Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 426 › Conversation 426-016

Nixon & Ehrlichman on Watergate scandal and James McCord

Thursday, March 29, 1973 · 5:35 PM–6:24 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 4 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ehrlichman, John D.Conversation426-016 on Tape 426StartThursday, March 29, 1973 at 5:35 PMEndThursday, March 29, 1973 at 6:24 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 426-016 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and John Ehrlichman met to finalize edits for an upcoming presidential speech while addressing political pressures regarding the ongoing Watergate investigations. The discussion touched on the legal strategy surrounding James McCord’s testimony before the Senate, specifically weighing the risks of allowing individuals to testify before a grand jury. The pair also assessed the potential political fallout and strategic considerations regarding an imminent vote.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 1 minute of this recording (about 39% 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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Redrafted?
I didn't redraft it.
You always have to read the...
It's kind of a suggestion in terms of this thing
ways
Also, I think the recent bill, I think the recent bill, because I don't know what the hell to say.
Now, I just want to thank you.
Frankly, part of our problem here has been a failure.
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his reasoning is that McCord has made these charges only to the Senate, that none of these charges have been allowed to pass the grand jury, and in point of fact, all of these bills, the two of them, and the committee and the others, are all denying that these have been pardoned when they're asked.
So there's nothing before the grand jury which in any way influences
His lawyer says to volunteer to go before the grand jury.
Under those circumstances, he is asking for trouble, and an attorney can't advise his client to let himself in for it.
It's about conciseness.
Now, I said to John, well, it is going to go tomorrow morning.
There are many pluses to this, as well as those minuses that you mentioned.
And just as I was going out the door, my secretary told me that he was going to call me.
So I should have called him back.
Oh, it's all right.
All right.
Thank God we didn't pull this out.
Well, either that or maybe the vote is the same.
No, I don't know.

NARA Description

On March 29, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:35 pm and 6:24 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 426-016 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 426-16

Date: March 29, 1973
Time: Unknown between 5:35 pm and 6:34
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with John D. Ehrlichman.

       President's forthcoming speech
             Final editing
                                             -17-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                             Conversation No. 426-17 (cont’d)

                  -Interpretation

       President's meeting with Henry A. Kissinger [?]

       Watergate
            -President's conversation with H. R. Haldeman, William P. Rogers
            -White House cooperation
                  -President's press conference
                  -Ronald L. Ziegler
            -John W. Dean, III's call to Ehrlichman
                  -James W. McCord, Jr.'s testimony to grand jury
                  -Dean's possible appearance before grand jury
                         -President's forthcoming statement

Ehrlichman left at an unknown time before 6:24 pm.

Also recorded on March 29, 1973

  • 044-077 5:32 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 5:32 pm.
  • 426-013 5:32 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 5:32 pm.
  • 426-014 5:32 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:32 pm and 5:35 pm.
  • 426-015 5:32 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:32 pm and 5:35 pm.
  • 044-078 5:35 PM · 8 min — John D. Ehrlichman and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:35 pm and 6:24 pm.
  • 044-079 5:35 PM — John D. Ehrlichman and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:35 pm and 6:24 pm.
  • 044-080 5:35 PM — John D. Ehrlichman and John W. Dean, III talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:35 pm and 6:24 pm.
  • 426-017 5:35 PM · 32 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:35 pm and 6:24 pm.

All 77 conversations from March 29, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 426-016, 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/426-016 (accessed October 1, 2026).