Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 898-002
Date: Tuesday, April 17, 1973 at 9:19 AM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Dean, John W., III
Recording device: Oval Office
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/898-002

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:02] Hello?
[0:03] Yeah.
[0:06] Hi, John.
[0:07] You got your piece of paper yet?
[0:18] Oh, I see.
[0:19] Yeah, yeah.
[0:20] I got it.
[0:22] But that's, uh, that's what you would, uh, uh, that's the one you would, uh, you would approve.
[0:30] Do you have any
[0:33] variations.
[0:36] Let me guess, I'm hearing two texts.
[0:38] Maybe about, we've been here with the Prime Minister, maybe about 3 o'clock we can
[0:58] Two-thirty or three o'clock, you're great.
[1:00] And honor we the thing.
[1:03] And there's one other possible approach.
[1:06] Get your document on.
[1:09] It's very helpful.
[1:10] I mean, honestly, I was on with Dr. Bill Rocker's children.
[1:15] We're trying to sort of get them.
[1:19] As you know, the approach can vary.
[1:23] It depends on how we handle it.
[1:25] That's the main thing.
[1:27] And I don't handle it in a way that, uh, uh, that, uh, that, uh, differentiates between the whole situation, you know.
[1:37] As it has, as it must, depending upon what, what the moments are.
[1:43] But, uh, I see the, uh, but you, you would kindly say, uh, John, do you think the current approach is the best one?
[1:55] See, the problem is you've got
[2:00] I'm very lucky to have anything said at this point, you see, because they haven't, huh?
[2:06] Wow.
[2:08] Yeah, well, it's easy.
[2:09] My brother, my brother Carl, and I talk to some of your people, they have a guy in there, and he doesn't tell me, doesn't say something, and I said, no, look here, I'm going to get out of here.
[2:22] What do they do?
[2:22] What would you do?
[2:23] Just get out and do it?
[2:25] I just, we can't take responsibility for that.
[2:28] I don't think you do something like that.
[2:32] I don't think you do something like that.
[2:39] I don't think you do something like that.
[2:47] Would you do that?
[2:48] That's the thing that I think is very important here because, uh,
[2:52] I could have said something Monday, and I talked to Peterson, and he said, I prefer not to come.
[2:59] Remember what we were talking about?
[3:02] Resignation and all that sort of thing.
[3:04] And he said, no.
[3:05] Remember, I told you.
[3:07] And I said, all right, I'm out of here.
[3:09] I just can't be in that.
[3:10] I mean, I can't be in a position that he said, well, the city is here to be present.
[3:13] And I said, well, let me tell you what's the effect on it.
[3:15] I said, what's the situation?
[3:18] So, I don't know.
[3:19] Well, sure, we don't have any follow-up.
[3:22] Thank you, but we don't have to do a thing today.
[3:25] Because they don't think they're going to have to.
[3:27] They won't have a recruiter today.
[3:29] And they're probably not until tomorrow.
[3:34] That'll be their first hour we miss.
[3:37] You know their procedure there, apparently.
[3:43] It's an open court.
[3:43] And a bad open court to make a statement, apparently.
[3:52] They said it was asking .
[3:55] So they said .
[3:57] I'm wondering about that procedure.
[4:01] It's a little tough, isn't it?
[4:05] It's very risky as far as .
[4:08] I mean, I would think Mitchell and all have a pretty tough, I mean, have a good constitutional .
[4:18] Yeah.
[4:20] Give me a little feelin' on that.
[4:22] Don't let them know I'm checkin' on that, but give me your, give me a little rundown on that, and I'm fightin' up to the third or three.
[4:32] Okay, okay, hope you got a good night's sleep.
[4:35] Well, let me tell you, he might know the other boy he hasn't got.
[4:39] An unstopper at Bonnie John, you all, you're good friends, and I said, you fought in a good fight, and you'll live to fight on.
[4:48] That's the important thing.
[4:58] I said, all right, I'll look here.
[4:59] I just can't be in that.
[5:02] I mean, I can't be in a position for that.
[5:04] He said, well, the city jurors will be present.
[5:06] I said, well, let me tell you.
[5:08] What's the effect on us and what's the situation?
[5:11] So, I don't know.
[5:13] What jurors?
[5:13] We don't have any.
[5:14] Well, think about it.
[5:16] We don't have to do a thing today because they don't think they're going to have your honor.
[5:23] They won't have a juror today.
[5:26] And they're probably not until tomorrow.
[5:28] That'll be their first R we missed.
[5:31] I mean, you know, their procedure there apparently didn't go out.
[5:37] I can't say that.
[5:39] An open court, uh, an open court and they'd stay for the crime.
[5:43] I mean, they know they could do that, but we don't know.
[5:48] They, I mean, they said, I was, I was, uh, asking, uh, I was asking questions anyway, so they said we just didn't have a next statement.
[5:55] I'm wondering about that procedure.
[5:56] It's a little, a little tough, isn't it?
[5:59] It's very risky as far as deprivation.
[6:02] I mean, I would think Mitchell and all have a pretty tough, you may have a good constitutional question there with me.
[6:12] Yeah.
[6:14] Give me something.
[6:15] Give me a little feeling on that.
[6:16] Don't let them know I'm checking on that thing.
[6:19] Give me your, give me a little rundown on that.
[6:23] And I'm quite honestly very intrigued.
[6:26] Okay, okay.
[6:27] Hope you got a good night's sleep.
[6:29] Everyone, you can't keep dating.
[6:31] But let me tell you, if I told the other boy I wasn't gone, I'd stop everybody gone.
[6:36] You all, you're good friends, and I said, you fought a good fight, and you'll live a good life.
[6:41] That's the important thing.