{"conversationCode":"046-017","tapeNumber":46,"conversationNumber":17,"identifier":"37-wht-conversation-046-017","startDateTime":"1973-05-11T19:21:00.000Z","endDateTime":"1973-05-11T19:22:00.000Z","startDate":"11-May-1973","startTime":"3:21 PM","endDate":"11-May-1973","endTime":"3:22 PM","dateCertainty":"certain","timeCertainty":"certain","participants":"Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haig, Alexander M., Jr.;","description":"On May 11, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone from 3:21 pm to 3:22 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 046-017 of the White House Tapes.","locationCode":"WHT","recordingDevice":"White House Telephone","latitudeEstimated":38.89767,"longitudeEstimated":-77.03655,"chronCode":"5.5","chronRelease":"Fifth Chronological Release: Part V","chronReleaseDate":"21-Aug-2013","aogpRelease":"Abuse of Governmental Power Release","aogpSegment":"Segment 0","lastModified":"2015-07-27T17:04:10.235Z","findingAid":"Conversation No. 46-17\n\nDate: May 11, 1973\nTime: 3:21 pm - 3:22 pm\nLocation: White House Telephone\n\nThe President talked with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.\n\n[See also Conversation No. 434-30]\n\n     Watergate\n          -Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI] files\n               -Lawrence M. Higby\n                     -Tod R. Hullin\n                     -Rose Mary Woods\n               -Need for public relations\n                     -Leaks","filename":["046-017.mp3"],"tapeStart":"","tapeEnd":"","participantsList":["Nixon, Richard M. (President)","Haig, Alexander M., Jr."],"prevCode":"046-016","nextCode":"046-018","transcript":[{"start":1.11,"end":1.57,"text":"Al."},{"start":1.59,"end":2.19,"text":"Yes, sir."},{"start":2.21,"end":5.58,"text":"As soon as you find that document, I want you to bring it over."},{"start":5.6,"end":6.3,"text":"I want to look at it."},{"start":7.48,"end":7.58,"text":"Good."},{"start":7.6,"end":8.48,"text":"You haven't found it yet?"},{"start":8.5,"end":9.04,"text":"No, sir."},{"start":10.34,"end":16.23,"text":"God damn it, it's someplace in this house because it's supposed to be under lock and key someplace."},{"start":18.87,"end":19.66,"text":"Who are you in touch with?"},{"start":19.77,"end":21.08,"text":"Helen or..."},{"start":21.88,"end":26.83,"text":"Yes, Larry's been checking Helen and Rose and— So she doesn't have anything?"},{"start":26.85,"end":29.97,"text":"Yeah, the girl that had the big ball, they're checking her."},{"start":30.57,"end":30.71,"text":"Fine."},{"start":31.11,"end":31.66,"text":"Okay."},{"start":31.68,"end":33.42,"text":"All right."},{"start":33.44,"end":37.58,"text":"But just make a crash search, because I think I may want to leak it today."},{"start":38.46,"end":38.62,"text":"Okay."},{"start":38.78,"end":46.15,"text":"Let me tell you, the whole game here now, which you've got to realize, which you and I haven't played much before—"},{"start":46.55,"end":47.76,"text":"It's all PR now."},{"start":47.86,"end":51.66,"text":"Now, God damn it, instead of sending it out to that judge, let him sit on it for a week."},{"start":52.71,"end":53.33,"text":"I'd put it out."},{"start":53.47,"end":55.33,"text":"No, we can be sure that it gets out at the same time."},{"start":55.35,"end":57.32,"text":"No, but I mean... Not at the same time."},{"start":57.6,"end":58.72,"text":"Get it out before he gets it."},{"start":58.9,"end":59.78,"text":"Before he gets it."},{"start":59.8,"end":61.16,"text":"You're goddamn right, Sue."},{"start":61.56,"end":62.21,"text":"That's right."},{"start":62.47,"end":63.91,"text":"It leaks, and then he gets it."},{"start":63.93,"end":64.21,"text":"Okay."},{"start":64.35,"end":64.93,"text":"Good, sir."},{"start":64.95,"end":65.91,"text":"Right."}],"aiSummary":{"text":"President Nixon directs Alexander Haig to prioritize the urgent location of a specific document, insisting that his staff conduct a comprehensive search of the White House. Emphasizing a shift toward a public relations strategy, Nixon instructs Haig to leak the document to the press before it is submitted to the judge handling the case. This exchange highlights the administration’s focus on controlling the public narrative regarding Watergate-related materials.","topics":["Watergate","Public relations strategy","Information leaks","White House documents","Alexander Haig"],"generatedAt":"2026-04-06T07:22:13.825Z"},"topicSlugs":["watergate","public-relations-strategy","information-leaks","white-house-documents","alexander-haig"],"audioDurationSec":71,"audioFiles":[{"file":"046-017.mp3","bytes":2287616,"durationSec":71.41,"bitrate":256267,"missing":false}],"audioIsShared":false,"audioProbedAt":"2026-09-18T02:20:04.103Z","audio":["https://nixon.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/audio/046-017.mp3"],"url":"https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/046-017","nixonLibraryUrl":"https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/white-house-tapes/46/conversation-046-017","license":"Public domain (U.S. Government work). AI-generated fields (transcript, aiSummary) are provided as-is without warranty."}