Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 39 › Conversation 039-047

Nixon phone call with Haig on Melvin Laird and John Dean

Sunday, June 3, 1973 · 7:30 PM–7:34 PM ET · White House Telephone · 5 min

ParticipantsWhite House operator; Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haig, Alexander M., Jr.Conversation039-047 on Tape 39StartSunday, June 3, 1973 at 7:30 PMEndSunday, June 3, 1973 at 7:34 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 039-047 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Alexander Haig discuss the ongoing efforts to secure an appointment for Melvin Laird, noting Laird’s reluctance and the administration's use of political leverage, including the potential influence of John Connally. The conversation then shifts to the Watergate scandal, specifically regarding John Dean's notes on his meetings with the President. Nixon expresses a desire to secure and personally review these notes to assess the extent of Dean's allegations and plan a strategic response, including potential involvement from Hugh Scott.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Hello?
Oh, hey.
Hello.
Well, I wonder if you'd heard from Laird yet.
I had a talk with him tonight.
He said he still hasn't...
Resolved anything, huh?
Resolved the problem.
And I've got two people working on it tonight.
It's for Rudy and Lazard.
Right.
He wasn't, you know, he was just sort of neutral.
Neutral, huh?
Yeah.
Uh-huh.
I kind of think we're going to get him, but it's going to take most of the night to do it.
He's playing it cute.
He always does, but is there anything I can do?
No, I don't think so, sir.
I think I'd wait the night out before we do this.
Right.
Then in the morning, he's promising.
But you've played really every card, haven't you, Al, that—
You know, he's, this is everything, you know, his political future is, you know, the leadership of God.
This is the biggest thing that ever happened to this man.
That's right.
I have played every card that we have.
And I even said that he's going to move fast.
And you've held the Connolly threat out over him, yeah?
That's right.
Good.
Of course, I've talked to Broody.
He's very close to him personally.
Yeah.
And he said something to me over there.
Right.
To really work on.
Well, we'll sweat it out.
We'll sweat it out.
I think he's playing his game as usual.
He may make them come in the other way, but I... Well, if he says no, we'll find something else.
That's right.
But I let him believe that the both of us interpreted it in a way that he would work the problem out.
Right.
Right.
Well, you've had a rather hard Sunday.
I hope you had a little time with your wife now tonight.
Yes, sir.
Well, we're going to go over to the Israeli silver anniversary.
Oh, good, good.
Give him my best, Brian.
I talked to Ronald earlier and I told him that I think that we now have a basis where
by that I ought to see the, and I'll do it on the basis of all three or four, but I ought to really see the Dean Mimcons or whatever the hell they are.
Don't you agree?
Yes.
We just can't.
It's ridiculous for, hell, they're the president's files, and I should see them, huh?
I think it's a good idea.
I don't want anybody else seeing them.
I don't want Mazzard or Lann or anybody else pawing Trump, but they can just, you know,
Yeah, well, we'd have to get them out of there and take a look at them.
How do I do that?
Well, that's going to be a little tricky.
Well, can they... No, they can't Xerox them in there, apparently, huh?
I'm not so sure they can.
And I'm not so sure there's a better way to do it than...
Send for them, huh?
Yeah.
Right.
But we should do it, you know.
Because basically, I think they're going to help us out.
That's what I think.
Good God, I mean, I talked to Bob tonight, Bob Alderman, he was here.
And he took these 35 meetings and cut them all down.
There are perhaps three in which he never mentioned anything about cover-up.
That's what I understand.
The whole damn thing is a...
That story is really, the more I think of it, when they said the president deliberately ordered him to cover up his bullshit.
It's not true.
Well, there's a question about that.
The son of a bitch is firing everything he can in the smoke area.
I think we're going to get Hugh Scott out tomorrow.
Well, the point is, let's see what he's got.
You know, in terms of his, the rest, we owe it to ourselves.
And with God, we have a right, don't we?
Well, we can't sit around like, just waiting.
Yeah.
He's got it, we've got it.
That's right.
Right.
Well, have a good time at his embassy, okay?
All right.
Bye.

NARA Description

On June 3, 1973, White House operator, President Richard M. Nixon, and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone from 7:30 pm to 7:34 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 039-047 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 39-47

Date: June 3, 1973
Time: 7:30 pm - 7:34 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The White House operator talked with the President.

       Incoming telephone call

The President talked with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

       Personnel appointment
                                         -39-

            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                        Conversation No. 39-47 (cont’d)

       -Melvin R. Laird
              -Previous conversation with Haig, June 3
                      -Decision
              -Forthcoming conversations with William J. Baroody, Jr. and J. Fred
               Buzhardt, Jr.
              -Mood
              -Conversation with Haig
              -President’s possible role
              -Conversation with Haig
                      -John B. Connally
              -Relationship with Baroody
              -Conversation with Haig
              -Haig’s assessment
       -Possible need for alternatives

Haig’s schedule
       -Israeli embassy event
                -Patricia Haig

Watergate
      -President’s previous conversation with Ronald L. Ziegler
             -Dean’s notes on conversations with President
      -Dean
             -Notes on conversations with President
                     -Buzhardt and Leonard Garment
                     -Copying
                     -Bruce A. Kehrli
                     -Possible effect
      -President’s previous meeting with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman, June 3
             -Dean’s meetings with President
                     -References to cover-up
      -Dean
             -Statement
                     -Meetings with President
             -Hugh Scott’s possible response
             -Notes on meetings with President

Haig’s schedule
                                             -40-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                             Conversation No. 39-47 (cont’d)

              -Israeli embassy

Also recorded on June 3, 1973

  • 039-040 6:41 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:41 pm and 6:47 pm.
  • 039-041 6:47 PM · 19 sec — White House operator and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone at 6:47 pm.
  • 039-042 6:47 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:47 pm and 6:48 pm.
  • 039-043 6:48 PM · 12 sec — White House operator and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone at 6:48 pm.
  • 039-044 6:48 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:48 pm and 7:06 pm.
  • 039-045 7:06 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 7:06 pm to 7:09 pm.
  • 039-046 7:09 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:09 pm and 7:30 pm.
  • 039-048 7:42 PM · 20 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at 7:42 pm.

All 29 conversations from June 3, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 039-047, June 3, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/039-047 (accessed October 12, 2026).