President Nixon met with H. R. Haldeman and Alexander Haig to strategize their defense regarding the Watergate investigation and the potential release of sensitive documents. The discussion centered on managing the implications of memoranda created by CIA Deputy Director Vernon Walters, which documented past interactions involving the President, Haldeman, John Ehrlichman, and John Dean. The group focused on shielding the administration from allegations of a cover-up by emphasizing national security concerns and framing the CIA’s involvement as a peripheral issue, while also ensuring that Haldeman and Ehrlichman’s forthcoming testimony remained consistent with their narrative.
On May 11, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:53 pm to 2:02 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 916-019 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 916-19
Date: May 11, 1973
Time: 12:53 pm - 2:02 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
Watergate
-Haldeman’s meeting with J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr.
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
(rev. August-2012)
Conversation No. 916-19 (cont’d)
-Alexander M. Haig, Jr.
-Wiretaps
-Haig’s role
-Lt. Gen. Vernon A. Walters
-Memoranda of conversations [Memcons]
-Meeting with Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman and Richard M. Helms
-Meetings with John W. Dean, III
-Buzhardt
-Wiretaps
-W. Matthew Byrne
-Morton Halperin
-Effect on job
-Walters
-Dr. James R. Schlesinger’s orders
-Henry E. Petersen
-Meeting with L[ouis] Patrick Gray concerning Central Intelligence Agency
[CIA] involvement
-Meeting with Helms, Ehrlichman and Haldeman
-Helms’s conversation with Gray
-CIA involvement
-Memcons
-Location
-Meeting among Helms, Ehrlichman, Haldeman and Dean
-Walters’s possible actions
-Haldeman’s and Ehrlichman’s possible testimony
-E. Howard Hunt, Jr.’s activities
-Haldeman’s and Ehrlichman’s conversation with Walters
-Gray
-Walters
-Memcons
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[National security]
[Duration: 7 s ]
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
(rev. August-2012)
Conversation No. 916-19 (cont’d)
SOURCES
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
*****************************************************************
Watergate
-Possible testimony
-Conversation with Gray
-Memcons
-Dean’s actions
-President’s conversation with Haig
-Haldeman’s conversation with Helms, Walters and Ehrlichman
-Watergate burglars
-Bay of Pigs
-Hunt and G[eorge] Gordon Liddy
-Possible testimony by Ehrlichman and Haldeman
-Walters
-Memcons
-Possible effects
-Haldeman’s conversation with Helms, Walters and Ehrlichman
-President’s order
-Bay of Pigs
-Helms’s concerns
-Walters’s possible conversation with Gray
-Walters
-Memcons
-Possible effect
-Ehrlichman
-Ehrlichman’s possible testimony
-Effects
-Pentagon Papers, plumbers, wiretapping of newsman
-Kissinger
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
(rev. August-2012)
Conversation No. 916-19 (cont’d)
-Possible release of information to Byrne
-Ellsberg
-Buzhardt’s previous meeting with Haldeman and Ehrlichman
-Wiretaps
-Ehrlichman, Henry A. Kissinger and Haldeman
-J. Edgar Hoover
-Wiretaps
-News article
-Ehrlichman’s possible testimony
-President’s orders regarding Walters and Gray
-Executive privilege
-Dean
-Role
-President’s orders regarding Walters and Helms
-Bay of Pigs
-President’s meeting with Helms
-Haldeman’s meeting with Ehrlichman, Helms and Walters
-Ehrlichman’s role
-Facts compared to implications
-Haldeman’s meeting with Helms, Walters and Ehrlichman
-Haldeman’s motives
-Dean
-Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
-Walters’s memcon
-Helms’s possible testimony
The President talked with Haig at an unknown time between 12:53 pm and 1:20 pm.
[Conversation No. 916-19A]
[Begin telephone conversation]
Memcons
-Request for delivery to Oval Office
[End telephone conversation]
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
(rev. August-2012)
Conversation No. 916-19 (cont’d)
Watergate
-Previous telephone call with Haig
-Memcons from Buzhardt
-Presidential papers
-National security
-W. Mark Felt
-Haig, Ruckelshaus
-New York Times
-Wiretap of Ellsberg
-Time Magazine
-Stanton, Smith [?]
-William C. Sullivan
-Tom C. Huston
-President’s meeting with Haldeman
-Lincoln Room
-Breadth of investigation
-Egil (“Bud”) Krogh, Jr.
-Robert L. Vesco
-John N. Mitchell and Maurice H. Stans
-Stans
-Mitchell
-Grand Jury
-Ehrlichman’s possible testimony
-Walters’s memcons
-Ehrlichman’s possible testimony
-Fake cover for CIA
-Gray
-Haldeman’s meeting with Ehrlichman, Helms and Walters
-Motives
-President’s order
-Ehrlichman’s role
-Daniel Ellsberg
-Gen. Robert E. Cushman and Schlesinger
-Affidavit regarding call from Ehrlichman, July 7, 1972
-Meeting with Ehrlichman regarding July 7, 1972 telephone call
-Request for memo
-Affidavit
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
(rev. August-2012)
Conversation No. 916-19 (cont’d)
-Ehrlichman’s testimony
-Possible testimony regarding President and Haldeman
-Myths compared to facts
-Ervin Committee hearings
An unknown person talked with the President at 1:20 pm.
