there and defend it.
That's the problem.
That's the whole problem.
But there ought to be some people out there in front who can do it for you.
They will at the proper time.
I think they will.
I told B.B., you know, and I told Rose, if there's the slightest thing I can do or we can do, we can do it.
Well, we'll ask you.
I thought that letter that John Eisenhower wrote to the New York Times was very good.
Wasn't that good?
I thought it was marvelous.
Brilliant letter.
And I'd like to reprint it, if we can do it, just to question whether the timing is right.
We could be sort of next July or August.
Yeah, that's right.
But anyway... You can't really judge that hopefully.
You can't really tell quite that, yeah.
By then, people may be thinking of the Russian summit and other things.
Well, I hope they are.
That's right.
Okay, bye.
All right.
Thanks for calling.
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