Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 46 › Conversation 046-123

Nixon phone call with Haig on Watergate and L. Patrick Gray

Monday, May 21, 1973 · 11:14 AM–11:17 AM ET · White House Telephone · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haig, Alexander M., Jr.Conversation046-123 on Tape 46StartMonday, May 21, 1973 at 11:14 AMEndMonday, May 21, 1973 at 11:17 AMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 046-123 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Alexander Haig coordinate the framing of the President’s involvement in the Watergate scandal and its intersection with national security matters for a forthcoming speech. They discuss specific linguistic choices, such as using the term "illegal" rather than "criminal," and outline how to explain Nixon's interactions with L. Patrick Gray and Henry Petersen. The conversation emphasizes justifying the President’s actions regarding the Ellsberg case and the Plumbers by presenting these activities as legitimate national security protections.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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yes sir one small thing throughout never use the word criminal use the word illegal that's something I've always done second point why don't we say it's now 11 15 11 10 and why don't we say 2 o'clock I think you're going to need that time to get this pool together to another form right then we'll be ready by then

No, I've given you enough on both of those incidents.

You think you can be bizarre.

Oh, yeah.

He can work from there.

Absolutely.

Because he knows the basic facts anyway.

He knows them, and we all have them.

And he knows what the Memcons say.

In other words, I think the CIA went and so forth.

We just lay it right out in terms that I ordered the meeting.

I knew the meeting went on.

I talked to Gray, asked him the requirement, told him to take as high as they could go.

We don't put a question mark in if he did, but we've got ours in.

That's right.

And then that Gray later assured me that he had made an investigation.

Whack, that finishes Gray.

The next thing is, is that in terms of the other one, which is a more difficult one because of the intricacies of the thing, that he worked it into the same section where we talk about I was interested in protecting the national security, that when I began my own investigation, I followed the same rule, that is, that I told Peterson to do everything, I mean, to go to the top of Watergate, but...

that he had to take into account the national security involved and so forth.

On April 18th, I specifically directed, I informed him that some of those involved in Watergate had been involved in investigating the Ellsberg matter.

that should not be, that I consider this a national security area, should not be gone into in the Watergate matter.

Exactly.

And then go on to say, in that same conversation, he pointed out that nothing, no evidence, whatever,

that had been developed by, you know, the so-called Plummer's group, when he questioned me, had been turned over to the prosecution in the Ellsberg case.

You see?

Right, sir.

A few days later, he informed me, and I had directed that the information immediately be furnished over to the judge.

Right, sir.

In other words, just lay it out there the best we can.

Okay?

Very good, sir.

Thank you.

NARA Description

On May 21, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone from 11:14 am to 11:17 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 046-123 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 46-123

Date: May 21, 1973
Time: 11:14 am - 11:17 am
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

[See also Conversation No. 439-4]

     Watergate
          -Word usage in speech
          -President’s schedule
                -Meeting for review
          -Break-in
                -President’s involvement
                      -President’s meetings with L[ouis] Patrick Gray
                      -President’s conversation with Henry E. Petersen
                            -National security
                            -Daniel Ellsberg
                                  -Plumbers
                                  -Prosecution’s knowledge of break-in
                                  -President’s orders regarding judge

Also recorded on May 21, 1973

439-002 10:53 AM · 21 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 10:53 am to 11:13 am.
046-122 11:13 AM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:13 am and 11:14 am.
439-003 11:14 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 11:14 am.
439-004 11:14 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 11:14 am to 11:17 am.
046-124 11:17 AM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:17 am and 11:48 am.
439-005 11:17 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 11:17 am and 11:48 am.
046-125 11:48 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone from 11:48 am to 11:51 am.
439-006 11:48 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 11:48 am to 11:51 am.

All 47 conversations from May 21, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 046-123, May 21, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/046-123 (accessed October 12, 2026).