Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 437 › Conversation 437-018
Nixon & Haig on Watergate and National Security
Friday, May 18, 1973 · 3:00 PM–3:35 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 31 sec
AI Summary
President Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met to coordinate the White House strategy regarding the escalating Watergate investigation. The discussion focused on framing the administration's response within the context of national security to maintain public and institutional support. This session reflects the urgent efforts of top officials to manage political fallout and define a defensive narrative for the executive branch.
Audio
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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.
Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data
Each line starts with a timestamp button; press it to play the audio from that point.
NARA Description
On May 18, 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 3:00 pm and 3:35 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 437-018 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 437-18
Date: May 18, 1973
Time: Unknown between 3:00 pm and 3:35 pm
Location: Old Executive Office Building
The President talked with an unknown person [Alexander M. Haig, Jr.?].
Watergate [?]
-White House response
-National security
-Support of USAlso recorded on May 18, 1973
- 437-012 1:55 PM · 54 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:55 pm to 2:55 pm.
- 437-013 2:55 PM · 11 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 2:55 pm and 2:59 pm.
- 437-014 2:59 PM · 26 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:59 pm to 3:00 pm.
- 437-015 3:00 PM · 30 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 3:00 pm and 3:35 pm.
- 437-016 3:00 PM · 27 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 3:00 pm and 3:35 pm.
- 437-017 3:00 PM · 12 sec — 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 3:00 pm and 3:35 pm.
- 437-019 3:35 PM · 54 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:35 pm to 4:34 pm.
- 046-114 4:34 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:34 pm and 5:00 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 437-018, May 18, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/437-018 (accessed October 12, 2026).