Conversation: 924-002
Prev: 924-001 Next: 924-003Start Date: 21-May-1973 8:40 AM
End Date: 21-May-1973 9:23 AM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.; Bull, Stephen B.; Haig, Alexander M., Jr.;Recording Device: Oval Office
NARA Description:
On May 21, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, Stephen B. Bull, and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House from 8:40 am to 9:23 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 924-002 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 924-2
Date: May 21, 1973
Time: 8:40 am - 9:23 am
Location: Oval Office
The President met with Ronald L. Ziegler.
Watergate
-News coverage
-Washington Post
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
-Quote
-President’s knowledge
-Forthcoming testimony
-Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman
-Ziegler’s dealing with press
-Patrick J. Buchanan’s memorandum
-Congress
-Bryce N. Harlow’s role
-Republican leaders
-2-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2011)
Conversation No. 924-2 (cont’d)
-White House response
-Forthcoming White Paper [Statements about Watergate Investigation, May
22, 1973]
-Possible calls by Harlow or William E. Timmons
-Hugh Scott and Gerald R. Ford
-Possible meeting with congressional leaders
-Michael (“Mike”) Mansfield and Carl B. Albert
-Timing of release
-Briefing
-Leonard Garment, Ziegler, and J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr.
-President’s possible press conference
-Clark R. Mollenhoff
-Courtney Sheldon
-Format
-Audience
-Harlow’s view
-Popular opinion
-Polls
-President’s visit to Norfolk, Virginia, 5/19
-White House response
-President’s possible press conference
-Format
-Forthcoming White Paper
-Presentation to congressional leaders
-John C. Stennis
-Harlow’s view
-Egil (“Bud”) Krogh, Jr.
-President’s possible press conference
-Format
-Buchanan’s memo
-President’s reference to Haldeman and Ehrlichman in 4/30 speech
-Haldeman and Ehrlichman
-Relationship to White House
-Forthcoming testimony and statements
-Buchanan’s memo
-President’s relationship with accused staff members
-Haldeman, Ehrlichman, John W. Dean, III, and John N. Mitchell
-3-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2011)
Conversation No. 924-2 (cont’d)
-Charles W. Colson
-Richard M. Helms
-Statement regarding Central Intelligence Agency [CIA] and cover-up
-CIA
-Lt. Gen. Vernon A. Walters’s affidavit
-Effects of the President’s possible responses
-Clemency
-President’s conversation with Ehrlichman, 7/72
-Krogh
-Daniel Ellsberg break-in
-President’s knowledge
-Ziegler’s knowledge
-Dean’s conversation with the President
-CIA’s delivery of film to Justice Department
-Ehrlichman’s knowledge
-Dean’s knowledge
-President’s conversation with Henry E. Petersen, 4/18
E. Howard Hunt, Jr.
-National Security
-Executive privilege
-Evidence
-President’s conversation with Richard G. Kleindienst
-Informing judge
-Ehrlichman’s knowledge
-National security
-President’s conversation with Petersen
-Ziegler’s call to Petersen
-Informing judge
-Hunt
-Results
Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 8:40 am.
Haig’s schedule
Bull left at an unknown time before 9:23 am.
-4-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2011)
Conversation No. 924-2 (cont’d)
Watergate
-Campaign practices in 1972
-Donald H. Segretti
-Demonstrators
-White House response
-President’s responsibility
-White House staff’s responsibility
-Robert L. Vesco
-National security
-Haldeman’s responsibility
-Conduct of 1972 campaign
-Jeb Stuart Magruder
-Magruder
-Relationship to G[eorge] Gordon Liddy and Hunt
-Mitchell’s responsibility in overseeing 1972 campaign
-Haldeman’s responsibility regarding 1972 campaign
-National security
-Demonstrations
-Leaks
-Plumbers
-White House staff’s responsibility
-Ehrlichman’s warning
-Haldeman
-$350,000
-April 1972 campaign disclosure law
-President’s conversation with Haldeman
-President’s knowledge
-$350,000
-Herbert W. Kalmbach
-White House response
-President’s relationship with accused staff members
-Resignation
-Possible effect
-President’s possible actions
-Television [TV] interview
-Press conference
-TV interview
-5-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2011)
Conversation No. 924-2 (cont’d)
-Howard K. Smith
-Dan Rather
-Eric Sevareid and Walter Cronkite
-John W. Chancellor
-Sevareid
-James B. Reston
-James B. (“Scotty”) Reston
The President talked with Alexander M. Haig, Jr. at an unknown time between 8:40 am and 9:23
am.
[Conversation No. 924-2A]
[Begin telephone conversation]
President’s schedule
-Executive Office Building [EOB]
[End telephone conversation]
Watergate
-White House response
-President’s activities
-Economic meeting
-Forthcoming summit with Leonid I. Brezhnev
-Communiqué
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Forthcoming White Paper
-President’s possible press conference
-Format
-Reston, Sevareid
-Departures of White House staff members
-Haldeman, Ehrlichman, Mitchell, Maurice H. Stans, Dean, and Dwight L.
Chapin
-Effect on government
-Compared with other governments
-6-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Tape Subject Log
(rev. August-2011)
Conversation No. 924-2 (cont’d)
Ziegler left at 9:23 am.