Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 439 › Conversation 439-006

Nixon & Haig on Information management and Strategic communication

Monday, May 21, 1973 · 11:48 AM–11:51 AM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haig, Alexander M., Jr.Conversation439-006 on Tape 439StartMonday, May 21, 1973 at 11:48 AMEndMonday, May 21, 1973 at 11:51 AMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 439-006 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Alexander Haig coordinate the strategic presentation of specific information to an unnamed individual, emphasizing the need to provide factual support for a desired narrative. The pair discusses the timing and methodology for releasing this material, balancing the preference for a structured timeline versus a continuous flow of communication. Nixon underscores his desire to guide the approach without appearing to rigidly dictate the final execution.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Hi, Al, do you have an enemy?
Oh, I'm sorry.
I was thinking that maybe on... Do you want to come over now?
Or do you want to work on it first?
Well, I just want to say that, in other words, he's got facts that he needs.
In other words, he's got something to help him right.
That's the point.
And there's the evening that we want to put this in.
Right, leave that up.
Oh, sure, sure, sure.
Do you understand?
I'm not dictating.
I'm just throwing a sentence.
But he did think that putting in some of this was like a good idea.
Okay.
Okay.
Al, then how are we leaving?
Do you still want to stick to a clock?
Or is that better than doing it all the time?

NARA Description

On May 21, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 11:48 am to 11:51 am. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 439-006 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 439-6

Date: May 21, 1973
Time: 11:48 am - 11:51 am
Location: Old Executive Office Building

President talked with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

[See Conversation No. 46-125]

Also recorded on May 21, 1973

  • 046-123 11:14 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone from 11:14 am to 11:17 am.
  • 046-124 11:17 AM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:17 am and 11:48 am.
  • 439-005 11:17 AM · 10 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 11:17 am and 11:48 am.
  • 046-125 11:48 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone from 11:48 am to 11:51 am.
  • 046-126 11:51 AM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:51 am and 12:34 pm.
  • 046-127 11:51 AM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:51 am and 12:34 pm.
  • 439-007 11:51 AM · 10 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 11:51 am and 12:34 pm.
  • 439-008 11:51 AM · 13 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 11:51 am and 12:34 pm.

All 47 conversations from May 21, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 439-006, May 21, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/439-006 (accessed October 12, 2026).