IIRC, the “plumbers” became active with planting evidence or stealing from some psychiatrist for the guy that leaked “The Pentagon Papers”. Anyway - Nixon was trying to discredit the guy and trying to keep those “papers” from getting out. They were notes and an internal report made by the Johnson Administration about the status on the Vietnam War - and it was bad news. Now a political hack (like obama) would have released those papers and brought them up all the time to discredit the opposing party. Nixon must have figured that government war secrets should remain secret - no matter the party. And that while the papers may have made Johnson look bad, it would also make the U.S. look bad.
I was always intrigued that the 7+ (?) minute gap in the tapes was right after Nixon spoke about the burglary (that used a few Cubans that had been involved in Kennedy's Bay of Pigs thing), and that “it might bring up that whole Cuban thing”. Probably the Bay of Pigs, but maybe also a tie-in to the Kennedy assassination. Again - Nixon trying to protect the U.S.
The Watergate break-in, was more about protecting "protecting" John Dean's wife's reputation ( she had been a high class "escort" )and Dean, himself, than anything else. And Mr. Nixon did NOT know anything at all about it, before or when it happened.
John Dean was a disgusting POS and did Mr. Nixon dirt!