Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 045-149
Date: Wednesday, May 2, 1973 at 6:35 PM
Participants: Haig, Alexander M., Jr.; Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/045-149

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] You just want to be darn sure that you aren't going to get yourself in trouble by putting a military man in.
[0:05] I don't agree with that.
[0:08] I totally disagree with that, but what's the other part?
[0:10] That one he felt was the big problem.
[0:12] The secondary problem, he said, there would be a problem vis-a-vis Henry, who would not like the idea of the fact that Haig
[0:21] has substantive views that are contrary to Henry.
[0:24] No, but Henry has got this other shape up.
[0:26] He's not acting very well.
[0:29] I think that's right.
[0:29] Plus, I think, and Al felt, too, that Henry would...
[0:34] initially maybe have some concern about it, but would get over it pretty quickly.
[0:38] He did not see that as a debilitating factor.
[0:40] The military thing doesn't bother me a bit, Bob.
[0:43] As far as Henry, that's an in-house thing that we can handle.
[0:48] But Al's the only man for it.
[0:49] I mean, I thought of everybody else as I was going out to Julie's and coming back tonight in good gut.
[0:55] Al knows the whole thing.
[0:56] He's loyal, tough, strong.
[0:58] He can handle the likes of the, you know, the garments and the rest.
[1:01] Well, that's the point.
[1:03] Nobody's kind of
[1:04] Nobody's going to give any bullshit on him.
[1:06] Because he knows everything.
[1:08] I think for the next few weeks at least, you've got to have somebody there who can't be Buffalo.
[1:14] How would it be done?
[1:15] You just point him as...
[1:19] I don't know.
[1:20] I'd talk to him.
[1:20] I mean, you ought to talk to him.
[1:24] I will tomorrow.
[1:25] Tell him to work out the way to do it.
[1:27] He'll know how to do it.
[1:29] I would think...
[1:30] I don't know.
[1:31] You've got to decide what you want to do.
[1:32] I would think that you would not do it as a permanent thing.
[1:35] You would ask him... Oh, no, no, no.
[1:36] It's a temporary additional duty.
[1:38] He's taking additional leave to take on.
[1:39] ...from his active assignment and come over as White House Chief of Staff for the interim period here.
[1:46] And then his assignment should be to review the holes and take immediate command.
[1:52] Right.
[1:52] Instant command.
[1:54] and to get things moving right the way they should be now.
[1:57] And make recommendations.
[1:59] And then to either work himself into or out of a permanent job.
[2:03] That's right.
[2:04] Depending on what you and he feel is the best outcome.
[2:06] You may both feel that he ought to stay there.
[2:08] I wish he would, but I don't want to put that to him so hard right now.
[2:13] I don't think he should.
[2:15] I think it ought to be a temporary thing.
[2:18] Right.
[2:18] It ought to be determined after.
[2:21] I think it should do that tomorrow, don't you think?
[2:23] Yes, sir.
[2:24] Okay, boy.
[2:25] I do.
[2:26] He's down in Georgia at some maneuvers or something.
[2:30] And he's available by phone, and if he's ordered up, he can come up so I can get him back.
[2:35] Tell him I want him to come up, and I'm going to be here over the weekend, okay?
[2:41] Okay.
[2:41] You want him to come see you in the morning, then?
[2:43] Yeah, about 11 o'clock.
[2:44] All right.
[2:45] I'm going to see Packard at 9, you see, and I want Al to come in.
[2:49] We're going to take over this goddamn place.
[2:51] Otherwise, you're going to have the likes of
[2:53] You know, Garment and Schultz and the rest.
[2:57] They all mean well.
[2:58] They mean well, but basically they're wonderful people, but they don't understand what the hell the game's about.
[3:03] That's right.
[3:05] That's right.
[3:05] And they can be very useful if they're under the right kind of direction and all that.
[3:10] And Al can do it.
[3:12] And Al also can control Henry.
[3:14] Right.
[3:15] Otherwise, I'll be in every five minutes of Johnny.
[3:17] The ideal thing about it is there's nobody there that can buffalo him.
[3:20] He's smarter than any of them, and he knows the track better than any of them.
[3:23] That's right.
[3:25] And that's the overriding advantage.
[3:27] That's right.
[3:28] Right.
[3:32] Good.
[3:32] Okay.
[3:33] Anything else to report?
[3:34] No, sir.
[3:35] Okay.
[3:37] Well, good luck tomorrow, boy.
[3:39] All right.
[3:39] Just stand firm, tell the truth, and screw the bastards.
[3:43] Right-o.
[3:44] Because you're on the right side.
[3:45] You know that, Bob.
[3:46] I certainly do.
[3:47] And what's up with John?
[3:50] What has he said or done or anything?
[3:53] Nothing.
[3:53] He's in good shape.
[3:55] He was fired a couple days ago.
[3:57] So the poor guy's out of work.
[3:59] That's fair enough.
[4:00] That's all right.
[4:03] He's hanging tight and he'll do fine.
[4:07] Well, you tell the truth.
[4:08] God damn it's right.
[4:09] The truth is pretty good.
[4:10] That's right.
[4:11] Yeah.
[4:12] This whole business about Crow really burns my ass because basically you were just doing the right thing, weren't we?
[4:18] Absolutely.
[4:19] And God, the Department of Justice knew the whole thing.
[4:22] It wasn't a question of me keeping anything from them.
[4:24] They knew it all.
[4:25] That's right.
[4:27] When they said to move, I moved.
[4:29] Right.
[4:30] Okay, bye.
[4:31] Thank you.
[4:31] I'll see you in the morning.
[4:33] Bye.
[4:33] 11 o'clock.
[4:34] Okay.