Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 168 › Conversation 168-017

Nixon phone call with Haig on Watergate and Ervin Committee

Saturday, June 2, 1973 · 11:56 AM–12:05 PM ET · Camp David Study Table · 8 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haig, Alexander M., Jr.Conversation168-017 on Tape 168StartSaturday, June 2, 1973 at 11:56 AMEndSaturday, June 2, 1973 at 12:05 PMRecording deviceCamp David Study TableSourceNixon Library record for 168-017 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Alexander Haig met to coordinate White House strategy regarding ongoing political scandals, including the Watergate investigation and the Ervin Committee hearings. They discussed organizational changes to improve staff efficiency, the management of upcoming bipartisan congressional briefings, and efforts to uncover past wiretap records involving Robert F. Kennedy. Additionally, they strategized on how to counter potential indictments against top aides and discussed ways to dissuade political figures from publicly suggesting the President testify before the Senate committee.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Hello, Mr. President?
Am I interrupting your meeting, I imagine, huh?
That's all right.
I stepped out of the office.
Oh, I'm sorry.
I just wanted to clear the meeting.
Is he still coming up at 2.30 today?
Yes, sir.
He'll be close in a quarter to 3.
Fine.
That's all right.
Anytime.
Anytime.
I'll be here.
And we're going to get this all right.
We're going to have it in Birch.
So just come to Birch.
Fine.
All right.
I've cleared that one out so we can have a quiet talk.
But I think everyone's postured and...
There'll be some talk about direct relationship and all.
Oh, good God, that's the easiest thing of all.
It's proximity that's involved.
That's right.
And everybody in the White House has a direct relation if they want it.
Yes, sir.
So I feel very optimistic about that.
Good, good.
I talked to McCloy.
He really can't do it, and I think we're better off with Adam.
He'll join this advisory council.
All right.
And we've got a couple of other very good partners.
Sure, we can get other names.
I think we are better off because I just know he'd take too much of our time.
Yes.
So I'm optimistic there.
Peterson, I've got all on board now.
Good for you.
Good for you.
I think we're just, we're really ready to roll here next week.
Right.
Oh, incidentally, I had talked to Steve a little about the bipartisan meetings and I had suggested we ought to have a, that I had to report a bipartisan thing to the,
leaders Tuesday on the Paris—on the French meeting.
Exactly.
And Thursday.
But on the other hand, I'm afraid that having two bipartisan meetings in the week—what do you think of that?
Is that a good idea?
I think it's a little heavy.
Well, why don't we do—why don't we just let Tuesday be a Republican thing?
Yeah, meet—meet that.
And then Thursday, I will—I'll do a bipartisan briefing on the Paris settlement.
That sounds great, sir.
You see what I mean?
So you can tell Steve to go forward with a full Republican meeting in which Henry will give them a briefing on the Paris thing, I mean, on the French thing.
Right.
And we'll get that out of the way.
Good.
Fine.
But you're working on a game plan on those figures?
Yes, sir.
It's sort of hard to figure out.
I just want to be sure that we don't, you know, muff it.
No, I think, but I don't want to put it out in a way that it won't get
that they can ignore it.
That's what I mean.
I don't want to say ho-hum because this is a very important fact.
Al, as you saw it last night, we've been taking an unmerciful beating on a bad rap.
Sure.
And when it shows that their great hero, Bobby Kennedy, was the biggest one of all, it'll be very interesting.
That's right, sir.
And they're working on the names.
I told them the whole goddamn weekend, day, and night.
That's right.
And we want the names mainly because we've got to see whether they have a newsman on there, see?
Exactly.
I'm sure they have.
And first priority to the Kennedy ears.
Of course.
Of course.
They're doing that.
Now, it takes a little ass-kicking, as you know.
But I've done that this morning.
Well, you wouldn't have gotten what you have here unless you'd ass-kicked, would you, Al?
You asked for this about two weeks ago, and they just drugged, you know, and finally they've got the order and they're going to get it.
I'm very optimistic now.
I've got a reorganization here internally and across the board, and I think we're ready to sail.
On the White House?
Yes, sir.
Across the board with Ron's plane as well?
is key.
And one for Bryce and one for Mel.
Right.
And the energy exercise.
Right.
It just is.
I feel very comfortable with it now.
It's interesting that most of the people now rather like Bazaar feel that even the ones that know the facts are
that the psychology has started to turn rather substantially.
No question.
It's bizarre, but really, really felt, though, that some of the fence-sitters are beginning to call in.
Yes, and what is most important is that the whole Cox apparat is split.
The Irwin apparat is split wide open on partisan lines now.
Is it really?
Oh, yes.
They're at each other's throats.
Baker's fighting Irwin, refuses to go along with the release of that document.
They're fighting tooth and nail about the whole character of the Senate investigation.
We've really got to... Incidentally, the release of that document, if it comes out, it comes out.
It doesn't hurt to see the way.
Yeah, my view.
Don't you agree?
Because mainly the point is it's signed by the four top people, including Brother Helms.
Exactly right.
It doesn't hurt to see the way.
And we have made that point.
hurts the national security it does that damage uh i think we can weather because in many ways we can yeah but uh but they but urban it shows you what uh a senile old shitty is too and unpatriotic you want to release the document exactly but they're they're split wide open on that issue they're split wide open on the overall issue uh recognizing what they're doing that it's become partisan yeah they feel that how do they over in the committee yes sir
The staff is split out now.
Why is the Cox outfit split?
What are they splitting on?
Well, they're split on the issue of their dilemma.
To move quickly with indictments or to try to get some indictments that are comprehensive.
Or not to do that and to try to continue to get Bob Jones and Chuck indicted.
And they have a very weak case on them.
I don't think they've got a strong enough case for those.
They'll never convict the three of them.
No.
They'll never convict them.
Well, Bazaar really thinks they'll never be brought to trial.
Because of what?
The urban committee?
Yes.
And I personally think, you know, I was, I called Bob this morning to run over a couple things with him, not on this matter, but others, but I just told him that everybody thought he'd done well for the committee.
And he said that his people were, his people were
felt that they'd already ruined their case with him because they'd convicted him a hundred times in the press already.
That's right.
Right?
That's exactly right.
Even Bob, you know, and Mitchell is convicted, of course.
Mitchell, Bob, they've been convicted in the news magazines.
They've been convicted in the newspapers.
Worse, they've been convicted on television.
Their pictures have been in.
They look like felons.
Now, God damn it, you know, how the hell can you get a fair trial, that sort of thing?
There's no way.
Yes, and he thinks that the longer these hearings go on, the more we gain from it.
Czar does?
Yes, sir.
Why does he think that?
Because it's just building this terrible—now that it's become partisan and they're fighting each other, that it's going to be more of a fiasco.
One thing I just wanted to touch base with you on.
I noticed that McCollum mumbled something to the effect, well, the only one that could clear up this thing is the president or something.
McGowan is a fine one to be talking that way, Jesus Christ.
I mean, we've done everything for him.
And not only that, but he knows that the president is totally blameless in this thing.
Is there anybody that could have a little talk with him?
Of course.
Who could?
I mean, I don't mean you.
Maybe Bryce or somebody.
You see what I mean?
Bryce or even Bazaar.
I think Bazaar knows.
You've got to have a responsible person go down there and say, look, have you read the president's statement?
I mean, I covered that whole damn CIA thing in the statement, and Bob and John's stuff backs it up 100 percent.
Right.
Exactly.
Exactly.
And the—because we've got to drive anybody off of this silly, absolutely line that the president ought to appear before the committee and do that.
If that is ever—you know, we can't even let that become us.
If it does become an issue, then we will just have to knock the hell out of it.
That's right.
And I think we can.
Well, then we'll see you at 2.45.
Right, sir.

