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Conversation 040-071

TapeTape 40StartWednesday, June 13, 1973 at 1:41 PMEndWednesday, June 13, 1973 at 1:46 PMParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Haig, Alexander M., Jr.Recording deviceWhite House Telephone
AudioNARA Description

On June 13, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone from 1:41 pm to 1:46 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 040-071 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 40-71

Date: June 13, 1973
Time: 1:41 pm - 1:46 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

[See also Conversation No. 445-11]

     Energy position
          -William W. Scranton
                -Telephone call to Haig
                -Acceptance
                -President’s schedule
                      -Meeting with Scranton
                            -President’s respect for Scranton
                      -Mary Scranton
                      -Key Biscayne
                -Haig’s enthusiasm for Scranton’s appointment
                -President’s assessment of Scranton’s positions
                      -Vietnam War
                      -Student protests
                      -Scranton’s skills

     John B. Connally
          -Conversation with Haig
                -Connally’s role on White House staff
                      -Speeches
                      -Cabinet
                      -Residence in Texas

     Bryce N. Harlow
                                             -61-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                      (rev. March-2011)

           -Schedule
           -Conversation with Haig
           -Announcement of appointment

     Earl L. Butz
           -Haig’s and President’s telephone call to Rose Mary Woods
                 -Leonid I. Brezhnev dinner
                 -Lists

     Press relations
           -White House agenda

     Watergate
          -White House response
                -Lawyers
                -Ronald L. Ziegler
                -Timing
          -John W. Dean, III
                -Transactional immunity
                      -John J. Sirica
                -Possible perjury
                -President’s records of meetings
                      -Meeting with J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr.
                      -Dean’s lawyers’ knowledge
Transcript (AI-Generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

Hello.
Yes, sir.
Wow.
Haven't heard from Scranton yet, huh?
No, he's...
Still cogitating.
Right.
I had one man that was close to him talk to him, and he's going to accept it.
He's going to come back and say that he would want to talk to you briefly.
Oh, he could talk to me for an hour.
I'd love to talk to him about a lot of things.
I like him.
Okay, sir.
I think that's all that's... Well, then what we want to do is to say on Saturday and...
Sure, but no, don't put his name out now.
We've got too much.
But I'd like for him to come to Key Biscayne, meet me, and have a meeting.
He might bring his wife Mary, and we'll arrange for a villa and all that crap, you know?
Right, sir.
What do you think?
This is a good story.
No, I think it's a hell of a story.
And the more I think of it, the better it is because it's...
He's right.
Don't worry about the people that say that Scranton's a traitor and all that.
Look, I understand people that are emotionally wrapped up in the war and the kids and the rest.
That's what his problem is.
He's a softie.
He can do this brilliantly.
See?
He can do it.
And he can do it well.
Good.
Uh, I've had a hell of a talk with Connolly, and, uh... That?
That is, no, it's all on the track, uh, exactly.
You tell him what we're gonna do?
Yes.
What'd he say?
Well, he's delighted.
He's, and he, he is prepared to abide precisely by the, uh, the arrangements that I had talked to him about earlier.
Make any speeches for this darn thing, or...?
Sure, he'll do whatever we want.
He just didn't want to be here at an uncomfortable time.
But he will come to other cabinet meetings, right?
Regularly.
Right.
Good.
Good.
But he'll operate from Texas, and whenever you come for cabinet, you'll see anything.
That's the stuff.
And he's, I think... We got him aboard at least, yeah.
Well, there isn't any difficulty here.
All right.
other difficulties you know i'm still trying to get harlow who went to a funeral and then he didn't call me back but oh he'll do that for sure i don't think it'll be a good thing tomorrow and i did too so he's all set for the president's dinner yes yes i had caught yeah good good good i mentioned it to her last time because she's very sensitive about those lists
So I think everything is coming along very well.
Yeah.
Well, you know, it's an interesting thing.
At least this week we're talking about what we're doing rather than worrying about what they're doing.
Exactly.
We're worrying a bit, but not too much.
Not too much.
I think we're coming along.
Because what the dickens are going to call crack us and that's that.
That's right.
Well, we can expect that, but we're going to manage it.
That's right.
That's right.
Now, the lawyers are working.
I had them in here.
Ron had them in on the night that we killed them on the strategy, which we're going to need next week and starting even as early as Friday.
The moment anything comes out, strike it down.
Yes, sir.
And others strike it down, because we'll see.
It may be more or it may be less than we think.
Who knows?
This guy's in a hell of a quandary, you see.
The judge has turned down his transactional immunity.
So when he gets up there, he's confronted with perjury.
Every step of the way.
Every step of the way.
And I told Buzard I just had an hour and a half with him because I had him being dressed.
And I'll be sure that Dean's lawyer gets to them that he better watch his step because we are, every meeting he was in, we have
Exactly.
Right.
That's the important thing, that they know that.
Right.
Keep them a little loose, maybe, huh?
It makes it awful tough.
Right.
Right.
Right.
Okay, Al.
Thank you.
Good, sir.
Right.
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