Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 045-077
Date: Tuesday, May 1, 1973 at 1:04 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Bull, Stephen B.
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/045-077

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:01] Yeah.
[0:01] Yes, sir, Steve.
[0:02] Well, after the cabinet meeting, I think Rogers, he should look at this goddamn thing and we'll see what it is.
[0:09] But I'm not going to... You don't need to discuss it.
[0:13] But I want you to tell Garment that this is much too broad.
[0:18] I cannot...
[0:19] I'm not going to have my personal files held there subject to subpoena.
[0:24] These men are not defendants.
[0:26] I'm getting them the hell out of there.
[0:29] I relate...
[0:31] Your message to Lynn Gurman already, sir, and I'm just about to talk to Secretary Rogers.
[0:38] Is Rogers available?
[0:39] Yes, sir.
[0:39] He hasn't started his luncheon yet with the foreign minister.
[0:42] I met right after the cabinet meeting.
[0:44] I want him to look at this thing.
[0:46] And we'll do what is right.
[0:47] But we're not trying to hide anything or destroy anything.
[0:50] But by God, I'm not going to have them treat these people as criminals.
[0:53] All right, sir, fine.
[0:54] Not all of them in Ehrlichman.
[0:55] And tell Garment I am really shocked that he's doing such a thing.
[0:59] I gave him those words, and I think I got the message home to him, sir.
[1:01] What did he say?
[1:03] He gulped.
[1:06] Yes, he gulped.
[1:06] I said, well, maybe you better send it back to me.
[1:10] That's right.
[1:11] Did you mention the fact that, no,
[1:14] that I could not have anything and that anything that's personal between me and them is mine.
[1:20] Yes, sir.
[1:20] It doesn't belong to them.
[1:22] Explain that.
[1:22] God damn his ass.
[1:23] He knows that.
[1:24] And anything in the national security area is mine.
[1:27] It doesn't belong to them.
[1:28] Anything else, and that gets out of there.
[1:30] I'm not going to have that locked up in the FBI.
[1:32] All right.
[1:33] Now, God damn him.
[1:34] You tell him to write something else up better and tell him off his ass faster.
[1:38] He's out as counsel at 2.30.
[1:39] All right.
[1:40] You tell him that?
[1:41] Yes, sir.
[1:42] Just in those words.
[1:43] All right, sir.
[1:43] Fine.