Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 912-007
Date: Tuesday, May 8, 1973 at 10:40 AM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.
Recording device: Oval Office
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/912-007

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 Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:01] Oh, I just wanted to ask you a quick question.
[0:07] No, I'm just, I'm going to go over time.
[0:15] I think so, yes sir.
[0:18] I need to talk with Al.
[0:19] We're going to have a meeting Thursday.
[0:25] As much as we can get by that time, we'll at least have the defense and the CIA ready to go.
[0:33] Of course, Al, I hope you have something else, but we'll see.
[0:38] I want to show a sensible man...
[0:41] And Conley would be here for that.
[0:42] And Conley would be here for that, and that's right.
[0:47] I'll announce him at that same time, so that would be a good review.
[0:51] The main thing is to give it a damn good.
[0:53] We haven't talked to him yet.
[1:00] Right.
[1:01] Good.
[1:01] How do you do with Rogers today?
[1:04] Well, I just tell him, you just tell him that Rogers will help all that you have.
[1:06] He will not do it.
[1:07] He is not that bad at it.
[1:09] That's all right, Rob.
[1:10] I think so.
[1:10] We go one way, we do another.
[1:12] Roger's going to help us every way he possibly can.
[1:16] He'll be a good surveyor.
[1:17] He's a good man to have around.
[1:18] He'll get advice from people along the way.
[1:20] That's very interesting.
[1:23] Once Richardson gets over there and confirms, I think it's a very good thing.
[1:28] That's going to be, for us, a very good place for you to just frankly say, I'm not going to comment on that.
[1:35] I agree.
[1:36] You can't do that right now, you see, because you don't have it.
[1:39] So I realize that's a problem.
[1:40] But I would certainly leave the whole question of this
[1:44] who said this morning that we are kind of saying about that person.
[1:48] Yeah, just like the Department of Justice.
[1:49] When you say they cut him off anyway.
[1:52] Yeah, right.
[1:52] They cut him off about the time story, right?
[1:55] You have nothing further on the Dean's report yet?
[2:05] No, not yet.
[2:05] You know, the Bureau Chief and Bernie,
[2:13] For some people, not this time, maybe the first time, even if you were wrong, you cannot allow, as the doctor, you cannot allow a man who's the president's counsel to sit here and advise people, you and everybody else for nine months, and then go out, and then not only...
[2:40] not only revealed competences, but basically out of context and a lie.
[2:45] The second one is that even if you were telling the truth, you cannot allow this to happen.
[2:52] They must be destroyed.
[2:54] And it all feels, he says, that's the way he feels about it.
[3:00] But my view is, you certainly will say, my view is that's out of our hands.
[3:04] Totally over there.
[3:06] Out there, they want to move.
[3:09] But I think in terms of him running, I mean, he's sort of a mad dog at the moment.
[3:15] He's going to lash out, but you know the worst.
[3:20] Let him lash.
[3:23] My view is we don't have to crack it, though.
[3:28] I'm not sure we can wait, though, until when he does lash, until I...
[3:33] No, no, there are other ways to do that.
[3:34] I mean, I think that he should be cautiously shut down.
[3:37] So I think he says the president was personally involved.
[3:42] That's the worst thing you can say.
[3:49] That he was informed.
[3:50] But the point is, it's a critical thing.
[3:53] That's the point.
[3:53] It's a critical thing.
[3:58] Because nobody's going to believe that the president is willing to go out and raise money.
[4:03] And not before.
[4:05] And not before.
[4:36] He did raise the problem of money from Ron, as you know.
[4:41] We learned later that LaCosta remembered the famous meeting of LaCosta.
[4:46] But not with you.
[4:47] No, that's true.
[4:48] I remember following her with the lieutenant there.
[4:52] And it was raised, although they say that was not the main purpose of the meeting.
[4:56] But it was only raised against the defendants needing money, and that's when our own earnings manager cracked the effect.
[5:03] I don't know, let him get a rock and roll check, send him to ruin it around, or something like that.
[5:09] But even that, taking those guys, that shows knowledge, I guess.
[5:15] But it doesn't show participation, does it?
[5:17] No.
[5:17] It says he's got somebody else's problem.
[5:24] And even there, I guess, Moore is about to blow the whistle on the whole thing.
[5:30] Because basically, it's going to stick him too, isn't it?
[5:33] That's where Dean's got to do some heavy thinking.
[5:37] But let it, you know, in my view, let him lash out like a mad dog here.
[5:43] Because we've got more important things to do.
[5:45] That's right.
[5:46] And we can deal with it more effectively.
[5:48] I agree with you.
[5:54] You have a tough thing, I know that.
[5:56] No, I don't.
[5:57] Not everybody.
[5:58] Well, I've had television.
[5:59] You have Snackers and the rest of it.
[6:05] It's, uh, I don't think you should do this.
[6:09] I'm excited about the film work, but you just keep your cool.
[6:11] You know, we're going to come out all right.
[6:14] Yes, sir.
[6:15] I believe that.
[6:16] All right.
[6:17] Because we've got to.
[6:17] Sure.
[6:17] We've got to.
[6:18] We cannot allow this goddamn silly, asinine, stupid, innocent person
[6:24] You cannot allow it to destroy the presence, but keep the presence from doing things to the world.
[6:31] I'm having it all depend on us, right?
[6:34] I just thought of that, right?
[6:37] What in the name of God are we thinking of?
[6:44] That's what's involved here.
[6:47] We're not going to do it, right?
[6:48] And all the time,
[6:53] This is the second day of fighting.
[6:56] This is the third day.
[6:59] Third day.
[7:01] May.
[7:01] May 6th.
[7:01] This is May.
[7:02] That's right.
[7:05] Walk out there.
[7:05] Anniversary of the...
[7:08] Walk out there, you.
[7:09] I think you've got a very good point, too.
[7:12] Don't try to knock anything you've named down specifically.
[7:15] Right.
[7:15] I'm just talking about a comment.
[7:17] Can I just say that hello?
[7:19] I'm going to.
[7:19] I said we've made a comment.
[7:21] I'm not going to elaborate on it.
[7:22] I may be able to go that far.
[7:24] I think that's what I'll say.
[7:25] I think I will.
[7:26] I'm not going to elaborate on it, John.
[7:29] I made a comment.
[7:31] It's complete.
[7:32] I'm not going to elaborate.
[7:33] Well, John, I'm not going to elaborate.
[7:35] Well, then, Rod, are we to suppose that the president and all these gentlemen, this statement rests combined with the speech, and there's nothing more that we're going to say?
[7:43] That's right.
[7:44] I'm not going to say any more.
[7:47] If you have any other questions, I'll be glad to take them.
[7:50] But I have nothing more to say on this subject.
[7:51] Thank you.
[7:54] Okay.
[7:54] Yes, sir.
[7:55] Good luck.
[7:56] Okay.
[7:57] You're going around at 11.
[7:58] Okay.