Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 39 › Conversation 039-104

Nixon phone call with Buzhardt on Watergate and Archibald Cox

Wednesday, June 6, 1973 · 1:00 PM–1:04 PM ET · White House Telephone · 4 min

ParticipantsWhite House operator; Nixon, Richard M. (President); Buzhardt, J. Fred, Jr.Conversation039-104 on Tape 39StartWednesday, June 6, 1973 at 1:00 PMEndWednesday, June 6, 1973 at 1:04 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 039-104 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon instructed his attorney, J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr., on the strategy for an upcoming meeting with Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox regarding the Watergate investigation. Nixon directed Buzhardt to project an image of full cooperation while maintaining a firm refusal to turn over sensitive presidential papers to avoid a constitutional crisis. Furthermore, Nixon urged Buzhardt to aggressively confront Cox about allegations that his staff was motivated by a desire to target the President, while simultaneously expressing absolute confidence that John Dean's testimony would ultimately prove Nixon's innocence.

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Transcript (AI-generated)

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With regard to your meeting with the Crocs, and I know that you and Charlie Wright are probably already thinking these terms, but obviously he's going to want to find out stuff from you, and the most important
reason you're going there is to find out something from him as to what he's up to, what his attitude is on the urban committee and so forth.
Now, as far as the tactics, I would indicate great willingness to cooperate and then a very hard line on the papers, fuzzing it just enough, you know.
But I just, I know we're not going to be able to give on that.
So if he begins to get into that stuff,
Look, if you want information and so forth, you chat with us about it, but let's not have a constitutional crisis over papers.
Right.
That's the only thing we do on the board is a constitutional crisis.
The other thing is, but we are cooperating all the way right now.
I want you to say, quite candidly, I said, Mr. Cox, all over town, it's been written and said that you're out to get the president.
If that is the case, we want you to know we're ready for the fight.
I think you should say that to him.
Quite clear.
I'll put it in just those two words.
Yeah.
You're out to get the president.
He says that several columns have written this and so forth.
You and your staff are out to get the president.
He says your record and so forth.
We can't believe that, but we want you to know that if some of the junior members of your staff say that they have been saying that, put it on them, have been saying this, that if that's it, we're ready for the fight.
And I would show great confidence on the Dean thing.
I'd say let's just understand one thing here.
We know that you think you've got to start with no witness indeed.
But we're quite aware.
You have to buy?
Yes, sir.
In other words, I think the more confidence we can show, it will shake their confidence a bit.
Right.
We know everything that they have.
All these things, so forth and so on.
Obviously, any suggestions, any suggestions that he...
talk informally with the president and so forth.
Never.
Right.
Do you understand?
Absolutely never.
Right.
Because that would break over beyond belief.
Under no circumstances, interrogatories, letters, willies and that.
Because basically putting the president on trial is something we cannot have.
They're doing it in the public, and that's enough.
But I'd be very tough on this out-to-get-the-president thing, and that we're not going to stand for it.
We don't want to make his job harder.
The president has ordered cooperation.
You can say that.
But if they make this a political dogfight, we're ready for it.
And we are prepared to fight.
I'd lay it right on the line, too.
I'd lay it right on the line.
And still say we're, of course— Yes, you're— That's right.
But we hear you.
Just say, but I've got to say this.
We've got to know, because just say, I base it on not that you think so, but that some apparently—there have been a number of columns apparently coming from some of the junior members of his staff.
They have said, perhaps when they've had too much to drink, we're out to get the president.
That if that's what you're trying to do, we want you to know we're ready for the fight.
You're not going to get him.
Right.
Because that's wrong.
The president is cooperating.
He's doing everything he can in this thing.
And the president is totally innocent.
And everybody knows it, including Dean.
And his testimony under oath will so prove.
Right.
Don't let him bluff you with anything to the effect that I've looked.
Dean's told me something, or he's got some stuff you don't know about, or da-da-da-da-da.
Just say, you know, basically, you know more than he does as you know.
You know everything.
You understand?
Yes, sir.
All right.
Absolutely.
Play a tough game.
Fine.
We will do it.
Okay.
Good.
Thank you, Mr. President.

NARA Description

On June 6, 1973, White House operator, President Richard M. Nixon, and J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr. talked on the telephone from 1:00 pm to 1:04 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 039-104 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 39-104

Date: June 6, 1973
Time: 1:00 pm - 1:04 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The White House operator talked with the President.

       Incoming telephone call

The President talked with J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr.

[See also Conversation No. 443-3]

       Watergate
             -Buzhardt’s forthcoming meeting with Archibald Cox
                   -Charles A. Wright
                   -Intentions of Buzhardt and Cox
                   -Tactics
                            -President’s papers
                            -White House cooperation
                            -Cox’s possible attacks on President
                                   -Press reports
                                           -Cox’s staff
                            -John W. Dean, III’s possible testimony
                   -Cox’s possible contacts with President
                   -Tactics
                            -White House cooperation
                            -Cox’s possible attacks on President
                                   -Press reports
                                           -Cox’s staff
                            -President’s cooperation
                            -Dean’s possible testimony
                            -Buzhardt’s knowledge
                                               -81-

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Also recorded on June 6, 1973

  • 039-103 12:56 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:56 pm and 1:00 pm.
  • 443-001 12:56 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 12:56 pm and 1:00 pm.
  • 443-002 12:56 PM · 28 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 12:56 pm and 1:00 pm.
  • 443-003 1:00 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:00 pm to 1:04 pm.
  • 039-105 1:04 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:04 pm and 1:09 pm.
  • 443-004 1:04 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 1:04 pm and 1:05 pm.
  • 443-005 1:04 PM · 18 sec — White House operator and President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:04 pm and 1:05 pm.
  • 443-006 1:05 PM · 14 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, and Charles W. Colson met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:05 pm and 1:38 pm.

All 80 conversations from June 6, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 039-104, June 6, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/039-104 (accessed September 25, 2026).