Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 949 › Conversation 949-002
Nixon, Haig & Kissinger on Presidential health and Viral pneumonia
Thursday, July 12, 1973 · 2:15 PM–2:50 PM ET · Oval Office · 31 min
AI Summary
President Nixon met with his doctors to discuss his ongoing health issues, specifically viral pneumonia, and the logistics of managing his public schedule and medical testing. Following these medical consultations, he met with Alexander Haig to review the administration's strategy regarding the Watergate investigation and the Ervin Committee hearings. Nixon expressed determination to maintain a firm stance against the committee's subpoenas, while the participants analyzed the testimony of key figures such as John Mitchell and John Dean. The meeting concluded with Nixon reaffirming his resolve to protect the presidency from perceived partisan attacks.
- Presidential health
- Viral pneumonia
- Watergate
- Ervin Committee
- White House strategy
- Subpoenas
- John Dean
- John Mitchell
Audio
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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.
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NARA Description
On July 12, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Dr. Walter R. Tkach, William M. Lukash, Henry A. Kissinger, and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:15 pm and 2:50 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 949-002 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 949-2
Date: July 12, 1973
Time: Unknown between 2:15 pm and 2:50 pm
Location: Oval Office
Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met with Dr. Walter R. Tkach and Dr. William M. Lukash.
-2-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 949-2 (cont’d)
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[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]
President’s schedule
-Camp David
-Tkach’s recommendations
-Return to Washington, DC
-Timing
-X-ray
-Swimming
-President’s health
-Fever
-President’s health
-Viral pneumonia
-Recovery
-Compared to bacterial pneumonia and influenza [?]
-Symptoms
-X-ray
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1A
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 6 s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1A
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President’s schedule
-President’s health
-Viral pneumonia
-Symptoms
-Duration
-X-ray
-Work load
-3-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 949-2 (cont’d)
-Hospital
-Papers
-Economic policy
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1B
[Deed of Gift – Privacy]
[Duration: 14 s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1B
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President’s schedule
-President’s health
-Publicity
-Economic policy
-President’s health
-Publicity
-X-ray results
-Cancellations
-White House staff, Congress members
-Donald McI. Kendall
-Excuse
-President’s health
-Viral pneumonia
-Stigma
-Publicity
-X-ray results
-Symptoms
-Duration
[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
*****************************************************************
-4-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 949-2 (cont’d)
President’s schedule
-Cancellations
-President’s health
-Rest
-X-ray
-Restrictions
-Announcement
-Timing
-Trip to Bethesda
-Dr. [First name unknown] Jordan
-Telephone
-Bethesda Naval Hospital, Navy Clinic
-Press relations
-Timing
-President’s desire for prognosis
-Economic speech
-Congressional relations
-Walter Scheel
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Naval clinic
-President’s visibility
*****************************************************************
[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]
President’s health
-X-ray results
-Prognosis
-Symptoms
-Previous night
-Sleeplessness
[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
*****************************************************************
-5-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 949-2 (cont’d)
President’s health
-Tkach and Lukash’s schedule
-Announcement
-X-ray
-Cancellations
-Naval clinic
-Timing
-Traffic
-White House
-X-ray machine
-President’s schedule
-Departure for clinic
Tkach and Lukash left at 2:29 pm.
President’s health
-Announcement
Watergate
-Ervin Committee
-Samuel J. Ervin, Jr., Lowell P. Weicker, Jr.
-John N. Mitchell
-White House response
-Haig’s meeting with Ronald L. Ziegler, Bryce N. Harlow, and Melvin R.
Laird
-President’s conversation with Ervin
-Access to files
-Ervin Committee files
-Ervin and Howard Baker
-President’s possible Ervin Committee appearance
-Subpoenas
-Witness schedule
-H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
-Samuel Dash
-President’s schedule
-Ziegler
-Unknown men’s access to records
-6-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 949-2 (cont’d)
-Notes compared to copies
-John W. Dean, III
Henry A. Kissinger entered at 2:33 pm.
Watergate
-Norman Mailer’s telephone call to Kissinger
-President
-John N. Mitchell’s testimony
-Ervin’s telephone call to President
-Access to files
-Dash
-Supreme Court
-Mailer’s telephone call to Kissinger
-Popular opinion
-Article arguments [?]
-Central Intelligence Agency [CIA]
-Conspiracy
-Detente policies [?]
Kissinger left at 2:36 pm.
Watergate
-White House response
-Harlow
-Ervin’s telephone call to President
-President’s schedule
*****************************************************************
[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]
President’s health
-Hospital stay
-Viral pneumonia
-Walter Reed Medical Center
-Suite [?]
-7-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 949-2 (cont’d)
-X-ray
-Utility
[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
*****************************************************************
Watergate
-Harlow
-Leonard Garment
-President’s conversation with Ervin [?]
-Objectivity
-Michael Gravel
-Ervin Committee
-Baker
-White House response
-Ziegler, Gerald L. Warren, Harlow
-President’s conversation with Ervin
-William E. Timmons
-Dash
-Unknown man from North Carolina
-Ervin
-Ervin Committee
-Dean’s testimony
-Mitchell’s testimony
-Haldeman’s, Charles W. Colson’s forthcoming testimony
-Colson’s possible conversation with Haig or J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr.
-White House response
-John B. Connally’s view
-Use of phrase “Peace with Honor”
-President’s conversation with Ervin
-Access to files
-Baker
-Ervin’s views of President
-Haldeman’s forthcoming testimony
-President’s September 15, 1972 conversation with Dean and Haldeman
-Dean’s activities
-8-
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM
Conversation No. 949-2 (cont’d)
-Haldeman’s forthcoming testimony
-Dean
-Effects of others’ testimony
-Mitchell
-Richard A. Moore
-March 21, 1973 conversation with President
-Mitchell and Haldeman
-March 20, 1973 telephone conversation with President
-Possible use by White House
-White House staff involvement
-March 21, 1973 conversation with President
-White House staff involvement
-John D. Ehrlichman
-Ellsberg break-in
-Haldeman
-$350,000
-Mitchell
President’s determination
Haig left at an unknown time before 2:50 pm.Also recorded on July 12, 1973
- 949-001 1:47 PM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:47 pm and 2:15 pm.
- 949-019 1:47 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:47 pm and 2:15 pm.
- 949-003 2:36 PM · 32 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:36 pm and 2:50 pm.
- 949-004 2:50 PM · 46 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, Walter Scheel, Henry A. Kissinger, and Heinz Weiber met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:50 pm to 2:53 pm.
- 949-020 2:53 PM · 25 sec — unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:53 pm and 2:56 pm.
- 949-005 2:56 PM · 29 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Walter Scheel, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:56 pm to 3:25 pm.
- 949-006 3:26 PM · 32 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:26 pm to 4:00 pm.
- 949-007 4:01 PM · 20 min — President Richard M. Nixon and William E. Timmons met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:01 pm to 4:22 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 949-002, July 12, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/949-002 (accessed October 10, 2026).