Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 344 › Conversation 344-007

Nixon & Haldeman on Watergate scandal and John Mitchell

Tuesday, June 20, 1972 · 7:52 PM–7:59 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 4 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation344-007 on Tape 344 (tape position 00:45:32–00:49:30)StartTuesday, June 20, 1972 at 7:52 PMEndTuesday, June 20, 1972 at 7:59 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 344-007 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and H.R. Haldeman discuss the aftermath of the Watergate break-in, specifically focusing on John Mitchell's distress and the need to manage the administration's involvement in the election. The participants deliberate on how to navigate the unfolding scandal while expressing concern over the risks associated with providing too much information or overreacting too quickly. Their exchange highlights the early efforts to contain the political fallout and coordinate a strategy regarding the ongoing investigation.

Audio

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Position in tape: 00:45:32 – 00:49:30

part A, 45:30

344a.mp3

344b.mp3

344c.mp3

NARA Description

On June 20, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 7:52 pm to 7:59 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 344-007 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 344-7

Date: June 20, 1972
Time: 7:52-7:59 pm
Location: Old Executive Office Building

The President talked with H. R. Haldeman.

[See Conversation No. 25-91]

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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So, uh, did I interrupt your dinner?

Are you home?

Oh, good, good.

I, uh, gave Mitchell a call.

He's obviously quite chagrined.

It's, uh, I won't be able to talk to you this evening.

The purpose of bagging finds, you know, until, like, after

I didn't know how to do it.

In other words, just making sure that I was involved in this election.

That's what I was doing.

You know,

They're all tied in at the same time.

I have one other thought that I'm finding.

I wonder if, uh, if we go on, because tomorrow, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I don't know,

I think there is, if you go far one day, there's less, there's less, there's less, there's less, there's less, there's less, there's less, there's less,

You know, it's been a lot, you know, three or four months.

And as far as, you know, like, tomorrow and probably not all the time, I guess, I don't know.

But, you know, it's all part of it.

Yeah, I know.

It's great to still have time for a podcast.

Yeah.

I've got a big story on a nice building that I needed for two months on a second story.

One of the clients that got there, even if you get 200,000 stories, they've got it locked up.

So if you go here, I've told you guys to get 200,000.

I think that's going to be a good start.

I don't see a way.

Okay.

Also recorded on June 20, 1972

025-090 7:36 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:36 pm and 7:52 pm.
025-091 7:52 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 7:52 pm to 7:59 pm.
025-092 7:59 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:59 pm and 8:04 pm.
344-008 7:59 PM · 20 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 7:59 pm and 8:04 pm.
025-093 8:04 PM · 17 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 8:04 pm to 8:21 pm.
344-009 8:04 PM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 8:04 pm to 8:22 pm.
344-010 8:22 PM · 34 sec — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 8:22 pm and 8:42 pm.
344-034 8:22 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 8:22 pm and 8:42 pm.

All 56 conversations from June 20, 1972 →

Nixon phone call with Ehrlichman on Watergate and E. Howard Hunt April 13, 1973 · 4 min
Nixon & Haldeman on Watergate and Grand Jury March 21, 1973 · 36 min
Nixon, Haldeman & Ehrlichman on Watergate and Jeb Stuart Magruder April 13, 1973 · 1 hr 5 min
Nixon, Haig & Kissinger on Presidential health and Viral pneumonia July 12, 1973 · 31 min
Nixon & Timmons on Watergate and Howard H. Baker Jr. July 12, 1973 · 20 min
Nixon & Colson on Watergate and 1972 Presidential Campaign October 20, 1972 · 13 min

Cite this conversation

Conversation 344-007, June 20, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/344-007 (accessed November 14, 2026).