Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 435 › Conversation 435-017

Nixon & Haig on Watergate and White House internal communications

Thursday, May 10, 1973 · 3:26 PM–3:30 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haig, Alexander M., Jr.Conversation435-017 on Tape 435StartThursday, May 10, 1973 at 3:26 PMEndThursday, May 10, 1973 at 3:30 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 435-017 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Alexander Haig discuss a potential inaccuracy regarding the reported attendance of Horace “Chappie” Rose at a previous meeting involving Leonard Garment and J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr. Nixon expresses concern that misinformation about meeting participants is circulating and causing confusion. The two men agree to clarify whether Rose was indeed absent, highlighting the President’s focus on controlling the narrative and accuracy of internal reporting during this period.

Audio

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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I just talked to Bob on one thing.
You know, the meeting you reported to me last night on, you said that the report that you had was that Garvey and Buzzard and Chappie Rose were in the meeting.
Chappie was not in the meeting at all.
He was not in it at all.
So this, of course, raises a problem for me.
You don't think so?
No, but what I mean is, how do they get the impression of chances?
But the point is, I thought
They, I think Jackie had told him he was going to leave.
Yeah.
What I'm expecting to find is that he was not empty at all.
So that's a concern for me.
Fine, please.
Fine.
All right.

NARA Description

On May 10, 1973, 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 3:26 pm and 3:30 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 435-017 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 435-17
                                              -9-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Date: May 10, 1973
Time: Unknown between 3:26 pm and 3:30 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

       President’s previous conversation with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman

       President’s conversation with Haig, May 9
              -Meeting
                      -Leonard Garment
                      -J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr.
                      -H[orace] Chapman (“Chappie”) Rose
                              -Attendance
                      -John J. Wilson
                              -Buzhardt
                                     -Haig, Garment
                      -Misinformation
                              -Rose
                                     -Attendance

Also recorded on May 10, 1973

  • 045-193 3:24 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 3:24 pm to 3:26 pm.
  • 435-016 3:24 PM · 2 min — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman and President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:24 pm to 3:26 pm.
  • 045-194 3:26 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:26 pm and 3:30 pm.
  • 435-018 3:26 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:26 pm and 3:30 pm.
  • 045-195 3:30 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and William E. Timmons talked on the telephone from 3:30 pm to 3:32 pm.
  • 435-019 3:30 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and William E. Timmons met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:30 pm to 3:32 pm.
  • 045-196 3:34 PM · 1 min — Alexander M. Haig, Jr. and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone from 3:34 pm to 3:35 pm.
  • 435-020 3:34 PM · 1 min — Alexander M. Haig, Jr. and President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:34 pm to 3:35 pm.

All 86 conversations from May 10, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 435-017, May 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/435-017 (accessed October 1, 2026).