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Conversation 931-002

TapeTape 931StartTuesday, June 5, 1973 at 8:28 AMEndTuesday, June 5, 1973 at 8:38 AMParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Haig, Alexander M., Jr.;  [Unknown person(s)]Recording deviceOval Office
AI Summary

President Nixon and Alexander Haig met to strategize the administration's public response to ongoing Watergate controversies, focusing on Senator Hugh Scott’s planned statement regarding wiretap statistics. The discussion also addressed staff management issues, specifically John Connally’s future role and concerns regarding internal communication failures surrounding John Dean’s recent statements. Nixon emphasized the need for better legal coordination and expressed frustration with press coverage and the perceived incompetence of his press team in managing damaging narratives.

WatergateWiretappingJohn W. Dean IIIJohn B. ConnallyWhite House Press RelationsAlexander Haig
AudioNARA Description

On June 5, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 8:28 am to 8:38 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 931-002 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 931-2

Date: June 5, 1973
Time: 8:28 am - 8:38 a.m.
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

       Watergate
             -Hugh Scott’s forthcoming statement on wiretaps, June 5th
                   -President’s forthcoming meeting with Congressional leaders
                   -President’s forthcoming meeting with Gerald R. Ford and Scott
                   -Preparation
                   -Tone and content
                   -Numbers and character
                            -Newsmen
                   -Elliott L. Richardson
                   -Newsmen

       John B. Connally
                                           -7-

                  NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                     (rev. June-2011)

                                                             Conversation No. 931-2 (cont’d)

             -Schedule
             -Conversation with Haig, June 4th
                    -Forthcoming statement
                            -Tone
             -Role on White House staff
                    -Energy, economics [?]
                    -Importance
                    -Melvin R. Laird
                    -Frequency of work
                            -Intensity
                            -Conversation in coming months
                    -Significance
             -Conversation with Haig
                    -Controversy
                    -Top-level advisory
                    -Conflict of interest
                    -James R. (“Jimmy”) Hoffa

      Watergate
            -News summary
            -John W. Dean, III
                   -Television coverage
            -London Times story, June 5, 1973
                   -US press coverage

An unknown man entered at an unknown time after 8:28 am.

      President’s schedule

The unknown man left at an unknown time before 8:38 am.

      Watergate
            -London Times story
            -Dean
                   -Statement concerning meetings with President
                           -White House response
            -Release of logs
                                             -8-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                       (rev. June-2011)

                                                          Conversation No. 931-2 (cont’d)

                      -Legal questions
                             -Ronald L. Ziegler
                      -Archibald Cox
              -Cox
                     -Possible resignation
                     -Reason
                     -Ervin Committee
              -Richardson
                     -Statement
                             -Haig’s forthcoming call
                     -Dean’s resignation
                     -Dean’s files
                     -Actions
                            -Reasons

       White House staff
             -Laird
                    -Announcement
             -Peter G. Peterson
                    -Recommendations for announcements
                            -Build-up

       Watergate
             -Figures [on wiretaps]
                    -[Scott]
                    -Scott’s forthcoming statement
                            -Request for figures

The President and Haig left at 8:38 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.

I was very careful about the wording because of the preliminary character.
And what are we going to do?
I don't know.
I think the way I'd do it would be after the meeting, ask Scott before he stepped in, can you say, we've got this statement, we'd like him to say, he's already told them, but the statement is built around for having an answer.
Scott hasn't asked me to get the statistics in to release it.
So he's doing it this morning.
He's not quite as strong as it would be otherwise.
Well, it does give the numbers, just the numbers and the character.
Does it say there are newsmen?
Uh, including newspaper people.
We only found one so far.
I'm sorry, what's that?
Well, we got a lot of searches, and...
Nothing.
Nothing we've shipped yet that we... Give it to Lillian anyway, he'll call us on it.
You've only found one so far, but they, uh...
Well, apparently they saw this picture.
Yeah, I don't know who it is.
Well, I don't know who it is.
I don't know who it is.
I don't know who it is.
I don't know who it is.
I had a good talk with him.
I had a good talk with him.
He will continue to serve in the energy and that sort of thing.
You see, it's very important that we look at common ownership on this.
He said, what does he say?
Basically, because we're getting later, he said he's worked intensively.
Yeah.
But now, with the kind of regularity that he's been doing it, I can't.
You know, I've always felt lonely.
I said, I'm a fan of him.
In the present, I'm really, really, really anxious to do it in Fort Worth National.
But without the kind of direct involvement that we have here, you know,
Also, I'm not getting involved in the pet company industry.
You know what's interesting?
I will hear the news.
I'm just the first page regarding it.
And that's just a big play to that deep traffic accident.
It's a lot of times they just exploit the American press.
For what?
For work.
It's just the most unfair.
It's not the American press.
It's the American press.
It's tied in three courts.
The great jury in the Senate in
My impression is very public opinion.
Yeah.
It's just a very strong story.
Supporting friends.
Oh, look, I have your mind on some things.
I mean, I would try to be quite realistic.
The Dean thing wasn't handled too well by our press people.
I think they are being suppressed and carrying it directly.
They admitted that we had met a number of times since January.
The fight is, I don't know how I'm getting the truth out because I haven't been in a meeting since January.
There were two mistakes made yesterday.
They made a mistake on these logs.
Yeah, they definitely built a little consultation.
How come they didn't have a legal officer?
Well, I should have said that.
I agree that it was wrong to have that way of thinking.
Why don't we get a leadership meeting?
We've got to get that.
You know we have to stand for ourselves.
I still believe we should take the goddamn word game out of our press in here where we've got legal questions, where nuance is so fighting.
It's not counterfeit.
It's the kind of person that has to be addressed to it.
Well, I guess we can survive this.
We've got to accept the loss.
We've got to accept the loss.
We can't give up on that.
We've got to start getting out of that.
We don't want to build a competition.
What the hell did Michael Richardson say?
He said it was self-serving.
It was necessary.
I don't know what the hell he was thinking.
He said it was not a common matter.
It only is.
I had confidence in the president.
How much is that to do?
by saying that, wouldn't it be better just to say no comment?
But he will not comment on that, especially across the figure, but that he had personal accomplishments.
He couldn't take the job unless he had a job.
He knows that.
He knows it.
He knows it deeply.
He knows it.
It was a council design to get him to this.
So I'm waiting now.
We've got to get across to the brigades.
Again, I don't know why the inertia of the people all the time, but goddammit, can't you or somebody get across that?
This whole B-thing thing is a...
There is a piece of paper in this whole file.
You've got to get across some of that thing.
Why we're doing the paper thing, but you've left it at once.
What do you think?
Or...
I don't think anybody else is in it.
I am.
Well, are the others in it?
The others are doing very well.
I thought they were for a while.
They were hitting layers.
Still going.
Yes, sir.
I guess not so much, yeah.
Peter said we're having problems with... No, I don't see anything else yet.
Oh, sorry.
I just couldn't care less.
You know, I just... Well, I just want more.
I guess he's...
He's playing a little game.
You know, it's been built up to two weeks.
I said, Peter, we're going to do a job.
I guess he's just waiting.
Well, hey, you know what?
Uh, over here when they have those tickets with these cops over here.
Yes, sir.
I mean, with, uh... Good morning, Scott.
Good morning.
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