NARA Description

On June 2, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 11:56 am and 12:05 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 168-017 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 168-17

Date: June 2, 1973
Time: Unknown between 11:56 am and 12:05 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table

The President talked with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

     Haig’s schedule
                                        -18-

             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                         Conversation No. 168-17 (cont’d)

      -Meeting
           -Meeting with President
                -Camp David
                      -Birch Lodge

White House staff
     -Relations with President
           -Proximity
     -John J. McCloy
           -Conversation with Haig
                 -Possible role
     -Peter G. Peterson

President’s schedule
      -President’s conversation with Stephen B. Bull
            -Bipartisanship [Republican] Congressional leaders meeting
                  -Meeting with Georges J. R. Pompidou
                  -Henry A. Kissinger’s briefing

Wiretaps
     -Robert F. (“Bobby”) Kennedy
           -Names
                 -Newsmen
     -Strategy

White House staff
     -Organization
          -Ronald L. Ziegler
          -Bryce N. Harlow, Melvin R. Laird
          -Energy position
          -Haig’s confidence

Watergate
     -J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr.’s view
     -Archibald Cox’s staff
     -Ervin Committee
            -Howard H. Baker, Jr. vs. Samuel J. Ervin, Jr.
            -Possible release of Huston plan
                  -Effect
                  -Richard Helms
                                            -19-

                  NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                           Conversation No. 168-17 (cont’d)

                      -National security
                      -Ervin
                      -Ervin Committee
           -Cox’s staff
                 -Possible indictments
                        -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman, John D Ehrlichman, and Charles W. Colson
                        -Buzhardt’s view
           -President’s conversation with Haldeman
                 -Buzhardt
                 -Haldeman’s testimony
                        -President’s conversation, June 2, 1973
                        -Haldeman’s lawyers’ opinion
           -Haldeman and Mitchell
                 -Press treatment
           -Ervin Committee hearings
                 -Buzhardt’s view
           -John L. McClellan
                 -Statement concerning President
                 -Possible conversation with Buzhardt or Harlow
           -President’s statement
                 -Haldeman’s and Ehrlichman’s testimony
           -President’s possible testimony

     Haig’s schedule
          -Meeting with President

Also recorded on June 2, 1973

  • 168-013 11:13 AM · 10 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone at Camp David from 11:13 am to 11:24 am.
  • 168-014 11:24 AM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 11:24 am and 11:38 am.
  • 168-015 11:38 AM · 40 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David from 11:38 am to 11:39 am.
  • 168-016 11:39 AM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 11:39 am and 11:56 am.
  • 168-018 12:12 PM · 21 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at 12:12 pm.
  • 168-019 12:12 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 12:12 pm and 12:29 pm.
  • 168-020 12:29 PM · 16 sec — Camp David operator and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone at Camp David at 12:29 pm.
  • 168-021 12:29 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 12:29 pm and 1:58 pm.

All 17 conversations from June 2, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 168-017, June 2, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/168-017 (accessed October 12, 2026).