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Conversation 929-008

TapeTape 929StartTuesday, May 29, 1973 at 12:07 PMEndTuesday, May 29, 1973 at 12:11 PMParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Ziegler, Ronald L.Recording deviceOval Office
AI Summary

President Nixon and Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler met to strategize the administration's public relations response to the growing Watergate scandal, specifically addressing a report regarding a potential grand jury appearance by the President. They discussed coordinating with key figures like William Timmons and William Baroody Jr. to manage congressional relations and ensure the White House maintains an aggressive yet calculated defensive posture. Nixon also shared insights from a conversation with Secretary of State William P. Rogers, emphasizing the importance of projecting a steady focus on government business to counter negative media narratives.

Watergate scandalWhite House public relationsGrand juryCongressional relationsPresidential image
AudioNARA Description

On May 29, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:07 pm to 12:11 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 929-008 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 929-8

Date: May 29, 1973
Time: 12:07 pm - 12:11 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Ronald L. Ziegler.

       Press briefings
              -Henry A. Kissinger
              -John A. Scali
              -Kissinger
              -Gerald L. Warren
                                               -28-

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                        (rev. July-2011)

                                                            Conversation No. 929-8 (cont’d)

               -Ziegler
               -Ziegler’s response to grand jury story

       Watergate
             -Story regarding the President’s possible grand jury appearance
             -Hugh Scott’s forthcoming meeting with policy committee
             -Ziegler’s meeting with William E. Timmons and William J. Baroody, Jr.
             -White House response
             -President’s meeting with William P. Rogers
                     -John W. Dean III’s documents
                     -White House response
                     -Foreign leaders’ view

       Press briefings
              -Ziegler
              -Kissinger
              -Duration

Ziegler left at 12:11 pm.
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.

I would think he'd be on the plate for that.
Except I really...
I don't want to, maybe, I'll see how it feels.
I don't want to have any impression of where they were running from and staring.
I don't know what they were going to do.
No, sir.
No, sir.
Maybe you better agree with what I'm saying.
No, sir.
I'll see what their sense is.
No, sir.
You've got a long day to take it on, because I think particularly of the, let's be honest, that, that, that, uh,
grand jury story, and our story got written, and our response was up there in the box, special box.
Senator was shot.
Abuse of authority.
That's the story.
And we talked about it.
And Scott.
No, I'm sorry.
I'm going to just get right to it.
Scott's going to talk to the Senate Policy Committee group today.
on the, uh, whole matter.
Timmons is on that.
I met with Beruti and Timmons after our meeting this morning about, you know, getting the people to begin to think about the intercom.
Yeah.
And, uh, so a lot of that's the works, starting with the works at least.
Well, you know, you've got the right attitude around, I guess, fighting like hell.
That's right.
I have no, I have no...
This is the way to do it.
Yes, sir.
In a very calculated way.
This is the way to handle it.
This is fine.
This is fine.
This country is going forward.
I think getting that field across.
Yes, sir.
Absolutely.
Very important.
I had a good talk with Rogers about this.
I'm sorry, I asked him what he was saying yesterday.
Did he have to feel about it?
But Rogers, he's been away, but he feels that we're doing the right thing.
We should have a low profile on the rest.
He said they should have started, he said, just to take them on.
He said, but we're coming time.
He said, you may just want to take the committee on the front line.
But he said, I said, yes.
He said, well, here's the action.
He said, take the time.
Do the business of government.
Show no compensation, and so forth and so on.
He was there with us and been here early in July last night, so we thought it was good here.
And he mentioned the energy claim.
He says, every leader to abandon the American right to land in America said they couldn't understand just what it gave them.
How they were all admiring the president, respecting him as the world leader throughout China and Russia and Michigan and so forth and so on and so on.
And he said, well, that's interesting.
You get people here who say it.
And I think that's very...
All right.
Yes, sir.
I'll call you when you get through.
I hope it didn't take you too long.
No, no.
Take your chin out, boy.
Absolutely.
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