Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 909-011
Date: Wednesday, May 2, 1973 at 9:59 AM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.; [Unknown person(s)]; Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")
Recording device: Oval Office
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/909-011

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:14] Lynn told me that he called me.
[0:47] Well, you've got your line.
[1:19] Len called me the night before and discussed the procedures.
[1:24] He said he was concerned about the procedures.
[1:27] I said, Len, I can't help you in any way on this.
[1:29] I said, you know, it's not something out of my way, the area.
[1:34] I said, this is your council, and you've got to proceed as it was directed by the president in his meeting with you.
[1:40] And then he said, well, I consulted with Richardson and with Ruckelshaus.
[1:46] And we feel that procedures have to be put into effect from the protection of the men and the protection of the president.
[1:55] I said, Len, you know, that's something that I can't help you with.
[1:59] And I really was not in a position to do so.
[2:02] That's when he gave me the procedures.
[2:06] OK. Then the first time that I was aware, you asked me for a report of the FBI men standing in the hall
[2:13] was when Helen Thomas came up and said, the FBI, we understand there's a purge of FBI people coming on.
[2:19] I don't know where she got it.
[2:20] And then she didn't get it from Len.
[2:23] Okay.
[2:24] Then I started pursuing it.
[2:26] I talked to Elliot.
[2:27] I talked to Len.
[2:28] I said, well, we've got to make sure that this is in the right context and the right perspective.
[2:33] And then that's what developed in terms of the briefing.
[2:35] That is the fact.
[2:38] That is a fact.
[2:40] But let me say,
[2:43] It is not casting any further aspersion on Bob and John.
[2:50] How about the president?
[2:51] It makes the president look very strong, in my view.
[2:57] And this is the reaction that you get.
[2:59] And that is that the president's not pulling any bones.
[3:01] He's not playing any, you know, he's playing this straight out.
[3:05] And from the standpoint of the president,
[3:09] And I'm serious on this.
[3:10] I mean, I'm not carrying anyone who wants to take the water.
[3:14] My view is that it makes the president seem he's moving to get the thing done, Brian.
[3:20] What else do you have before you get out?
[3:24] That's really all this morning.
[3:26] Henry's going to brief on the foreign policy report this morning.
[3:29] He's going to ask me if I could do a final briefing with him, or should I?
[3:36] What kind of thing are you meant to do?
[3:37] Have you on the air talking about something?
[3:39] I'm going to see if they get something.
[3:42] I told him we'll keep the auction open and I'll have a public sign.
[4:10] I've been shooting down, and he'll cover that today.
[4:14] Shooting down from the standpoint of saying the president's made a decision?
[4:17] No, it's probably the Republican.
[4:19] It takes a lot of guts.
[4:21] You know, it's a smart thing.
[4:24] He has no future.
[4:26] He knows this will pass, and he's going to leave it to me.
[4:31] Good, what do you think?
[4:32] Yes, sir.
[4:32] A lot of guts.
[4:35] A lot of guts.
[4:39] He goes at 11 o'clock.
[4:41] Yeah.
[4:44] Okay.