Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 744 › Conversation 744-024
Nixon, Haldeman & Kleindienst on Watergate and Social Security
Friday, June 30, 1972 · 3:24 PM–4:22 PM ET · Oval Office
AI Summary
President Nixon met with H.R. Haldeman, Richard Kleindienst, and Caspar Weinberger to address a wide-ranging agenda including Social Security legislation, death penalty policy following Supreme Court rulings, and security preparations for the upcoming national political conventions. The discussion also covered the health of George C. Wallace and administrative personnel matters. Finally, the group engaged in a detailed dialogue regarding the burgeoning Watergate investigation, specifically focusing on the contents of E. Howard Hunt’s safe, FBI involvement, and potential strategies to manage the political fallout and legal ramifications of the break-in.
- Watergate
- Social Security
- Death Penalty
- National Convention Security
- George C. Wallace
- Justice Department
Audio
Audio for this conversation has not been released by the National Archives.
Transcript (AI-generated)
No transcript is available because the audio has not been released.
NARA Description
On June 30, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Richard G. Kleindienst, and Caspar W. ("Cap") Weinberger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:24 pm to 4:22 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 744-024 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 744-24/745-1
Date: June 30, 1972
Time: 3:24-4:22 pm.
Location: Oval Office
The President met with H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman and Richard G. Kleindienst.
Kleindienst's schedule
-Possible press briefing
The President talked with Caspar W. Weinberger between 3:24 and 3:28 pm.
[Conversation 744-24A]
[See Conversation No. 26-30]
[End of telephone conversation]
Social Security bill
-Effects of increase
-Trust fund
-Budget deficit
-Possible veto
-Effects
Supreme Court decision on death penalty
-Instances in which death penalty is allowed
-The President's position
-Kidnapping, hijacking, killing police officers, rape
-Warren E. Burger's opinion
(rev. Feb-02)
Conv. No. 744-24/745-1 (cont.)
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 4m 21s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
*****************************************************************
National Conventions
-Security
-Justice Department's work
-Preparations
-White House involvement
-Kleindienst’s view
-Danger
-Republican’s choice of Miami
-Kleindienst's culpability
-Reubin O. Askew
-Local police
-Askew
-Miami Beach community
-Liberal Jews
-California decision
-Court action
-Timing of Democrat Convention
-Compared to 1952 Republicans
-Dwight D. Eisenhower, Robert A. Taft, Sr.
-George S. McGovern supporters
(rev. Feb-02)
Conv. No. 744-24/745-1 (cont.)
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 51s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
*****************************************************************
National Conventions
-Security
-The President's statement on National Guard
The President's previous press conference
-St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter's question
-Supreme Court decision on wiretapping
-The President's response
-Previous administrations
-Current number
-Possible statement by Kleindienst
National Convention security
-Possible statement by Kleindienst
-Kleindienst's activities
-Need for publicity
-News magazines
-Time
-Results of challenge to McGovern's California delegates
-Demonstrators
-Possible Department of Justice action
(rev. Feb-02)
Conv. No. 744-24/745-1 (cont.)
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 19s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
*****************************************************************
-Effect of election on nation and world
George C. Wallace
-Health
-Kleindiensts’ conversation with James O. Eastland
-Mrs. Cornelia Wallace
-Dr. [First name unknown] Shanno
-Dr. William M. Lukash's report
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr's briefing
-Examination
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 3m 19s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
*****************************************************************
Wallace
-Presidential and Vice Presidential candidates named George
-George Washington
-Alben W. Barkley
-Harry S. Truman
-Henry A. Wallace
(rev. Feb-02)
Conv. No. 744-24/745-1 (cont.)
-John Nance Garner
-Lyndon B. Johnson
-Charles Dawes
-Herbert C. Hoover
Kleindienst's job
-Pay
-Perquisites
-Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI] protection
Supreme Court decision on death penalty
-Effects
-Effects of Charles A. Lindbergh Act
-Crimes subject to penalty
-Bombing
-Kidnapping
-Hijacking
-Killing of police officers
-Killing of prison guards
-Deterrent effect
-Life imprisonment
Justice Department
-Civil Rights Division
-David L. Norman
-Employees
Supreme Court
-The President’s appointments
-The President's view
-Future appointment
David L. Bazelon’s retirement
Public broadcasting
-Kleindienst’s salary compared to salary of Sander Vanocur
-Budget request
Social Security bill
-Possible veto
-Debt limit
(rev. Feb-02)
Conv. No. 744-24/745-1 (cont.)
Haldeman’s schedule
-California
Kleindienst left at 4:06 pm.
John N. Mitchell
-Martha (Beall) Mitchell's schedule
-Statements on convention
Watergate break-in
-Washington Daily News story on E. Howard Hunt, Jr.'s office
-Gun
-Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
-Accuracy of story
-Ronald L. Ziegler
-Contents of Hunt's safe
-Gun, wiretapping gear, suitcase
-Map
-FBI handling
-FBI
-John W. Dean III and John Mitchell
-Vernon A. Walters's visit
-L. Patrick Gray, III
-W. Mark Felt
-Justice Department
-Kleindienst's role
-Justice Department
-Walters to visit
-Cubans
-Hunt's location
-Disguises
-Charles W. Colson's knowledge of contents of Hunt's safe
-Washington Daily News story on Hunt's safe
-Administration's reaction
-Ziegler
-Gun
-Map
-Dean
-Democratic National Committee headquarters
-Wiretapping equipment
-Dean's theory
-Double agent
(rev. Feb-02)
Conv. No. 744-24/745-1 (cont.)
-Mitchell
-Responsiblity
-Resignation
-White House involvement
-Hunt
-Colson's reaction
Watergate cover-up
-White House reaction
-Mitchell
-To call Kleindienst and Gray to halt investigation
-James W. McCord, Jr.
-F. Lee Bailey
-Edward Bennett Williams
[Conversation cut off. Conversation continues on 745-1]Also recorded on June 30, 1972
- 347-005 2:10 PM · 2 min — 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 2:10 pm and 2:55 pm.
- 744-021 2:55 PM — President Richard M. Nixon, Clark MacGregor, Stephen B. Bull, Ernesto V. Lagdameo, and Mrs. Ernesto V. Lagdameo met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:55 pm to 3:18 pm.
- 744-022 3:18 PM — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:18 pm to 3:24 pm.
- 026-055 3:24 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Caspar W. ("Cap") Weinberger talked on the telephone from 3:24 pm to 3:28 pm.
- 744-023 3:24 PM — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at 3:24 pm.
- 745-001 3:24 PM — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Stephen B. Bull, and Richard A. Moore met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:24 pm to 4:29 pm.
- 026-056 3:28 PM · 47 min — The recording device engaged on an unknown date, sometime between 3:28 pm on June 30, 1972 and 8:01 am on July 1, 1972, but the conversation appears to be blank.
- 745-002 4:30 PM — President Richard M. Nixon, Clark MacGregor, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, David C. Hoopes, Ronald L. Ziegler, Rose Mary Woods, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:30 pm to 6:15 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 744-024, June 30, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/744-024 (accessed October 23, 2026).