Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 899-001
Date: Tuesday, April 17, 1973 at 3:50 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Ehrlichman, John D.; Ziegler, Ronald L.
Recording device: Oval Office
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/899-001

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:03] I think if he puts that in there, that was a tough time.
[0:05] I don't know.
[0:07] I think if you'll cover the truth, that's what he's going to do.
[0:16] Answer their questions.
[0:17] Why didn't you say, I'll be with you?
[0:18] Why didn't you just say that?
[0:21] Take care of it.
[0:21] Maybe that's what he said.
[0:27] I'll take care of it.
[0:29] I think that's what we want him to do.
[0:31] I think what he should do is just say, I don't have anything, but I don't think I'm going to get your offer.
[0:34] And just make the point that given that offer, he doesn't have to volunteer.
[0:38] All he has to do is answer their questions.
[0:40] Right.
[0:41] He should just take their offer and leave it.
[0:42] We don't have to have him say he isn't trying to hide anything.
[0:47] I feel fine with his doing that.
[0:49] Right.
[0:50] So he can say.
[1:05] I'll tell you the only other truth.
[1:07] He tells them.
[1:08] They think it's worse than it is.
[1:10] They think he's covering up, and they're wrong.
[1:14] That's the reason why he gets down to it.
[1:19] And they're trying to confuse him.
[1:20] That's what's kind of bothering me.
[1:23] And the poor guy, you see, what's really worrying him is that he's covered everything with me every step of the way.
[1:34] he doesn't need to make up something or take something that's partly right and twist it, which is what Dean is doing, and hang him on it.
[1:41] And I think what he's got to do is just go with what he believes is correct and hang with it.
[1:48] Don't you think we're right to tell the U.S. Attorney, if I want to name all of them, I'm going to find the thing you did, and I'll tell you what you want to respond to.
[1:57] I have a couple of conspirators that I got a case for.
[2:15] That makes his case for it.
[2:42] Do you agree?
[2:42] I was going to suggest that we will get that, could we get Rogers over here and I think this is, you and Ernie, you and Rogers want to sit down and talk about this specific matter, so yeah.
[3:13] Well, I don't want to screw up your time, but we've only got this guy.
[3:21] The only time he could take today was an opposite time out of the deposition.
[3:34] Well, we'll give him a quick fill and get him started.
[3:45] That would be a very foolish thing for him to do.
[3:49] That would be a very foolish thing for him.
[3:51] He didn't say that.
[3:52] You know how strong he feels.
[4:16] And here's the two, I guess, that accomplishes this.
[4:23] But it's all a learning process.
[4:25] I'd say all human charms, I know the theme has made some charms, right?
[4:29] There's another way you can do it, maybe.
[4:30] Now, John got by in a second.
[4:33] But another way you can do it, I was good at it, John, but we've got to do it together.
[4:38] Because I think either one of us hangs together every playing game.
[4:42] But maybe...
[4:46] Maybe we request of you a leave of absence on the basis of the information you have, which we have, because we've been involved in the investigation too, right?
[4:56] Now, if we're going to be on that list, we're going to have to ask for a leave of absence anyway.
[5:04] Once and for all.
[5:06] If he puts the list out and hands us on it, well, it's going to be awkward.
[5:10] And I don't know that you'll be on it.
[5:11] See, that's the point.
[5:13] We've got to see if, nevertheless, we'll be called on.
[5:18] But we've always talked about being called to the grand jury.
[5:21] That's right.
[5:22] And said that we would appear, hell, you made a statement weeks ago saying that anybody in the White House will welcome the opportunity to testify at the grand jury.
[5:28] Do you automatically suspend anybody?
[7:09] Thank you.
[8:16] He's going to do his worst anyway, with or without immunity.
[8:21] Irvin is going to get him up there, if he has immunity or not, and take him over the jumps.
[8:30] What you've done here is to lay a ground rule for Irvin on immunity.
[8:36] That's going to be very tough for him to live with.
[8:40] if there are urban hearings, right?
[8:42] But eventually there will be urban hearings, Bob.
[8:44] I don't think there's much question.
[8:46] The more battles the president wins, like that economic stabilization thing, the more urgent the urban hearings become.
[8:55] Because that's the only thing they have left.
[8:57] It's the only thing they have left.
[9:00] You're winning all the big ones.
[9:03] And... Yeah.
[9:08] If you want to see Bill and Bob ahead of us,
[9:21] I'll tell you, as we lay this out, I'll be interested to see what this lawyer has to say.
[9:46] Dean's testimony may not be admissible.
[9:50] that his communication to us was communication to you, and vice versa.
[9:57] That all we are is the authority of the President.
[9:59] I don't have any separate existence.
[10:02] But don't I have to, uh, you have to assert privilege, in a sense.
[10:07] But, uh, and I don't know, what are, you know, I don't know what kind of political problems that makes, but...
[10:15] Looking at disability by, uh, just strictly from that standpoint, didn't you have trouble getting some of that in?
[10:27] Would you discuss with your lawyer what the legal plan is?
[10:33] And let's think about the experience about whether the... Ron, John.
[10:39] Yes, I'm sorry.
[10:40] Come on in.
[10:42] Lenny's been around for a long time.
[10:44] He's been around for a long time.
[10:47] He's been around for a long time.
[10:49] He's been around for a long time.
[10:50] He's been around for a long time.
[10:52] He's been around for a long time.
[10:58] since we can't get her.
[11:01] But I don't want it.
[11:02] Okay.
[11:02] It's done.
[11:03] Fine.
[11:03] Then, John, afterwards, you better ask me about what the ground rules are.
[11:08] I'll just say it's up to the committee to follow suit.
[11:15] Okay.
[11:17] Where is it?
[11:17] Wait.
[11:17] I know.
[11:19] I'm just trying to get the answer.
[11:22] I forgot about it.
[11:24] Oh, I see.
[11:24] We have plenty of time.
[11:26] Video tape recorder so there's no film dropping.