Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 440 › Conversation 440-003

Nixon, Price & Haig on Watergate and White Paper

Tuesday, May 22, 1973 · 2:31 PM–2:44 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 10 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Price, Raymond K., Jr.; Haig, Alexander M., Jr.; Buzhardt, J. Fred, Jr.Conversation440-003 on Tape 440StartTuesday, May 22, 1973 at 2:31 PMEndTuesday, May 22, 1973 at 2:44 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 440-003 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with Raymond Price, Alexander Haig, and J. Fred Buzhardt to strategize the content and presentation of a White House White Paper regarding the Watergate scandal. The group focused on drafting a cover statement that addressed specific controversies, including the funding of defendants, the Ellsberg break-in, and the involvement of key aides like H.R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman. They also discussed plans to brief influential Congressional leaders, such as Henry Jackson and Barry Goldwater, to ensure consistent messaging regarding prior statements and wiretaps.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Exactly.

The doctors rather than going on a whole lot of roads.

it is true that I could not have been unaware

I think that's better than being unaware, because basically, here is the fact.

The fact of the matter is, I was told

Oh, dude.

I had a couple of other thoughts that you might carry out.

I agree with you.

And this is you, Jackson.

I don't know.

I didn't see you or Fred on another cold water.

Right.

... ...

NARA Description

On May 22, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Raymond K. Price, Jr., Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:31 pm to 2:44 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 440-003 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 440-3

Date: May 22, 1973
Time: 2:31pm - 2:44 pm
Location: Old Executive Office Building

The President met with Raymond K. Price, Jr., Alexander M. Haig, Jr. and J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr.

       Watergate
             -White House response
                    -Forthcoming White Paper [Statements about Watergate, May 22, 1973]
                           -Cover statement
                                              -2-

                     NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                               Conversation No. 440-3 (cont’d)

                                     -Content and phraseology
                                            - President’s knowledge
                                                    -Funds for defendants
                                                            -Cubans
                                                    -Daniel Ellsberg break-in
                                                            -John D. Ehrlichman
                                                            -E. Howard Hunt, Jr.
                                                            -Richard G. Kleindienst
                                                    -Timing
                                                            -Ronald L. Ziegler
                                                    -John W. Dean III
                                                    -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
                                                    -Ehrlichman
                                                            -Herbert W. Kalmbach’s activities
                               -Use
                       -Briefing of Congressional leaders
                               -Henry M. (“Scoop”) Jackson
                               -Barry M. Goldwater
                               -Bryce N. Harlow
                               -John B. Connally
                               -John C. Stennis
                       -Price’s contributions
                -Previous statements on Watergate
                       -Wiretaps
                               -Consistency

Price et al. left at 2:44 pm.

Also recorded on May 22, 1973

046-146 2:44 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:44 pm and 2:45 pm.
440-004 2:44 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 2:44 pm and 2:45 pm.
046-147 2:45 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 2:45 pm to 2:46 pm.
440-005 2:45 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:45 pm to 2:46 pm.
046-148 2:46 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:46 pm and 2:52 pm.
440-006 2:46 PM · 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 2:46 pm and 2:52 pm.
046-149 2:52 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 2:52 pm to 2:53 pm.
440-007 2:52 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:52 pm to 2:53 pm.

All 80 conversations from May 22, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 440-003, May 22, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/440-003 (accessed October 23, 2026).