Richard Nixon and Alexander M. Haig Jr. on 13 June 1973


Transcript

Edited by Nicole Hemmer, with Ken Hughes, Kieran K. Matthews, and Marc J. Selverstone

Following his nationally televised announcement that evening about the imposition of price controls, and the previous day’s disclosure that hush money for the Watergate conspirators had been transferred from President Nixon’s re-election committee to his personal lawyer, Nixon and White House chief of staff Alexander M. Haig Jr. discuss the portfolio of Vice President Spiro T. Agnew.

President Nixon

Hello?

White House Operator

General [Alexander M.] Haig [Jr.].[note 1] Alexander M. Haig Jr. was military assistant to the president, January 1969 to June 1970; deputy national security adviser, June 1970 to January 1973; Army vice chief of staff, January to May 1973; and White House chief of staff, May 1973 to August 1974. There you are.

President Nixon

Hello?

Alexander M. Haig Jr.

Yes, Mr. President?

President Nixon

Hi, Al.

Haig

I know you must be bushed at this point.

President Nixon

No. No. I’m fine.

Haig

But it’s really—

President Nixon

Just finished my dinner.

Haig

Just had a great, great speech tonight. And I tell you, the reaction has been overwhelming. It really has.

President Nixon

Good. Good. Glad to hear that.

Haig

And that’s just damn fine. And it was not only the right substantive thing to do, but it was a political—absolute political success of great proportions.

President Nixon

Well, the important thing is, you know—you and I know why we did it.

Haig

Exactly.

President Nixon

I mean, it was—perhaps we could’ve toughed it through as [Spiro T. “Ted”] Agnew in his stupid juvenile way indicated, and that’s what he’s going to probably whine about tomorrow.[note 2] Spiro T. Agnew was vice president of the United States, January 1969 to October 1973. He’s going to—probably going to whine about being in charge of energy.

Haig

Let me tell you something, sir.

President Nixon

What?

Haig

He gave a speech tonight over at that [Samuel L.] Devine thing that was a stem-winder[note 3] Samuel L. Devine was a Republican congressman from Ohio, 1959–1981.

President Nixon

Good!

Haig

—for you that had these guys absolutely tearing the place apart—

President Nixon

Well, good.

Haig

—about Richard Nixon.

President Nixon

Well, good. I’m glad to hear that because I—you know, he’s coming in tomorrow and you coming with him, but I don’t want him to whine about the energy and the rest.

Haig

No. No. No. I—

President Nixon

The thing to do is to tell him, “Look, you’re in on everything, Ted, but, goddamn it, you’re not to run anything.”

Haig

That’s right.

President Nixon

The Vice President can’t run anything.

Haig

No. That’s—and it would be the wrong thing.

Cite as

“Richard Nixon and Alexander M. Haig Jr. on 13 June 1973,” Conversation 040-097 (PRDE Excerpt A), Presidential Recordings Digital Edition [“Vice President Agnew,” ed. Nicole Hemmer] (Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2014–). URL: http://prde.upress.virginia.edu/conversations/4003653