Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 046-039
Date: Monday, May 14, 1973 at 7:27 PM
Participants: Ziegler, Ronald L.; Garment, Leonard; Nixon, Richard M. (President)
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/046-039

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] Hello?
[0:01] I had Mr. Garman.
[0:02] Oh, good.
[0:04] Right.
[0:05] Len?
[0:05] Yes, Ron.
[0:06] Yes, in talking with the president here, the important thing is that we hit this thing hard enough.
[0:15] In other words, you put the fear of God into those people.
[0:19] I bet.
[0:21] Everybody I can lay my hands on and have calls placed all around town.
[0:24] To Irvin, to his senior staff assistant, to Dash.
[0:29] I spoke to Thompson four times, talked to Baker.
[0:32] And they understand this.
[0:34] In other words, they know they've got to retract or else, right?
[0:36] They know they've got to retract or else.
[0:39] By the way, that paper is, I gather, is a Bercher paper.
[0:45] That's a hell of a thing for the AP to pick up.
[0:48] And for these fellas to be sitting around scratching their heads wondering what to do.
[0:51] Well, you made that point clear to them, though.
[0:53] About sitting around scratching their heads, right.
[0:55] I said, if their phone is available to call each other, you don't have to wait to have a plenary conference in order to deny a transparent fabrication like this.
[1:03] Well, the president's disturbed we're not hitting this hard enough.
[1:07] Well, he'll come on the line.
[1:09] Yes, sir.
[1:11] I don't think you understand the...
[1:13] I mean, I'm sure you understand the importance.
[1:16] The point that I want to make is that this is the golden opportunity to discredit the committee.
[1:22] Now, you understand, they have made a charge, completely untrue.
[1:27] And, damn it, Len, for Howard Baker to play the...
[1:32] Now, right now, your friend Dash and this fellow Thompson and the rest, they better understand...
[1:53] is involved here is the credibility of this committee from now on out.
[1:58] Just those terms.
[1:59] Good for you.
[2:00] Good for you.
[2:01] You understand.
[2:01] I have great confidence in you, but goddammit, they cannot attack the President of the United States stealing a million dollars and get away with it.
[2:10] And then for them not to be found.
[2:13] I think there's some advantage in giving them a little bit of rope to choke themselves with.
[2:17] Well, I agree with that.
[2:18] And the fact that they have to
[2:20] But why is it that Baker, what did he do?
[2:25] Whine and cry?
[2:26] He always does.
[2:27] He denied it to the press.
[2:28] He didn't say that.
[2:28] He denied it to the press, and Irvin did, too.
[2:30] He said that they have no such... No, no, no.
[2:33] There must be...
[2:34] If you take these words down, there must be a public retraction and apology by the committee, the whole committee, for this libelous support...
[2:47] an assault on the President of the United States.
[2:49] It is totally untrue.
[2:51] We have no facts.
[2:52] We are going to investigate immediately to see
[2:56] What member of the staff was involved, and he will be immediately discharged.
[3:01] Now, God damn it, Len, play it tough.
[3:03] I will, and I have.
[3:05] And the way they're fobbing it off is to say this is irresponsible press.
[3:10] Bullshit.
[3:10] God damn it, the press wouldn't do it unless the committee was doing it.
[3:14] Now, Len, they're putting you on.
[3:16] Right, I know that, and I've told them just that.
[3:19] You get back to Baker.
[3:22] And I want you to repeat to him exactly what I said, that I think he's being a pusillanimous ass on this.
[3:28] I really do.
[3:30] Or if you think less words are worthwhile, okay.
[3:33] I'm really making it clear how you feel about this.
[3:35] Okay, boy.
[3:35] No mistake.
[3:35] Let's give him a little rope.
[3:37] All right.
[3:38] Very good.
[3:40] Okay.