Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 045-185
Date: Wednesday, May 9, 1973 at 11:07 PM
Participants: Haig, Alexander M., Jr.; Nixon, Richard M. (President)
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/045-185

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] Yeah.
[0:01] General Haig, sir?
[0:02] Yeah.
[0:03] Hello?
[0:04] Hi, Al.
[0:04] Mr. President, I wanted you to know I've had already about four calls on the superb job that was done tonight.
[0:11] Well, television looked just great.
[0:14] Well, I'm just sitting here having a good talk with Bob tonight.
[0:18] Oh, good.
[0:18] So, uh, good.
[0:20] He's, uh, and the main thing is, you know, we, uh,
[0:25] You know, and you're getting all this crap about resignation and impeachment and so forth.
[0:30] Hell, you can't let such stuff enter the heads of any of the garments and all those people, you know.
[0:35] Now, listen, this thing tonight, sir, it just showed what we've been talking about.
[0:40] This is a movement, and it's moving now.
[0:43] And that was a great talk.
[0:45] I didn't hear it, but the talk on television was great.
[0:48] And Cole and two others called me and said it was just outstanding.
[0:53] Well, thanks, Al.
[0:54] Thanks.
[0:55] I want you to know that I've told Bob that the only man now that will deal with him is Buzzard.
[1:02] This is what we had to do.
[1:03] We have to do.
[1:04] I'm going to get Garment the hell out of this thing now.
[1:07] I mean, you know, we'll leave him in a lot of other things.
[1:09] You know what I mean?
[1:10] We'll just keep him out of it.
[1:11] He's just too jittery.
[1:12] That's right.
[1:13] Don't you agree?
[1:14] Absolutely.
[1:14] I do.
[1:15] And we've got to have confidence in each other on this.
[1:18] That's right.
[1:19] But let me say that on the executive privilege thing, though, you talked to Bob and
[1:23] We can't give an inch on written documents.
[1:26] Not an inch.
[1:27] So I don't want Buzzard or Garment or anybody else to come in at me and say, look, public opinion will be hurt.
[1:33] I think we're covering up.
[1:33] All right, we'll cover up until hell freezes over.
[1:35] We can do it.
[1:36] We can do it.
[1:37] Don't you agree?
[1:38] Because today, these guys had me panicked.
[1:40] I thought we compromised papers.
[1:42] That's right.
[1:43] Well, I know.
[1:44] I know.
[1:45] But you understand.
[1:46] We cannot do it.
[1:47] We cannot do it.
[1:48] And we've also got to be very tough on the other privilege, too.
[1:52] He understands this now.
[1:53] I had a talk with him after we went.
[1:54] Has he got the point?
[1:55] Yeah, he's been greased over, you know, it was just bad even getting him broken in by the wrong people.
[2:01] Right.
[2:01] But he's got the point now?
[2:02] Yes, sir.
[2:04] I want to set up a meeting with him, although he should do it tomorrow.
[2:07] with him and Bob at a place where they can meet conveniently.
[2:12] That's good.
[2:13] But I would think it should be—if this fellow ought to work on Stennis the next two days to get these—to work on the hearings, if he can, actually.
[2:20] And maybe on Saturday, how would that be?
[2:22] I think that's fine, and he should talk to Bob before he talks to any of Bob's lawyers.
[2:27] Oh, yes, yes.
[2:28] He should talk to Bob before he talks to any lawyers.
[2:30] Oh, no, no, no, no, no.
[2:30] This fellow is our friend, at least my friend, and totally trustworthy.
[2:35] Actually, he turns out to be a John Dean without your ass, too.
[2:39] Well, that's fine.
[2:40] Okay, I deserve it.
[2:42] Okay, all right.