Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 046-057
Date: Tuesday, May 15, 1973 at 2:10 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haig, Alexander M., Jr.
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/046-057

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:01] Hi.
[0:01] Yes, Mr. President.
[0:02] Did you get the Helms thing yet?
[0:05] Yes.
[0:05] I talked to Walters.
[0:07] Walters, he said that there won't be any difficulty there.
[0:14] He's quite sure of.
[0:16] And no surprises of any kind.
[0:19] So that's somewhat encouraging.
[0:31] He had just left.
[0:33] He spent the morning with the committee prosecutor.
[0:42] And they asked a lot of tough questions, including the one about his notes.
[0:47] So they have that.
[0:48] They had really asked it a little bit yesterday, but then they've explored it.
[0:53] And that's all right.
[0:55] It stays tight.
[0:57] Yeah, exactly the way— And we stay tight on that.
[0:59] That's right.
[1:00] But that's now an issue.
[1:07] Well, it's an issue, but I think we just, the issue we will fight on.
[1:12] Don't you agree, Al?
[1:13] We have to do that.
[1:14] Yeah.
[1:15] On notes.
[1:15] I have no question about that.
[1:17] That's right.
[1:18] And we'll, men will testify, but we're not going to have any papers.
[1:20] You're going to leave.
[1:21] Walk out of here.
[1:22] Yeah, we have a little problem with John.
[1:26] John called me.
[1:29] And he's been going over his notes.
[1:33] And I think our best bet is to have Bazar get with Coulson fast.
[1:39] He's got to talk to Coulson.
[1:42] Oh.
[1:45] Well, there's some reason to expect that Dean is going to lead to Coulson and not to Bob and John.
[1:57] Who thinks that, John?
[1:59] He's not sure.
[2:01] He's not sure.
[2:03] But it's something we have to be prepared for if it does.
[2:08] What notes has John gone over?
[2:10] I mean, his own notes of— Yeah, he mentioned notes prior to the meeting with Helms.
[2:18] He had some material about McGregor out at San Clemente.
[2:23] And I told him not to talk to me about it on the phone.
[2:26] I want the details.
[2:30] I think he's having a feeling of being probably hard-pressed by Walter's testimony.
[2:39] Quite frankly, he is.
[2:41] I'm sure he is.
[2:42] He's been very badly damaged.
[2:44] And what does he feel he should do?
[2:47] Well, I think what he's thinking in his own mind is that what's the source of the CIA involvement and what was done.
[2:59] You see, what it looks like is that he triggered Dean to do specifically what was mentioned in general in the meeting.
[3:09] Yeah.
[3:10] And I think he feels in his own mind probably, as he didn't say that, but I think there's probably a feeling in his mind that Colson may have been the one that was triggering Dean.
[3:21] Well, the main thing is he certainly knows that he's not suggesting that I did it for Greg's sake.
[3:26] Oh, God, no.
[3:27] No, no, no.
[3:28] Jesus, I don't think about it.
[3:29] No, no, no, no.
[3:30] I mean, that's as stupid as God had me go.
[3:32] He thinks Colson may have triggered Dean.
[3:33] He thinks, I think he's trying to think desperately as everybody would.
[3:37] As to how it happened.
[3:38] Yeah.
[3:39] Because he would never have triggered Dean to do this.
[3:41] Never.
[3:41] No.
[3:41] Never.
[3:42] Never.
[3:42] That's right.
[3:43] So I think that...
[3:44] But who, when did they, what was the, he said there was a talk with McGregor in San Clemente?
[3:50] He said McGregor came out concerned about a Gray conversation to him.
[3:58] I had to call Gray right away.
[4:01] And McGregor did that, you know, came out and did that.
[4:06] And, of course, it wasn't any of his damn business.
[4:08] He should have kicked out of it.
[4:11] But I did call Gray.
[4:15] Is that what he meant?
[4:15] Yes, yes.
[4:16] You know, he just involved going over his notes and the sequences.
[4:20] Did I call Gray from out there, too?
[4:23] I don't think so.
[4:24] I don't know what he did.
[4:25] I don't know that.
[4:26] But anyway, I don't see what the McGregor, anyway, okay.
[4:30] But he hasn't, Bazzard hasn't seen Colson yet.
[4:34] No, he has not.
[4:35] He's been trying to.
[4:36] Yeah.
[4:37] Better get to him fast.
[4:38] Better get to him.
[4:41] Okay, sir.
[4:41] Anything else?
[4:42] No, that's everything for the moment.
[4:44] Okay.
[4:46] Okay, sir.