Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 426 › Conversation 426-005

Nixon & Haldeman on Watergate and Executive privilege

Thursday, March 29, 1973 · 4:20 PM–4:45 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 5 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation426-005 on Tape 426StartThursday, March 29, 1973 at 4:20 PMEndThursday, March 29, 1973 at 4:45 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 426-005 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman met to coordinate the White House’s political strategy regarding the escalating Watergate scandal, specifically focusing on the public perception of executive privilege. Haldeman briefed the President on discussions with George H.W. Bush and Howard Baker concerning legislative negotiations and the need for a shift in policy regarding witness appearances. They also reviewed the content of the President’s forthcoming address, which was intended to address public concerns while balancing policy issues like the defense budget and price controls.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 3 minutes of this recording (about 64% of it) is represented by only a few words. Listen to the audio rather than relying on the text below; a corrected transcript is queued.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Thank you.

question of whether we can work something out.

All he was trying to say was that he thinks, let's talk with Baker, that if we, does he think we should cater to him?

No.

Well, he thinks we should modify.

He said we need a shift in policy regarding the appearances.

And then tomorrow, I almost told him that it was.

I mean, we talked about two possibilities.

He said, well, if he thinks whatever it is, it's to try to get the president out in front of him, get the president to take the initiative on something, which is really useless.

The issue of the country is the question of executive privilege.

What they care about is what is the White House hiding, and why is the White House hiding.

And I said, Matt, you've got to answer.

And I don't need to talk to the president.

Thank you.

Thank you, sir.

Yes, sir.

The second, of course, is the student .

The third is support the president .

We .

It works this way.

We don't have to have .

Thank you.

Yeah.

NARA Description

On March 29, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:20 pm and 4:45 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 426-005 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 426-5

Date: March 29, 1973
Time: Unknown between 4:20 pm and 4:45 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.

       Watergate
            -Haldeman's previous phone call to George H. W. Bush
                  -Howard H. Baker, Jr.
                  -Spiro T. Agnew
                  -John D. Ehrlichman's negotiations with Baker
                  -Bush's conversation with Baker
                  -Executive privilege
                  -President's role
                  -Baker's views
                  -Bush's conversations with Gerald R. Ford, William E. Brock, III
            -President's forthcoming speech, March 29
                  -Contents
                         -Amnesty
                                              -11-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                                Conversation No. 426-5 (cont’d)

                          -Price ceiling
                          -Vetoes
                          -Defense budget
             -Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI] director position
             -President's forthcoming statement
                   -White House defense regarding Watergate
                   -News cycle
                          -Ehrlichman, Ronald L. Ziegler

Haldeman left at 4:45 p.m.

Also recorded on March 29, 1973

044-070 3:30 PM · 1 min — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:30 pm and 4:05 pm.
044-071 3:30 PM · 10 min — John D. Ehrlichman and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:30 pm and 4:05 pm.
044-072 4:45 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:45 pm and 4:53 pm.
426-006 4:45 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:45 pm and 4:53 pm.
044-073 4:53 PM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 4:53 pm.
044-074 4:53 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:53 pm and 5:11 pm.
426-007 4:53 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 4:53 pm.
426-008 4:55 PM · 11 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Rose Mary Woods, White House operator, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:55 pm to 5:10 pm.

All 77 conversations from March 29, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 426-005, March 29, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/426-005 (accessed October 1, 2026).