Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 39 › Conversation 039-114

Nixon phone call with Warren on Press relations and Melvin R. Laird

Wednesday, June 6, 1973 · 4:24 PM–4:30 PM ET · White House Telephone · 6 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Warren, Gerald L.Conversation039-114 on Tape 39StartWednesday, June 6, 1973 at 4:24 PMEndWednesday, June 6, 1973 at 4:30 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 039-114 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Gerald L. Warren discuss media strategy, specifically the successful press reception of Melvin R. Laird’s recent briefings and the administration's efforts to project strength regarding economic policy and Congressional relations. The conversation also addresses ongoing Watergate pressures, with Nixon expressing confidence that public interest in impeachment and resignation has waned, while strategizing on how to use FBI wiretap disclosures to intimidate political opponents. Finally, they coordinate the optics for a forthcoming meeting on the Sequoia, intended to signal stability through discussions with John B. Connally and Bryce N. Harlow.

Audio

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NARA Description

On June 6, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Gerald L. Warren talked on the telephone from 4:24 pm to 4:30 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 039-114 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 39-114

Date: June 6, 1973
Time: 4:24 pm - 4:30 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Gerald L. Warren.

[See also Conversation No. 443-18]

       Press relations
               -Melvin R. Laird’s briefing
               -Press briefings
                                        -93-

            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                          Conversation No. 39-114 (cont’d)

              -White House staff participation
                       -Laird
       -Laird’s briefing
              -Domestic counsel appointment
              -President’s role
              -Congressional relations
              -Alexander M. Haig, Jr.’s sacrifice
              -Press coverage
                       -President’s anti-inflation policies
                              -Dollar value
                                      -Speculators
                              -Timing

Watergate
      -News leads
             -Paul N. (“Pete”) McCloskey, Jr.
                     -White House reaction
                     -Long-time opposition to President’s policies
      -Impeachment
             -Press coverage
      -President’s possible resignation
             -Mail to White House
      -Joseph R. Califano’s telephone call to Haig
             -Wiretaps by previous administrators
                     -Reactions of McGeorge Bundy and Robert S. McNamara
      -Wiretaps
             -Warren’s possible meeting with Frank Cormier
                     -Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
             -Possible release

President’s schedule
       -Dinner on Sequoia
               -John B. Connally, Haig, and Bryce N. Harlow
                      -Speculation regarding Harlow
               -Warren’s possible statement
                      -Topics of discussion
                             -Congressional relations, organization
                                              -94-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                            Conversation No. 39-114 (cont’d)

       Watergate
             -John D. Ehrlichman’s deposition
                    -Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]’s coverage
                    -Jeb Stuart Magruder’s statement regarding Gordon C. Strachan
                            -Use of President’s name

