Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 39 › Conversation 039-123

Nixon phone call with Haig on Clarence M. Kelley and FBI

Wednesday, June 6, 1973 · 5:33 PM–5:34 PM ET · White House Telephone · 1 min

ParticipantsWhite House operator; Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haig, Alexander M., Jr.Conversation039-123 on Tape 39StartWednesday, June 6, 1973 at 5:33 PMEndWednesday, June 6, 1973 at 5:34 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 039-123 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Alexander Haig coordinate the public announcement of Clarence M. Kelley as the new FBI Director to ensure it receives optimal press coverage. They decide to schedule the announcement for 11:30 a.m. the following day, specifically timing it to follow a Cabinet meeting and fill a media gap created by ongoing Vietnam-related news. The pair also briefly discuss the delay in locating South Vietnamese Ambassador Tran Kim Phuong.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Mr. President, we're having a hell of a time getting the ambassador, and they have not located him yet.
We have a second problem, and that is our friend Kelly, who's been moving around the hill.
Oh, yeah.
And I think we ought to move his announcement to tomorrow if we can do it.
Do it.
Because we have the gap from Vietnam.
Well, also, we've got the gap.
Let's do it tomorrow.
Thursday, go ahead.
And he's really getting good receiving.
All right.
Let's bring him in tomorrow.
You know, again, and then have him walk out there.
Good.
All right.
Fine.
Shall we say at, uh, make it 9.30?
9.30.
Yeah, I've got the cabinet at 10.
Right, sir.
Uh, wait a minute.
That won't hit the press at the right time.
I'll say, uh, 9.30.
Or whatever you say.
What do you think?
I think about 11, 11.30, yeah.
See, the cabinet will take an hour and a half, so...
Right.
I think 1130 is about right.
Fine.
All right.
Fine.
Let's do it.
That's good.
Let's get that announcement in.
That'll fill the gap.
Good.
Okay, sir.
Good.
Right.
I'll see you at 6.
Yes, sir.

NARA Description

On June 6, 1973, White House operator, President Richard M. Nixon, and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone from 5:33 pm to 5:34 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 039-123 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 39-123

Date: June 6, 1973
Time: 5:33 pm - 5:34 pm
Location: White House Telephone

Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked with the President.

[See also Conversation No. 443-33]

       President’s schedule
              -Tran Kim Phuong

       Press relations
               -Clarence M. Kelly announcement
                       -Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI] appointment
                       -Timing
                              -Vietnam announcement
                              -Cabinet meeting

Also recorded on June 6, 1973

  • 039-122 5:05 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Tricia Nixon Cox talked on the telephone from 5:05 pm to 5:07 pm.
  • 443-031 5:07 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 5:07 pm and 5:33 pm.
  • 443-032 5:07 PM · 22 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 5:07 pm and 5:33 pm.
  • 443-033 5:33 PM · 1 min — Alexander M. Haig, Jr. and President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 5:33 pm to 5:34 pm.
  • 039-124 5:40 PM · 19 sec — White House operator, President Richard M. Nixon, and J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr. talked on the telephone from 5:40 pm to 5:41 pm.
  • 443-034 5:40 PM · 19 sec — J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr. and President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 5:40 pm to 5:41 pm.
  • 443-035 5:43 PM · 19 min — President Richard M. Nixon, J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr., and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 5:43 pm to 6:00 pm.
  • 443-036 6:00 PM · 20 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 6:00 pm and 6:04 pm.

All 80 conversations from June 6, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 039-123, 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/039-123 (accessed September 28, 2026).