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Conversation 045-191

TapeTape 45StartThursday, May 10, 1973 at 3:02 PMEndThursday, May 10, 1973 at 3:05 PMParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Rogers, William P.Recording deviceWhite House Telephone
AI Summary

President Nixon and Secretary of State William P. Rogers discuss the administration's strategy to navigate the Watergate crisis, specifically exploring the potential appointment of former Chief Justice Earl Warren to lead an independent commission. The two men also review personnel matters, with Nixon confirming his intent to appoint Alexander Haig to a permanent White House role and expressing confidence in the appointments of James Schlesinger and William Colby. Additionally, the President emphasizes his desire to improve information flow to Rogers and maintain stable governance to bolster public morale.

WatergateEarl WarrenAlexander HaigWilliam ColbyCabinet administrationCommission
AudioNARA Description

On May 10, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and William P. Rogers talked on the telephone from 3:02 pm to 3:05 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 045-191 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 45-191 (cont’d)

                                                                      Conversation No. 45-191

Date: May 10, 1973
Time: 3:42 pm - 3:05 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with William P. Rogers.

[See also Conversation No. 435-10]

     Watergate
          -Rogers’s conversation with Earl Warren
               -Possible commission
                      -President’s announcement
          -Cabinet meeting
               -Quality of administration
          -Rogers’s trip

     President’s schedule
           -Meeting with Rogers
                 -Henry A. Kissinger
                      -Return from Soviet Union
                      -Briefing
                      -Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
                            -Rogers’s access to information

     Personnel
          -Haig
                 -Abilities
                 -Permanent White House appointment
                       -Army
                 -Patriotism
                 -Trustworthiness
           -Dr. James R. Schlesinger
           -William E. Colby
                 -Daniel Ellsberg break-in
                                            -123-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                     (rev. October-2012)

                                                            Conversation No. 45-191 (cont’d)

                       -Haig
                       -Lack of involvement
                             -Vietnam
                 -Son’s attendance at Tricia Nixon Cox’s wedding
                 -Central Intelligence Agency [CIA]
                       -Career service

     Watergate
          -Possible commission
                -Warren
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.
Hello.
Hi, Mr. President.
Hi, Bill.
Try that way out thing on Warren?
Well, I can't get him on the phone.
I'm trying to reach him.
The White House operator's trying to get him.
It is rather way out, but you know, we know his attitude, but the point is that for a last hurrah, it'd be a great thing for him and a great thing for the country.
Yeah, I think so, too.
And he'll have a complete free hand, you know, the whole business, you know, and
If he doesn't do it, I'm going to appoint the commission anyway.
I'm going to move on to make a speech Sunday night.
Good, good.
And for Monday morning.
I thought that was a good meeting this morning.
I was very—I thought it was— Well, I contributed a lot to it, too.
I think they finally got the spirit that we're trying to get across now and change them a bit.
Don't you think so?
I think so.
I think so.
I think it pepped everyone up.
They needed to get off—you know, they don't want to be looking down on the ground all the time.
What the hell?
This thing is tough, but it'll pass.
It's not going to pass soon, but it'll pass.
And I think that the things we talked about this morning are all most desirable.
But I also think that the way we can overcome it is to just have a damn successful government.
That's run the country well.
Run the country well.
That's one of the reasons, you know, I gave a lot of thought, believe me, to your trip.
And I thought if we'd have canceled, it would have been a mistake.
Yeah, I think so, too.
You know, it looked like the whole government had come to a standstill.
Exactly.
And I said, all right, help you go.
Incidentally, you'll be gone how long?
About two weeks.
Oh, that's not bad.
No, it isn't bad.
We'll visit eight countries, and I think the timing is pretty good, too.
We'll meet tomorrow at 11 for symbolic purposes.
Well, I'll just get in, and I don't have to take any time.
I don't give a damn about the time.
Whatever time you need, but my point is that we'll do it.
Now, Kissinger gets back from Russia at 9 o'clock tonight, and so I think when
What I want to do is that you, we should meet long enough for you to have a goddamn good rundown from him, too, because we're, as I told Hager, there's not going to be any more of this crap, you know.
You're not being filled in.
Well, that's fine.
It would be very helpful to me.
Well, it is.
I just keep a confidence.
I know that.
But the point is that I want you to know, Bill, that this crap is going to stop.
I had a long talk with him.
Hague is a superb fellow.
He's marvelous.
I don't know.
One of your problems is going to be how to let him go.
I don't know.
He's just so good that I can't think of anybody better.
We're not going to let him.
Between you and me, he's going to do it permanently.
But I didn't want to announce it because I didn't want the harmony to get stirred up.
That's right.
He's the best man for the job.
He's willing to do it.
He's willing to give up his whole career to do this, which shows what a hell of a patriot he is.
But that's just between you and me.
Right.
He's one that we all have confidence in.
We've all dealt with him before.
And we know I never had a bit of trouble with him.
Well, he does what is right.
He always told you the truth.
He never lies.
He's not flappable.
That's right.
Well, I think that's a great move, and I think Jim Schlesinger's good, too.
And Colby's good.
Isn't that right?
Colby's damn good.
Colby is good.
The little note that I got while we were sitting there, I told Hank over at the crisis, did he know anything about this goddamn Ellsberg thing?
And he was not in it at all.
He was out in, I think, Vietnam then, I hope.
Anyway, Colby's son, you know, was one of the grooms at Trisha's wedding.
Oh, is that right?
I didn't know that.
Well, he's a high-class fellow, and I think putting a career guy in, Bill, helps a lot, too.
I know it.
I know it.
It's fine, and I'll let you know just as soon as I hear it.
If he says no, we'll go forward without it.
Right.
Okay.
I'll keep trying.
Thank you, Mr. President.
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