Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 425 › Conversation 425-048

Nixon & Ehrlichman on Watergate and Legal Strategy

Monday, April 9, 1973 · 8:21 PM–8:23 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ehrlichman, John D.Conversation425-048 on Tape 425StartMonday, April 9, 1973 at 8:21 PMEndMonday, April 9, 1973 at 8:23 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 425-048 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and John Ehrlichman briefly discuss strategy regarding legal or political exposure, emphasizing the need to maintain a disciplined defense to avoid self-destruction. The conversation centers on organizational control and the necessity of keeping their legal or public relations teams unified to withstand pressure. Nixon stresses the importance of holding their position firmly in the face of ongoing external scrutiny.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 1 minute of this recording (about 61% of it) is represented by only a few words. Listen to the audio rather than relying on the text below; a corrected transcript is queued.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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down.
I think that with GARNA, we would stretch out the entire line, and we wouldn't get one team to all three lines.
Otherwise, John would have destroyed himself and the White House would have killed him and everything.
We've got to hold them tight.
And so I think we should hold one team.
And we've got to hold them tight.
And we've seen what the governor has been trying to do.
And it might be a little bit smart to say,
Where did we go wrong?
That's the people.
That's the people.
That's the people.
That's the people.
That's the people.
That's the people.
That's the people.
That's the people.
There's nothing for me to do tomorrow.

NARA Description

On April 9, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 8:21 pm to 8:23 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 425-048 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 425-48

Date: April 9, 1973
Time: 8:21 pm - 8:23 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
                                            -45-

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

The President talked with John D. Ehrlichman.

[See also Conversation No. 44-117]

Also recorded on April 10, 1973

  • 425-046 7:48 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and David C. Hoopes met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 7:48 pm to 7:50 pm.
  • 044-115 7:55 PM · 13 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman talked on the telephone from 7:55 pm to 8:07 pm.
  • 425-047 7:55 PM · 11 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 7:55 pm to 8:07 pm.
  • 044-116 8:07 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:07 pm and 8:21 pm.
  • 044-117 8:21 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman talked on the telephone from 8:21 pm to 8:23 pm.
  • 044-118 8:23 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:23 pm and 9:01 pm.
  • 425-049 8:23 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 8:23 pm and 9:01 pm.
  • 044-119 9:01 PM · 50 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:01 pm and 9:02 pm.

All 81 conversations from April 10, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 425-048, April 10, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/425-048 (accessed October 5, 2026).