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Conversation 923-003

TapeTape 923StartSaturday, May 19, 1973 at 10:48 AMEndSaturday, May 19, 1973 at 10:54 AMParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Woods, Rose MaryRecording deviceOval Office
AI Summary

President Nixon and Rose Mary Woods discussed the administration's defensive strategy regarding the unfolding Watergate scandal, specifically focusing on the recent televised testimony of James W. McCord. The two strategized on how to counter negative media narratives, address the erratic public behavior of Martha Mitchell, and organize a group of loyal political allies to fight back against congressional and public criticism. Nixon emphasized his resolve not to quit, while Woods suggested aggressively questioning McCord's credibility and past associations to protect the President and John Mitchell.

WatergateJames W. McCordMartha MitchellWhite House public relationsJohn Mitchellpolitical strategy
AudioNARA Description

On May 19, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:48 am to 10:54 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 923-003 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 923-3

Date: May 19, 1973
Time: 10:48 am - 10:54 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Rose Mary Woods.

     Watergate     

          -Martha (Beall) Mitchell     

               -Television [TV] appearance, May 18 

                     -Comments regarding President         

          -White House response      

          -James W. McCord         

                                       -6-

             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                               Tape Subject Log
                               (rev. August-2011)

                                                          Conversation No. 923-3 (cont’d)

           -Testimony
           -Lie detector test
     -Martha (Beall) Mitchell
           -Woods’s opinion
                 -Physical appearance
     -White House response
           -Bryce N. Harlow and Gerald R. Ford
     -McCord
           -Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
                 -Departure
                 -Alcoholism
     -John N. Mitchell
           -Effect of Martha (Beall) Mitchell
           -Alleged conversation with Helen A. Thomas
     -White House response
           -President’s possible resignation
     -Clayborn Gray’s [?] telephone call to Woods
           -Duke Law School [1937]
           -Opinion of President

President’s schedule
      -Camp David

Mitchell
     -Martha (Beall) Mitchell
     -Legal situation
          -Perjury
          -Indictment
          -Hearsay
          -Effect of televised Ervin Committee hearings
                 -McCord’s testimony
                       -Hearsay
                             -Mitchell
                             -G[eorge] Gordon Liddy
                       -Equipment
                             -Cast
                                            -7-


                  NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM 


                                    Tape Subject Log 

                                    (rev. August-2011)

                                                              Conversation No. 923-3 (cont’d)

     Watergate      

          -White House response         

          -Mitchell      

               -Alleged statement         

               -McCord’s testimony            

                      -Robert C. Mardian [?]        

          -McCord        

               -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman 

               -Committee to Re-Elect President [CRP] 

               -Role in government          

                      -Justice Department
                      -Central Intelligence Agency [CIA]
                      -John J. (“Jack”) Caulfield
          -White House response         

               -Harlow        

               -Forthcoming White Paper           

                      -Republican leadership meeting

Woods left at 10:54 am.
Transcript (AI-Generated)

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.

Good morning.
Hi, Rose.
I think it's ridiculous to pretend that I know this is Mark.
He's the last time I called the president.
The White House was playing for all this, and the president should be over here every time before he's impeached.
I think it's time for us to fight back.
What?
I think we're giving our best political brains a talk and a fight these bastards back.
See, what they did with Bush and McCord yesterday, and he was a smooth,
And nakey and slippery and everything.
There's going to be more.
Why don't we demand that they put him on a life-executive test?
They don't.
They won't use him.
What about Martha?
No, Martha's gone.
She'll probably check out one of them.
She's going to be crazy about that.
I don't know if you saw her.
I just heard that she did this.
I saw it.
There you go.
television coverage.
And it was right at the end, she came down out of her apartment at the end of the horrible, horrible, terrible day.
And she looked, I'm sure she looked, her voice looked as if it was hot and very strident and her hair was pulled straight back in like a ponytail, very strained, very awful.
She looked amazing.
Of course, it's tough.
It's real tough.
We know all that.
Oh, I don't know.
I think we've got to get up.
We're going to fight as hard as we can.
We just haven't got many soldiers.
Well, but we could have.
Why don't we help Dan, my friend?
It's very important to have people to talk to.
Right.
And just, you know, turn them off.
Even I tried.
I think that Dave McCord left the FBI because he was a drunk.
And I tried.
I asked Tommy Charlie the next question.
Why did he leave the FBI?
Nobody got that.
Nobody asked him.
I'm curious.
I don't want to fight back, but I can watch this guy destroy John.
I don't think John is going to lose his mind.
I know, but I think somebody said this last night that John got on the phone, too.
There's been my commandment to call Hal Thomas, that bitch.
And John's got on the phone.
And John's got on the phone.
And John says, I'm going to be the phone guy.
And John asked me,
If I thought he could, you see how Tom would throw her off the plane or something.
So, if he got off the plane too, that's what Tom would tell me.
I told him he didn't have to do that stuff on the radio.
But you suggested to go along with Mark.
You know, I hang up.
I pick two of the many places all the way.
But I think we've got to get some of our political people in, and get some of our people around, because people who call in are awful.
Clay Porter Grady, maybe you don't even remember, he said, in 1937, last month, he called in and said, I called, returned and called in today about 6.30, and he called in just to tell you that he has every confidence in the world and you, and just,
sticks you in there and fights in the same old patch that it's so big time, but he knows, you know, this is what all the folks want.
Good.
But I can't take anything from the rats and all this stuff.
Rabbit meat.
It's really good rabbit meat.
But I think for John, I think that, my God, my legal revenues must be more revenue because he's... What do you think of that man living with that woman?
Well, with that woman sparing to perjury, a perjury indictment, the possibility of indictment is a goddamn thing.
You know, they'll never get back on this, I'm sure, because I...
It's all hearsay.
It's all the legal... Well, it's all hearsay, but if I explain it on television, I'll destroy it.
Well, but all the recordings, it's hearsay.
He didn't have one.
He was positive straight away.
about Mitchell.
He just read his conversations from Libby.
Oh, there it is.
$46,000 a year.
$46,000 equipment.
Okay, that's great.
Anyway, I just wanted to know
I don't care who it is.
God's name is supposed to be God.
No, you've never been a quitter.
I don't care who tried on any kind of black male part.
Saying they're going to do this and they're going to do that and they're not going to be the fall guy.
The hell with us.
We fought and threw the door and we're going to fight and throw again and they're going to win.
John Mitchell.
Well, I don't... Well, McCord... McCord... McCord had a fight with Mark, if that was the problem.
Yeah.
McCord, now you understand, now that's one of the things you can't let go of her.
and i think he's the guy
with all, you know, thoughts reverting to Jack Coffield, Coffield's the one that recommended it, that's how it happened.
Yeah, for a comment.
Yeah.
Wait a minute.
We need to clear that road.
Right, clear the road.
And we need to clear that site as we've thought before.
Let's get all our good fighters in if you...
Right, we're working on this.
Okay, I didn't know I did, so... We're going to save them, okay?
I'm choosing the leaders.
If we could just, all the people that we can depend on, who will do the steps, who are trying to do that, we are going to live a better, you know, we're going to win.
And I wish my good luck again, boys and girls.
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