Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 438 › Conversation 438-002

Nixon & Acker on Watergate scandal and Presidential mail

Thursday, May 17, 1973 · 1:27 PM–1:32 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 46 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Acker, Marjorie P.Conversation438-002 on Tape 438StartThursday, May 17, 1973 at 1:27 PMEndThursday, May 17, 1973 at 1:32 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 438-002 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon instructed Marjorie Acker to compile a representative sample of incoming mail regarding the Watergate scandal to circulate among his senior staff. The President directed that this material be forwarded to Alexander Haig under the guise of Acker's own initiative to boost staff morale and provide context on public sentiment. By sharing these communications, Nixon aimed to ensure his senior advisors remained informed of the prevailing political climate while distancing himself from the distribution process.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Uh, Rose there, please.
Uh, Mark?
No.
That's all right.
You can take care of it.
I'd like for you and Jim to get together sort of a good solid batch of this sort of incoming mail that we have and all the other side of the stuff.
And sort of pass it to Al Hagan and say, if we avoid the senior staff, I want to just look through it.
It's good for their morale to see a little of it.
You know what I mean?
Get the chill on.
Get a good solid batch of it.
She should do it on the basis that she thought they might want to see it, not that I thought they might want to see it.
Now, if they have any issues, they should signal her.
Okay?
Thank you.

NARA Description

On May 17, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Marjorie P. Acker met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:27 pm and 1:32 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 438-002 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 438-2

Date: May 17, 1973
Time: Unknown between 1:27 pm and 1:32 pm
Location: Old Executive Office Building

The President talked with Marjorie P. Acker.

       Rose Mary Woods

       President’s mail on Watergate
              -Distribution
                      -Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
                              -Senior staff members
                      -Staff morale
                      -Ronald L. Ziegler
                                               -2-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Also recorded on May 17, 1973

  • 921-022 1:25 PM · 21 sec — unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:25 pm and 11:59 pm.
  • 921-023 1:25 PM · 11 sec — unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:25 pm and 11:59 pm.
  • 046-091 1:27 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:27 pm and 1:32 pm.
  • 438-001 1:27 PM · 20 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 1:27 pm and 1:32 pm.
  • 438-003 1:27 PM · 9 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 1:27 pm and 1:32 pm.
  • 046-092 1:32 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 1:32 pm to 1:33 pm.
  • 438-004 1:32 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:32 pm to 1:33 pm.
  • 046-093 1:33 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:33 pm and 1:46 pm.

All 70 conversations from May 17, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 438-002, May 17, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/438-002 (accessed October 12, 2026).