Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 167 › Conversation 167-022

Nixon phone call with Lewis on Watergate scandal and Public relations

Sunday, May 20, 1973 · 3:34 PM–3:35 PM ET · Camp David Study Table · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Lewis, Hobart D.Conversation167-022 on Tape 167StartSunday, May 20, 1973 at 3:34 PMEndSunday, May 20, 1973 at 3:35 PMRecording deviceCamp David Study TableSourceNixon Library record for 167-022 ↗

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.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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

NARA 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

Also recorded on May 20, 1973

  • 167-017 3:07 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 3:07 pm and 3:13 pm.
  • 167-018 3:13 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower talked on the telephone at Camp David from 3:13 pm to 3:15 pm.
  • 167-019 3:15 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 3:15 pm and 3:30 pm.
  • 167-020 3:30 PM · 12 sec — Camp David operator and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone at Camp David at 3:30 pm.
  • 167-021 3:30 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 3:30 pm and 3:34 pm.
  • 167-023 3:35 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 3:35 pm and 3:36 pm.
  • 167-024 3:36 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles G. ("Bebe") Rebozo talked on the telephone at Camp David from 3:36 pm to 3:37 pm.
  • 167-025 4:11 PM · 10 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 4:11 pm to 4:21 pm.

All 27 conversations from May 20, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 167-022, May 20, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/167-022 (accessed October 12, 2026).