Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 433 › Conversation 433-031

Nixon & Keyes on Watergate and Public relations

Tuesday, May 1, 1973 · 5:38 PM–5:40 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Keyes, Paul W.Conversation433-031 on Tape 433StartTuesday, May 1, 1973 at 5:38 PMEndTuesday, May 1, 1973 at 5:40 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 433-031 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon consulted with Paul W. Keyes to gauge public reaction to his televised address regarding the Watergate scandal earlier that day. The discussion focused on how the speech was received in various regions, specifically California, as Nixon sought informal feedback on his performance. Keyes encouraged the President, suggesting that he was on the right track while noting that additional public communication might be necessary.

Audio

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NARA Description

On May 1, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Paul W. Keyes met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 5:38 pm to 5:40 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 433-031 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 433-31

Date: May 1, 1973
Time: 5:38 pm - 5:40 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with Paul W. Keyes.

[See Conversation No. 45-96]
                                             -16-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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

So, where do you, how do you get along with the carpenters?
Yeah, what?
Yeah.
Right, right.
Right, good.
Great, great, great, great, good.
Oh, I feel fine, just fine, just fine, just fine.
How was the reaction to the speech today?
You checked with people around there.
How about the coast?
Yeah, what'd they say?
Sometimes you gotta put in a little more.
I don't do that very often.
I ought to do a little more.
Well, I think you're on the right track now.
Think on the way back.
Right.

Also recorded on May 1, 1973

  • 045-095 5:35 PM · 23 sec — White House operator and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone at 5:35 pm.
  • 433-030 5:35 PM · 19 sec — White House operator and President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 5:35 pm.
  • 045-096 5:38 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Paul W. Keyes talked on the telephone from 5:38 pm to 5:40 pm.
  • 045-097 5:40 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:40 pm and 5:43 pm.
  • 433-032 5:40 PM · 11 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 5:40 pm and 5:43 pm.
  • 045-098 5:43 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone from 5:43 pm to 5:44 pm.
  • 433-033 5:43 PM · 55 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 5:43 pm to 5:44 pm.
  • 045-099 5:44 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:44 pm and 5:53 pm.

All 150 conversations from May 1, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 433-031, 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/433-031 (accessed October 29, 2026).