Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 41 › Conversation 041-001

Nixon phone call with Haig on Watergate and Ervin Committee

Monday, June 18, 1973 · 4:20 PM–4:22 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsHaig, Alexander M., Jr.; Nixon, Richard M. (President)Conversation041-001 on Tape 41StartMonday, June 18, 1973 at 4:20 PMEndMonday, June 18, 1973 at 4:22 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 041-001 ↗

AI Summary

Alexander Haig briefed President Nixon on the postponement of the Ervin Committee hearings, attributing the delay to Senator Mike Mansfield and criticizing Senators Hugh Scott and Howard Baker for their political maneuvering. Additionally, Haig requested a meeting for Governor John A. Love, which the President tentatively scheduled for 5:30 p.m. to accommodate his ongoing work on a toast for Leonid Brezhnev. The President expressed significant frustration over Senator Baker’s recent public comments regarding their personal relationship.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

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Mr. President, I have General Haig calling you, sir.

Hello, Mr. President.

Two things, sir.

I just got the call that the committee has postponed the hearings for the rest of the week.

Apparently at the behest of Mike Mansfield.

I guess Hugh Scott had some involvement, but it was primarily... Too bad we couldn't keep him out of it.

Yeah, exactly.

And I have Governor Love here, and I've gone over this thing with him.

I wondered if you would want to see him sometime today, briefly.

Well, I'll tell you, Al, I'm working on this goddamn toast right at the present time.

Rose is over here, so I just can't do it right now.

All right.

But if he has to see me, I suppose I could see him.

When?

5.30 or I don't know.

You could do it then, and I think this will be all that's necessary.

All right, fine.

I'll try them at 5.30.

5.30, it's 4.15 now, fine.

Can't we get these hearings put on again, or what is the score?

What happened here?

Well, I just got this call from Timmons.

Timmons, yeah, but what about Bazaar?

Why don't you check with him?

I'm going to do that right now.

Yeah, and...

the darn thing off to a big play next week.

Yeah, but that's not too bad either.

We've got some very big momentum to work from.

Yeah, I suppose.

They were under some pressure, but it does show how stupid Scott and that poor darned fellow from Tennessee, Baker, is.

Yeah, well, you know.

Of course, Baker's comment was inexcusable when he said, I made the point not to be with the president when I was on the plane.

The guy was...

On my back, every minute, taking pictures, you know, he had a camera.

He was unbelievable, unbelievable for him to say that.

Boy, that fixed me with him.

Okay, fine.

NARA Description

On June 18, 1973, Alexander M. Haig, Jr. and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone from 4:20 pm to 4:22 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 041-001 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 41-1

Date: June 18, 1973
Time: 4:20 pm - 4:22 pm
Location: White House Telephone

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

[See also Conversation No. 447-4A]

     Watergate
          -Ervin Committee hearings
                -Schedule
                     -Michael J. (“Mike”) Mansfield, Hugh Scott

     John A. Love
          -Review of materials
          -Conversation with Haig
          -President’s schedule
                -Rose Mary Woods
                -Composition of toast for State dinner with Leonid I. Brezhnev
                -Meeting time

     Watergate
          -Ervin Committee hearings
                -Schedule
                      -William E. Timmons, J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr.
                      -Scott
          -Howard H. Baker, Jr.’s statement
                -President’s schedule
                                             -2-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Also recorded on June 18, 1973

447-004 4:20 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:20 pm to 4:27 pm.
041-002 4:22 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:22 pm and 4:27 pm.
041-003 4:27 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone from 4:27 pm to 4:29 pm.
447-005 4:27 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:27 pm to 4:29 pm.
447-006 4:29 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:29 pm and 4:30 pm.
041-005 4:30 PM · 21 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone from 4:30 pm to 4:31 pm.
447-007 4:30 PM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:30 pm to 4:31 pm.
447-008 4:31 PM · 35 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 4:31 pm and 5:15 pm.

All 38 conversations from June 18, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 041-001, June 18, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/041-001 (accessed October 9, 2026).