Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 900 › Conversation 900-012
Nixon, Haldeman & Ziegler on Watergate and John Dean
Wednesday, April 18, 1973 · 12:25 PM–12:33 PM ET · Oval Office · 9 min
AI Summary
President Nixon, H.R. Haldeman, and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler met to discuss public relations strategy regarding the ongoing Watergate scandal, specifically addressing John Dean's recent communications. They debated whether the President should meet with Dean and finalized a plan for how Ziegler should respond to press inquiries about his own prior knowledge of the matter. Ultimately, they decided that Ziegler would adopt a firm stance, refusing to answer detailed questions in order to protect the rights of potential defendants and maintain a neutral posture.
Audio
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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.
Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data
· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Each line starts with a timestamp button; press it to play the audio from that point.
I couldn't have given you that one.
Anything new on the other subject?
Let's see, Dean called Ziegler back again and said, you know, I'm one of the boys and I'm creating a problem here.
Well, the point is, should I see him at the hangar?
I don't think so, because...
Well, that's John.
I understand.
Well, if you see him, you're setting yourself up for getting into the discussion with him about why doesn't he fire, why don't you fire Earlyman Hall and all that.
You're in, I talked to John, you're in a perfectly centered position on all this stuff.
When he told you about that thing, you know, the business there, was the same day.
It was the 21st.
What's it?
I think so.
As far as I can figure out, I've got to get my notes out.
Yeah, but he mentioned the cancer in my house.
Fine.
And then I started, well, I don't know, but at the last stage, that was that, because I wasn't there.
Yeah.
I'm getting a brief report.
Bob and I were just talking about your statement yesterday.
We need your guidance on one point.
they've been thinking about how they can get out of some shore to get me off of the basic posture i'm taking today that i'm not going to comment rights of individuals that line right i'm told by a friendly member of the press that i'm going to be asked well ron did you ziggler have any prior knowledge or involvement of the watergate matter now there are two ways to go on that obviously is i'm not going to treat myself any differently than anyone else
and open up a laundry list type of thing but what they're trying to get at is not any suspect on my part but they're trying to get others open up on others and get him
You'll answer that question.
If they want to ask other individuals, they're welcome.
Right, sure.
And that's up to them.
If they don't ask other individuals, they're not going to speak for other individuals.
Right.
Because we stand on what we said previously, that based on information.
Just leave it right there.
I think he's got to do that.
As your spokesman, he can't.
I'm answering that question as an individual, but otherwise, it's improper for me to comment.
Anybody else who knows that will be shut and safe.
And then his plan, he lays this groundwork.
I'm not going to take any more questions on Watergate.
And his plan is not even a no comment.
He's just going to say next question.
You can say it.
Just say it.
I have been advised by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by the uh by
for the rights of innocent people.
Right.
For the rights of defendants.
And therefore, I will make no further comments.
Right.
I'll just put it out there later.
I'm surprised by the appropriate legal authorities.
Say who?
You know who they are.
I'm going to embellish a little bit.
I'm going to ask you a question.
I'm just going to say a curt note.
I'm just going to ask you a question sarcastically.
He had called me and he said, Ron, if you're asked or if it comes up regarding why I didn't do the negotiations with the urban committee, the fact of the matter is that the president asked me to do that.
but that I turned him down because I was one of those who they wanted in terms of to appear before them.
I shouldn't say that you asked him.
I should simply say, you know, because he was one of the principal... No, the reason was because Mr. Dean was one of the subjects, because he was a subject of the...
was one of the individuals the urban committee wanted to hear obviously he he could not conduct negotiations and so the president should be done by individuals not expressed any interest in hearing at this point so we wouldn't require environment for that reason that's no reflection on mr dean's government simply the fact that they want to go in here you can't have an individual that the committee wants to hear fair enough they may make the same point as sure
it's exactly the same of course this opens me up to responding to questions but I think I've worked at the format of the urban committee is something else that's executive privilege and so forth this involves executive privilege not only the required treatment of the things they know this is with regard to the whole problem
And it's like, don't worry about what they say hasn't dislocated in the heart of the president.
No, it's wonderful.
The text is the very right thing to do.
We found the procedure of the exact same thing.
The president said we wanted to find the procedure.
Okay.
Then, John said that he wanted to, he looked very instructed.
He said he's not going to see members of the press.
He'd wait for any instructions if he's prepared to meet a good soldier here.
Okay.
He had called me, maybe, or had read to me, and he said, Ron, if you're asked or if it comes up regarding why I didn't do the...
negotiations with the urban committee.
The fact of the matter is that the president asked me to do that.
but that I turned him down because I was one of those who they wanted in terms of to appear before them.
I shouldn't say that you asked him.
I should simply say, you know, because he was one of the principal... No, the reason was because Mr. Dean was one of the subjects, because he was a subject of the...
was one of the individuals that the Urban Committee wanted to hear.
Obviously, he could not conduct negotiations, and so the President and the Army should be done by individuals that the Urban Committee had not expressed any interest in hearing.
at this point, so we put it in the current environment for that reason.
That's no reflection on Mr. Dean, Governor, except for the fact that if they wanted one here, you can't have an individual if the committee wants to hear it.
Fair enough.
They may make the same point, I'm sure, but it's exactly the same answer.
Okay, then
John said that he wanted to, he'd look for instructions.
He said he'd wait for any instructions.
Well, he said he's not going to see members of the press.
He'd wait for any instructions and he's prepared to be the good soldier here.
NARA Description
On April 18, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:25 pm to 12:33 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 900-012 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 900-12
Date: April 18, 1973
Time: 12:25 pm - 12:33 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
President’s schedule
-John A. Volpe
-Rainer Barzel
-US support
Watergate
-John W. Dean, III
-Telephone call to Ronald L. Ziegler
-Possible meeting with President
-John D. Ehrlichman and H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
Ziegler entered at 12:27 pm.
Watergate
-Ziegler’s forthcoming briefing
-Ziegler’s knowledge of Watergate
-Comment on individuals
-Dean
-Telephone call to Ziegler
-Negotiations with Ervin Committee
-Leonard Garment and Ehrlichman
-Contact with press
Haldeman and Ziegler left at 12:33 pm.
-24-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 900-13 (cont'd)Also recorded on April 18, 1973
- 038-096 12:20 PM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at 12:20 pm.
- 038-097 12:20 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Vice President Spiro T. Agnew talked on the telephone from 12:20 pm to 12:21 pm.
- 900-010 12:20 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Vice President Spiro T. Agnew met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:20 pm to 12:21 pm.
- 900-011 12:22 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:22 pm to 12:25 pm.
- 038-098 12:33 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:33 pm and 12:48 pm.
- 900-013 12:33 PM · 14 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, Rainer Barzel, Erich Feldweg, White House photographer, and members of the press met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:33 pm and 12:48 pm.
- 900-014 12:33 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Nellie L. Yates met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:33 pm and 12:48 pm.
- 900-015 12:33 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:33 pm and 12:48 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 900-012, April 18, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/900-012 (accessed October 5, 2026).