Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 943 › Conversation 943-005

Nixon & Haig on Watergate and John Dean

Monday, June 18, 1973 · 10:35 AM–10:40 AM ET · Oval Office · 6 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haig, Alexander M., Jr.; [Unknown person(s)]Conversation943-005 on Tape 943StartMonday, June 18, 1973 at 10:35 AMEndMonday, June 18, 1973 at 10:40 AMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 943-005 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Alexander Haig discussed the White House's strategic response to the impending Ervin Committee testimony of John Dean and related Watergate allegations. They evaluated potential legal and political risks, including reports of financial irregularities involving Charles Colson and concerns regarding IRS audits of Lawrence O'Brien. The meeting also briefly touched upon logistical scheduling for the upcoming visit of Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev.

Audio

Download MP3 · 11.6 MB

Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Thank you.
I just want to be sure that we have a hold of these things.
Because I know they're thinking about a lot of these things.
I don't know.
Well, we, the best thing is Bob, and it's just a, it's just a large thing at all.
We've got to have a seat.
As a witness, he said.
But wait, who makes this question?
Well, of course, in the face of this long path.
You understand that it's our counselor, a counselor, a counselor in it that he has limited it.
A $4,000 license.
he said there was fun
Well, Fred is not an optimist.
He's known that.
Oh, I know.
I saw him in the viewer, and he said he never felt tired in his existence.
In fact, it's going to be a big dud.
That's why they're desperate.
The same thing.
Also, the same one that he's aware of.
That is, we were trying to get the Internal Revenue Service to investigate the O'Brien thing that I got.
Not sure what I got.
$200,000, huh?
Nothing wrong with that.
That's just politics, isn't it?
Well, I just want to be sure.
You see, we've got a lot of that in terms of public relations.
We're on this long series.
One of the reasons is I already have a lot of reactions to the committee questions.
He's not sure whether it's the larceny or if it's just the whole weakness of his case and his allegations, but he said there's a definite sense of desperation on the part of it.
They've created a guy as a key witness, and it's not going to do the job.
They tell us he's gotten very tough with Thompson.
Threatening.
Oh, like what?
He obviously looked that day.
Like, good.
We're going to have long memories here, and he's fed up with us.
He's also looking all dirty.
In another 10 minutes, sir.
10-50.

NARA Description

On June 18, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:35 am to 10:40 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 943-005 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 943-5

Date: June 18, 1973
Time: 10:35 am - 10:40 am
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

     Watergate
          -John W. Dean, III
                -J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr.
                -$4,000, $12,000
                                      -16-

             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                      Conversation No. 943-5 (cont’d)

                 -Charles W. Colson
           -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
     -White House statement
     -David R. Gergen
           -Raymond K. Price
     -June 18, 1973 Washington Post story
           -Ronald L. Ziegler

President’s schedule
      -Leonid I .Brezhnev visit
            -Signing of agreements
                  -Schedule
                        -Economic agreements
                        -Sequoia

Watergate
     -Dean
           -White House response
                 -Colson
                 -Ziegler’s views
                 -Buzhardt, Charles Allen Wright
           -Haldeman’s possible testimony
           -$12,000
                 -Colson
           -Possible Larceny of $4,000
           -Fred D. Thompson
           -Colson
                 -Buzhardt’s view
     -Story concerning President’s role in break-in
     -Internal Revenue Service [IRS] audits
           -Lawrence F. O’Brien
           -$200,000
           -George P. Shultz
     -Dean
           -Forthcoming Ervin Committee testimony
                 -Buzhardt’s view
                 -Thompson
                                            -17-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                               Conversation No. 943-5 (cont’d)

                       -Edward J. Gurney

An unknown man entered at an unknown time after 10:35 am.

     Brezhnev visit
          -Weather delays

The unknown man left at an unknown time before 10:40 am.

     Brezhnev visit

Haig left at an unknown time before 10:40 am.

Also recorded on June 18, 1973

  • 943-009 10:13 AM · 32 sec — unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:13 am and 10:35 am.
  • 943-002 10:14 AM · 17 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:14 am and 10:35 am.
  • 943-003 10:27 AM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:27 am and 10:35 am.
  • 943-004 10:27 AM · 38 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:27 am and 10:35 am.
  • 943-010 10:35 AM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:35 am and 10:40 am.
  • 943-006 10:40 AM · 29 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:40 am and 10:54 am.
  • 943-007 10:40 AM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:40 am and 10:54 am.
  • 943-011 10:40 AM · 15 sec — unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:40 am and 10:54 am.

All 38 conversations from June 18, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 943-005, June 18, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/943-005 (accessed October 9, 2026).