Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 426 › Conversation 426-055
Nixon & Haldeman on Watergate scandal and David Eisenhower
Tuesday, April 10, 1973 · 6:20 PM–7:01 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 31 min
AI Summary
President Nixon and H.R. Haldeman met to discuss personal personnel matters regarding David Eisenhower’s future career path and potential relocation. The conversation shifted to address the ongoing Watergate scandal, specifically managing public perception regarding Haldeman's alleged involvement in campaign intelligence operations. They strategized on potential White House counterattacks and communication tactics for upcoming Congressional testimony and investigations.
Audio
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Transcript (AI-generated)
This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 18 minutes of this recording (about 60% 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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.
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NARA Description
On April 10, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 6:20 pm to 7:01 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 426-055 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 426-55
Date: April 10, 1973
Time: 6:20 pm - 7:01 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
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[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]
[Dwight] David Eisenhower, II’s Congressional candidacy
-George A. Goodling
-Candidacy
-Conversation with President
-Announcement
-Timing
-Martin Hamberger
-43-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 426-55 (cont’d)
-Candidacy
-Samuel L. Design’s conversation with the President
-Goodling’s candidacy
-David Eisenhower’s candidacy
-Residency
-Gettysburg compared to Washington, DC
-George H. W. Bush
-White House
-Employment
-Goodling’s candidacy
-Bush’s viewpoint
-Other job prospects
-Goodling’s office
-Goodling’s candidacy
-Congressional Campaign Committee, policy committee
-President’s conversation with Devine
-Barber Conable
-Research experience
-Capitol Hill
-Goodling’s candidacy
-Discretion
-David Eisenhower’s candidacy
-Visits to district
-Other job prospects
-[Republican] National Committee
-Congressional committees
[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
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Watergate
-Haldeman
-Marvin L. Esch's telephone call
-Story on involvement in intelligence operations
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Wednesday group
-Paul N. McCloskey, Jr.
-Chairman of Wednesday group
-44-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 426-55 (cont’d)
-Howard Roseman
-Conversation with Max L. Friedersdorf
-McCloskey
-Washington Star
-Statement
-Campaign practices
-Tape recordings of candidates' statements
-Lowell P. Weicker, Jr.
-Esch
-George H. W. Bush
-Conversation with Haldeman
-John N. Mitchell
-Haldeman's forthcoming meeting
-Meeting with John W. Dean, III
-Schedule
-Possible statement
-White House staff's knowledge
-Public perception
-Mitchell
-Future meeting with President
-Payments
-Dean's role
-Individual responsibility
-Campaign issue in 1974
-Howard H. Baker, Jr. and Edward J. Gurney to make minority report
-Mitchell
-Ervin Committee's possible censure
-Administration's counterattack
-Charles W. Colson
-Kenneth L. Khachigian, Lawrence M. Higby [?], Dwight L. Chapin
-Caspar W. (“Cap”) Weinberger
-Democrats' violence against Republicans
-Compared to Donald H. Segretti
-Arson
-Threats
-New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles
-Leonard Garment's questions
-Mitchell
-Dean
-45-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 426-55 (cont’d)
-Gordon C. Strachan
-Ervin Committee
-Segretti
-White House staff
-President's calls
-Richard K. Cook
-William E. Timmons's recommendations
-Friedersdorf
-Thomas C. Korologos
-Weicker, Gerald R. Ford
- Ziegler's review of early campaign news coverage
-Mitchell
-Haldeman's forthcoming testimony
-Role in campaign in 1971
-Nelson A. Rockefeller
-Ronald W. Reagan
-Frank Dale
-Haldeman's future testimony
-Hearsay
-Conversations with Dean
-Conversations with Mitchell
-Conversation with Jeb Stuart Magruder
-John D. Ehrlichman's ground rules
-Knowledge
-Dean's report
-Weicker
-Esch
-Weicker
-Ervin Committee
-James W. McCord, Jr.'s testimony
-Schedule
-Baker
-John D. Ehrlichman's negotiation position
-Aims
-Size of staff
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[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]
-46-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 426-55 (cont’d)
Goodling
-Goodling’s son [?]
-David Eisenhower
-Primary
[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
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Congressional relations
-President’s meetings with Congressmen
-William Timmons, Bryce N. Harlow
-Votes in Congress
-Phone calls
-Letters
Veto supporters
-Republican leadership
Garment
-President’s approval for involvement
The President and Haldeman left at 7:01 pm.Also recorded on April 10, 1973
- 044-139 5:59 PM · 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman talked on the telephone from 5:59 pm to 6:09 pm.
- 426-049 5:59 PM · 48 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 5:59 pm.
- 426-051 6:09 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 6:09 pm to 6:14 pm.
- 044-140 6:14 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:14 pm and 6:17 pm.
- 426-052 6:14 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 6:14 pm.
- 426-053 6:14 PM · 10 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 6:14 pm and 6:17 pm.
- 044-141 6:17 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower talked on the telephone from 6:17 pm to 6:18 pm.
- 426-054 6:17 PM · 56 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, Julie Nixon Eisenhower, and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 6:17 pm to 6:18 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 426-055, April 10, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/426-055 (accessed October 5, 2026).