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.
Yes, sir, Mr. President.
Hi, Jerry.
How did the story this morning?
Did it interest the boys?
It really did.
Mel Laird played with them for about 45 or 50 minutes out here.
Yeah.
He's great at it, that is.
He's awfully good.
He would be a great asset, you see.
We have our plan now with the briefing.
We're going to sort of scatter it around a little, and we'll put him out there about once a week.
And that'll be good.
I think he will.
I think he will.
One of the leads said that President Nixon lured Melvin Laird out of semi-retirement to become his chief domestic advisor.
And Laird went on to say the good relationship that he had had and that you had had with Congress and would continue to have.
We built up Al Haig as personal sacrifice.
It's a tremendous sacrifice.
It really is.
Gosh, it's a terrible thing he had to do.
It really is.
Laird indicated, the one wire saying that Laird indicated that the president would act soon to strengthen anti-inflation programs and defend the faltering dollar.
He did say flatly that those who bet against the dollar are making a bad bet.
That's good.
Yeah.
We're going to act, but we're not going to act the way they want, but we're going to have to do something.
Right.
We hope we're trying to get it together.
We're not going to have it.
afraid before this week, before the weekend is out.
Be ready.
You have to do it Monday or so.
Anyway, we'll see.
Alright.
Okay.
I think it's playing very well.
Uh-huh.
What else is playing today?
They got McCloskey on today.
They had a little wire story on McCloskey today.
Our boys didn't take him on today.
I haven't seen any reaction to that.
That was the way they were going to play it, just let him talk.
Yeah.
Now, one thing for the wire service is in their benefit.
They point out very high in all the stories recently that he opposed your war policy and ran against you in several presidential primaries.
That's right.
Which
puts it in pretty good perspective.
For once they do something.
For once, yes, sir.
Yeah, he was for impeaching me all along.
That's right.
That's right.
In fact, he spoke about it last year.
Uh-huh.
That's right.
What the heck, you know, that impeachment stuff.
I think that's something that we've talked about.
sort of semi-seriously three weeks ago, but it's changed a great deal, don't you think?
Oh, I agree.
I think so.
Those jackals out in the press room must realize that to their disappointment.
They do realize that, and they haven't raised that word or that issue for some time.
And they asked me earlier this week about how the mail was running and whether the mail was running on resignation.
And I told them flatly that the mail was running at least four to one in support of the president.
It is, too.
Oh, yes, sir.
That's very accurate.
Very, very heavy.
Yeah, right.
That's very accurate, yeah.
And Al said he got a call from Califano expressing great disturbance about this story on the taps and saying that he and McNamara all denied that there was any such taps and so forth.
So, boy, we really got them with the hair short there.
If that comes up,
You can just point out, I don't suppose any of them are racing it, are they?
They're not, sir.
They really aren't.
I don't know.
They don't want to.
They're afraid, scared to death of it.
But just make it, if you can get any good wire service, get Cormier in and say, look, this story is based on a thorough search of the files by the FBI, and these numbers are totally solid.
Mm-hmm.
And we're going behind every, we're looking into every file now.
Mm-hmm.
That's what we're doing.
They worry a bit, sir.
going to put them out while the President's under Greek pressure, too, but they don't know.
Right.
Right.
Okay.
Have fun with them on that.
Yes, indeed.
Yeah.
Very mellow.
Tonight I'm going on the boat.
Oh.
Sequoia with Connolly and Harlow.
Uh-huh.
And you can just say that after the reception that I'm going out with them on the boat.
All right.
That'll raise some speculation about Bryce.
say there's nothing to say at this time.
Just an old friend and he goes along, you know.
He's like Connolly basically, you know, cabinet.
We can't keep it secret that he goes.
They all know when you go, they're watching.
That's right.
So simply say that you can just let them know that I'll be on the Sequoia tonight with those three.
What are we going to talk about?
of congressional relations.
And I wouldn't hit too hard on the economic end.
I don't want that built up too much to say congressional matters and relations and organization and so forth and so on, sort of along that line.
Right.
I think there's more coming.
Indeed.
I think that's helpful.
Well, we can finally get the guys to a certain extent interested in it.
It isn't just them.
But boy, as I said, when the networks took Ehrlichman's deposition and the CBS one at least, and said, Mike, that Ehrlichman implied that the president was—and then you read it, and that wasn't what it said at all.
No, that's absolutely wrong.
a pretty rough shot, wasn't it?
Yes, it was.
Yes, it was.
They said it was hearsay, but that doesn't diminish the impact.
But Ehrlichman was not saying it.
He was simply reporting.
That's right.
In his deposition with his own survey, it showed that Magruder had said this about Strawn.
Mm-hmm.
And that Strawn said that he thought the president wanted so-and-so.
Gosh.
He brought the president's names about the most god-awful things you can imagine.
They do.
Everybody knows that.
Yep.
Oh, what the heck.
Makes them feel big when they drop the president, doesn't it?
Yeah.
Yeah.
But anyway, it's Brown tonight, so what have you.
Right.
Okay.
Yes, sir.
Thank you.

Also recorded on June 6, 1973

  • 443-018 4:24 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Gerald L. Warren met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:24 pm to 4:30 pm.
  • 443-019 4:38 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:38 pm and 4:40 pm.
  • 443-020 4:38 PM · 13 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 4:38 pm and 4:40 pm.
  • 443-021 4:38 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:38 pm and 4:40 pm.
  • 039-115 4:40 PM · 3 min — White House operator, President Richard M. Nixon, and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone from 4:40 pm to 4:44 pm.
  • 443-022 4:40 PM · 3 min — Alexander M. Haig, Jr. and President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:40 pm to 4:44 pm.
  • 039-116 4:44 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:44 pm and 4:46 pm.
  • 443-023 4:44 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:44 pm and 4:46 pm.

All 85 conversations from June 6, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 039-114, 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/039-114 (accessed November 2, 2026).