Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 443 › Conversation 443-016

Nixon & Haig on Information security and Administration strategy

Wednesday, June 6, 1973 · 3:48 PM–3:59 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 8 min

ParticipantsHaig, Alexander M., Jr.; Nixon, Richard M. (President)Conversation443-016 on Tape 443StartWednesday, June 6, 1973 at 3:48 PMEndWednesday, June 6, 1973 at 3:59 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 443-016 ↗

President Nixon and Alexander Haig meet to discuss sensitive administrative and political intelligence matters, including the handling of specific files and potential leaks. The conversation touches on concerns regarding information security, the management of personnel or associates described as "valuable," and the strategic release of information. The discussion reflects the administration's preoccupation with controlling the narrative surrounding internal documents and external perceptions of their operations.

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Hello?
Yeah, hello?
What about the South Vietnam?
Hello?
Sorry.
You know, would you let him worry, huh?
He said...
He said, Caldwell says I'm true.
I think Bobby did it, maybe he didn't know.
Even though we didn't get to press, it doesn't matter.
So let's do it out.
How about free some food?
There's no way we can do that.
What does he think about the six days?
He doesn't.
I'll be darned.
But you still got the other fellow working on it.
See what he comes up with.
See, I'll show you.
I've showed you those.
Couldn't have done them unchecked because people talk to, like, B.R.
Rick for any other reason about this.
Heck, if we throw it on, Henry P. and Labor comes up and slashes it.
We're going to have to...
How does he feel about the format now?
In other words, how does he feel about the format now?
And just gradually, you know what I mean?
And we'll have a better old world that way.
And make a lot of money too.
Right?
Yeah.
Well, it's true.
All of us do, but we believe how much we have in the market.
But he's so valuable.
He's got the thing that he has.
He told you.
Well, let's see.
Let's see.
You see a question in the pictures?
Okay.
Oh, all right.
I hope that you did say, all right, I'm just going to release it.
This is a thorough survey.
There's a file I filed.
The files are all in the bureau.
He knows that we're not shooting at him.
He can't understand it.
Now we got people.
Three and 34.
There are 10 seconds left.
But they're not going to get away with getting us killed or something for the animals.
You know, it's like on the war, they were running the dark, and I didn't bust my mind.
I mean, you know, I'm not going to do it.
I'm not going to do it.
I'm not going to do it.
I'm not going to do it.
But here, here they, you know, we, you know, chucked, they chucked around a bunch of, you know,
You're probably right.
This is very important.
Really?
Oh.
Oh, my gosh.
Oh, my gosh.
They are so disturbing.
Unbelievable.
Wow.
It was hilarious.
You're going to get this later.

On June 6, 1973, Alexander M. Haig, Jr. and President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:48 pm to 3:59 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 443-016 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 443-16

Date: June 6, 1973
Time: 3:48 pm - 3:59 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked with the President.

[See Conversation No. 39-112]
  • 039-111 3:21 PM · 29 sec — White House operator, President Richard M. Nixon, and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone from 3:21 pm to 3:22 pm.
  • 443-013 3:21 PM · 37 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:21 pm to 3:22 pm.
  • 443-014 3:22 PM · 7 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 3:22 pm and 3:48 pm.
  • 443-015 3:22 PM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:22 pm and 3:48 pm.
  • 039-112 3:48 PM · 11 min — White House operator, President Richard M. Nixon, and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone from 3:48 pm to 3:59 pm.
  • 039-113 3:59 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:59 pm and 4:24 pm.
  • 443-017 3:59 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 3:59 pm and 4:24 pm.
  • 039-114 4:24 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Gerald L. Warren talked on the telephone from 4:24 pm to 4:30 pm.

Conversation 443-016, June 6, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/443-016 (accessed September 28, 2026).