[Conversation No. 916-19B]
[Begin telephone conversation]
[No discernable topic]
[End telephone conversation]
Watergate
-Walters’s memos
-President’s viewing
Haig entered at 1:20 pm.
Watergate
-Walters’s memcons
-Meeting with Helms, Haldeman and Ehrlichman
-Dean
-Dean
-President’s role
-Orders to Haldeman and Ehrlichman regarding Helms and Walters
-Motives
-President’s meeting with Haldeman and Ehrlichman
-Ehrlichman’s office
-President’s knowledge
-Haldeman’s knowledge
-Walters’s meetings
-Dean and Helms
-President’s orders to Haldeman and Ehrlichman
-CIA
-67-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
(rev. August-2012)
Conversation No. 916-19 (cont’d)
-Bay of Pigs
-President’s meeting with Helms
-CIA involvement
-Walters’s meetings
-Haldeman, Ehrlichman and Helms
-Gray
-Dean
-Authorization
-Memcons
-Gray
-Telephone call from the President
-Gray
-Testimony, May 10
-Conversation with the President
-President’s call concerning FBI’s prevention of San Francisco hijacking
-Walters’s memcons
-Meeting with Haldeman, Ehrlichman and Helms
-Haldeman’s statements
-Gray
-CIA
-Bay of Pigs
-Hunt and Liddy
-Pentagon Papers
-Meeting with Gray
-June 23, 1972 and July 6, 1972
-June 23, 1972
-CIA
-Mexican bank connection
-Kenneth Dahlberg
-Gray’s possible meeting with Dean
-Motives behind Haldeman’s and Ehrlichman’s meeting with Helms and Walters
-Hunt and Liddy
-Walters’s meetings with Gray
-Dean
-Dean
-Role
-Contacts with CIA
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
(rev. August-2012)
Conversation No. 916-19 (cont’d)
-Haldeman’s knowledge
-Timing
-Hunt
-Hunt
-Involvement
-Walters
-Memcons
-Executive privilege
-National security
-Location of copies
-Schlesinger, William E. Colby’s awareness
-Schlesinger’s order
-Elliot L. Richardson
-Haig’s telephone call to Schlesinger
-Haldeman’s forthcoming meeting with Buzhardt
-Colby
-Richardson
-Executive privilege
-Leonard Garment’s approach
-Dean
-Schlesinger, Colby
-Buzhardt’s possible call to Colby
-National security, executive privilege
-Watergate contrasted with memo in Ellsberg case
-Executive privilege
-Haldeman’s lawyers’ view
-Walters’s memcons
-Richardson
-Walters’s possible testimony
-National security
-Individuals with knowledge
-Walters’s possible testimony
-Walters’s memcons
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
(rev. August-2012)
Conversation No. 916-19 (cont’d)
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[National security]
[Duration: 10 s ]
CHILE
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
*****************************************************************
Watergate
-Walter’s memcons
-Hunt and James W. McCord
-Buzhardt’s view
-Innuendo
-Buzhardt’s meeting with Walters
-Gray
-Grand Jury testimony regarding CIA
-President’s order
-Walters’s memcon
-President’s conversation with Gray
-Walters’s possible testimony
-Walters
-President’s role
-Conversation with Gray
-Concern regarding CIA
-Buzhardt’s view
-Conversation withGray
-Walters’s memcon, July 13, 1972
-Dean
-Haldeman and Ehrlichman
-Walters
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NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
(rev. August-2012)
Conversation No. 916-19 (cont’d)
-Possible testimony
-Possible conversations
-Richardson, Colby, and Schlesinger
-Attitude toward the President
-Dean
-Haig’s conversation with Schlesinger
-Helms
-Possible testimony
-Conversation with Haldeman
-Meeting concerning CIA involvement
-Conversation with the President concerning CIA involvement
-White House reaction
-CIA involvement
-Cubans
-Walters
-Possible testimony
-Location
-Possible conversation with the President
Haig left at 1:55 pm.
Watergate
-Ehrlichman
-Dean
-Role
-Colby’s belief
-White House reaction
-CIA
-Hunt
-Gray
-Meeting with the President
-Walters
-Value of possible testimony
-Indictments of Mitchell and Maurice H. Stans
-Perjury
-White House response
-Goals of the President’s opponents
-71-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
(rev. August-2012)
Conversation No. 916-19 (cont’d)
-President’s principles
-Ellsberg
-New York Times
-Ervin Committee hearings
-Haldeman’s forthcoming meeting with FBI
-Walters’s memcons
-James R. (“Jimmy”) Hoffa
-President’s role in clemency
-Recommended by Justice Department
-Dean’s possible statements
-Subpoena to Haldeman
-Federal Court, Illinois
-Dorothy Hunt’s plane crash
Haig talked with the President between 2:00 pm and 2:01 pm.
[Conversation No. 916-19C]
[Begin telephone conversation]
[See Conversation No. 46-3]
[End telephone conversation]
Watergate
-Haldeman’s mood
The President and Haldeman left at 2:02 pm.This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.