Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 913
Nixon White House Tape 913 (May 8, 1973)
9 conversations · Oval Office · about 2 hr 9 min of released audio
Featuring Nixon, Sanchez, Haig, Bull, Ziegler
President Nixon and Alexander Haig met to strategize on managing the escalating Watergate crisis, focusing on the potential implications of John Dean’s testimony and the administration’s use of executive privilege. They discussed shifting the venue of testimony away from the Ervin Committee and into the grand jury process to protect presidential papers and administrative integrity. The conversation also touched upon the confirmation of Elliot Richardson and various personnel appointments, emphasizing the need to maintain a firm stance against Congressional encroachment while appearing cooperative on non-Watergate matters.
President Nixon met briefly with his personal valet, Manolo Sanchez, and an unidentified individual in the Oval Office. The conversation centered on the arrival of an unnamed woman, whose presence was noted by the participants. The meeting concluded immediately following this announcement, with no further substantive policy or administrative actions recorded.
President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler met to devise a strategy to counter potential testimony from John W. Dean III before the Ervin Committee. The pair discussed discrediting Dean by emphasizing his role in the original Watergate investigation and framing his upcoming testimony as self-serving and unreliable. They also addressed legal concerns regarding executive privilege and the protection of presidential papers, while coordinating efforts to handle inquiries about White House involvement in payments to defendants and the manipulation of intelligence documents.
President Nixon met with an unknown individual in the Oval Office to coordinate a press photograph session. During the brief interaction, the President secured a commitment from the participant to ensure the success of the upcoming photo opportunity. The meeting served as a logistical arrangement involving White House staffer William E. Timmons to facilitate official media coverage.
President Nixon met with members of the Senate Commerce Committee, including Senators Griffin, Hartke, Baker, Beall, Cannon, and Moss, to discuss their recent visit to the Soviet Union and its implications for U.S.-Soviet relations. The conversation centered on the potential impact of the Jackson-Vanik amendment on trade negotiations, specifically regarding the emigration of Soviet Jews and the risk of damaging the President's diplomatic progress with Leonid Brezhnev. Nixon emphasized the need for a bipartisan approach and suggested developing modified language for the legislation to provide an "escape valve" that would avoid a confrontational ultimatum while maintaining progress on key strategic interests like SALT II.
President Nixon consulted with an unidentified individual regarding an upcoming meeting with General Alexander M. Haig, Jr. The discussion centered on logistics and coordination for Haig's arrival at the Oval Office. No significant policy decisions were reached, as the brief exchange functioned primarily as a transition to prepare for the subsequent appointment with Haig.
President Nixon met with his personal valet, Manolo Sanchez, to discuss logistical arrangements regarding his schedule and potential visitors at the White House. The conversation focused on the President's upcoming departure to his residence and the expected arrival of a visitor identified as Mr. Nishun. Sanchez provided updates on the President's immediate movements, concluding with a brief review of the day's remaining administrative tasks.
President Nixon and Alexander Haig met to strategize on managing the burgeoning Watergate scandal, specifically focusing on how to respond to the Ervin Committee and potential testimony from John Dean. The discussion centered on staffing the White House legal team, weighing the merits of candidates like J. Fred Buzhardt and Horace Chapman Rose to bolster their defense against Senate inquiries. Nixon emphasized the need for a dedicated, competent legal strategy to protect the office of the Presidency while asserting that he must personally remain detached from public confrontations with Dean.
President Nixon held a brief, cryptic meeting in the Oval Office with an unidentified individual referred to as James. The conversation focuses on the caller's urgent need to depart from a location designated as "East 8th" and a request for assistance regarding this extraction. Due to the fragmentary nature of the transcript, no substantive policy or administrative decisions are recorded beyond the participant's request for help.