Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 433 › Conversation 433-016

Nixon & Arends on Watergate and Special Prosecutor

Tuesday, May 1, 1973 · 1:18 PM–1:20 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Arends, Leslie C.Conversation433-016 on Tape 433StartTuesday, May 1, 1973 at 1:18 PMEndTuesday, May 1, 1973 at 1:20 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 433-016 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with Representative Leslie C. Arends to discuss the ongoing political pressure surrounding the Watergate scandal. Comparing his current personnel difficulties to President Eisenhower's dismissal of Sherman Adams, Nixon expressed his resolve in managing the crisis and his administration's staffing changes. The conversation focused on maintaining political support and addressing the contentious push from figures like Senator Charles Percy for the appointment of a special prosecutor.

Audio

Download MP3 · 3.5 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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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).
Well, I just wanted to tell you to keep the faith, old boy.
The right thing, it was tough, you know.
I mean, it's the hardest thing in the world, you know, like poor old, poor Eisenhower.
You know, I had to fire Adams, you know, and Eisenhower.
But I did it myself with these guys.
I said, look, you've got to go, boys.
But it had to be done last year.
your colleague percy to come out for a special prosecutor and arrest was more with a crazy son of a
I got what the hell do you think Richardson is?
That's right.
And I told her to make his point of the special question.
What's the crisis?
A matter of course.
I have somebody attacked us on the bench.
All right.
Okay, boy.
Good meeting this morning today.
Okay.
Okay.

NARA Description

On May 1, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Leslie C. Arends met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:18 pm to 1:20 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 433-016 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 433-16

Date: May 1, 1973
                                              -8-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Time: 1:18 pm - 1:20 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with Leslie C. Arends.

[See Conversation No. 45-84]

Also recorded on May 1, 1973

  • 045-082 1:16 PM · 19 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at 1:16 pm.
  • 045-083 1:16 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:16 pm and 1:18 pm.
  • 045-084 1:18 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Leslie C. Arends talked on the telephone from 1:18 pm to 1:20 pm.
  • 045-085 1:20 PM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:20 pm and 1:22 pm.
  • 433-017 1:20 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:20 pm and 1:22 pm.
  • 045-086 1:22 PM · 44 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and William E. Timmons talked on the telephone from 1:22 pm to 1:23 pm.
  • 433-018 1:22 PM · 42 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and William E. Timmons met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:22 pm to 1:23 pm.
  • 045-087 1:23 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Gerald R. Ford talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:23 pm and 1:24 pm.

All 181 conversations from May 1, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 433-016, May 1, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/433-016 (accessed October 5, 2026).