Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 435 › Conversation 435-032

Nixon & Haig on Watergate and John W. Dean III

Monday, May 14, 1973 · 3:51 PM–4:19 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haig, Alexander M., Jr.Conversation435-032 on Tape 435StartMonday, May 14, 1973 at 3:51 PMEndMonday, May 14, 1973 at 4:19 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 435-032 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Alexander Haig discuss the handling of sensitive White House memoranda and internal records in the context of the unfolding Watergate investigation. They specifically evaluate the potential risks associated with releasing these documents, comparing them to personal diaries, and assess the implications of testimony involving John Dean and the FBI. The discussion reflects the administration's strategic efforts to manage the disclosure of internal materials while anticipating the legal and political fallout of the scandal.

Watergate
John W. Dean III
Memoranda of conversation
FBI
White House records
Document disclosure

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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But I mean, if they weren't in the White House, we wouldn't.

We wouldn't.

Okay.

The Pentagon should be good to test when you can't wait out.

Goddammit, if when you're at a Pentagon, you may have a feeling about the later changes, or a change of program, and you're getting that reaction, it's like a damn diary.

It should not be put up in another area.

That's my good news.

I'm not going to do it, but let it come.

NARA Description

On May 14, 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 3:51 pm and 4:19 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 435-032 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 435-32

Date: May 15, 1973
Time: Unknown between 3:51 pm and 4:19 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

       Watergate
             -Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
             -Unknown man’s possible testimony
             Memoranda of conversation [memcons]
                    -Compared to diary
                    -Release
             -John W. Dean, III

Also recorded on May 14, 1973

435-030 3:42 PM · 8 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 3:42 pm and 3:44 pm.
435-031 3:44 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:44 pm to 3:51 pm.
046-029 3:51 PM · 36 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone from 3:51 pm to 3:52 pm.
435-033 3:51 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 3:51 pm and 4:19 pm.
436-010 3:51 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 3:51 pm.
436-011 3:51 PM · 33 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:51 pm to 3:52 pm.
046-030 3:52 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:52 pm and 4:00 pm.
436-012 3:52 PM · 9 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 3:52 pm and 4:00 pm.

All 102 conversations from May 14, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 435-032, May 14, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/435-032 (accessed October 1, 2026).