Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 434-019
Date: Friday, May 11, 1973 at 2:51 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haig, Alexander M., Jr.
Recording device: Old Executive Office Building
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/434-019

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] I wanted to say one thing that people would advise the bus drivers to do.
[0:23] It's very important that you not talk to Bob and John and parents in a melodramatic, apocalyptic terms and get, you know, union capabilities and talk about impeachment and more science and all that crap.
[0:27] And also, you must not talk in terms of this could indict you or the rest, because that will
[0:30] get them to lose confidence in themselves, you've got to be, make it clear when he thinks this is all a bad act of God.
[0:49] You understand?
[0:49] And you tell him, by God, you still follow that out, whether you're lying or otherwise, it's not for the purpose of just leaving him, but for the purpose of gaining their confidence, because that's one of his problems.
[0:53] Lent is scared to the death.
[0:54] We don't trust him, because the buzzards have got to be their friends.
[1:01] Right.
[1:03] You can just say, by God, we're fighting their battle, and this has worked out, and we're doing our very best, and so forth.
[1:34] I agree.
[1:36] I just want to say that the president feels terrible to take this sacrifice, but he does appreciate it.