Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 46 › Conversation 046-125

Nixon phone call with Haig on Watergate and J. Fred Buzhardt Jr.

Monday, May 21, 1973 · 11:48 AM–11:51 AM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haig, Alexander M., Jr.Conversation046-125 on Tape 46StartMonday, May 21, 1973 at 11:48 AMEndMonday, May 21, 1973 at 11:51 AMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 046-125 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Alexander Haig coordinate the preparation of a statement regarding the Watergate scandal, specifically focusing on the inclusion of details concerning the President's interactions with Louis Patrick Gray and Vernon A. Walters. The participants discuss whether J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr. has sufficient information to draft these specific points and determine how to integrate them into the upcoming document. They agree to finalize their strategy during a planned 2:00 pm meeting, while remaining available for further consultation if new questions arise.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Hi.
Mr. President.
Are you in a meeting?
Yes, sir.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Thinking that maybe it would be helpful in trying to work this thing out, if maybe you and Bazar could come over and I could go over those particular points, if you want him to work on that part, or what would you like to do?
Well, I was going over it with him right now.
Oh.
And I think we've got...
You know, we were concerned about it also.
Yeah.
Well, do you want to come over now?
Or do you want to work on it first?
It'll be about 10 minutes, or then they'll be back at the board, and then we can give them whatever add-ons we decide.
All right.
Well, good.
No, I just want that...
In other words, he's got the facts that he needs.
He's got something to help them right with it.
Yes, sir.
That's right.
And doesn't he think that we ought to put this in?
Yes.
Well, one, we don't want to put in after we...
examine it here that wouldn't be difficult and that's the uh the discussion on the subsequent discussion with gray and then you get into some things where they're like when it'll be difficult and what have you oh i see all right if i leave that out but we have reasons to tell you you know in each case uh sure sure you understand i'm not dictating i just throw these in this but he did think that putting in some of this was flushing it out was a good idea yes especially the the meeting
The meeting with Walters.
Right.
Okay.
Good.
All right.
Al?
Yes, sir.
Then how do we leave it?
Then you still want to say 2 o'clock or...
Yes, 2 o'clock.
Is that better?
Then you can, you and he and all, you won't need to see me before then.
No, unless some question comes up out of this meeting, which we want to check with you, and I think that's very probable.
So I may need a few minutes here in about 15 minutes.
All right, fine.
Good, sir.
All right.

NARA Description

On May 21, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone from 11:48 am to 11:51 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 046-125 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 46-125

Date: May 21, 1973
Time: 11:48 am - 11:51 am
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

[See also Conversation No. 439-6]

     Haig’s schedule

     President’s schedule
           -Haig and J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr.

     Watergate
          -Possible statement
          -President’s conversation with L[ouis] Patrick Gray
                -John D. Ehrlichman
          -President’s meeting with Lt. Gen. Vernon A. Walters
          -President’s schedule

Also recorded on May 21, 1973

  • 046-123 11:14 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone 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.
  • 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.
  • 046-126 11:51 AM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:51 am and 12:34 pm.
  • 046-127 11:51 AM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:51 am and 12:34 pm.
  • 439-007 11:51 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 11:51 am and 12:34 pm.
  • 439-008 11:51 AM · 13 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 11:51 am and 12:34 pm.

All 47 conversations from May 21, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 046-125, 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/046-125 (accessed October 12, 2026).