Nixon White House Tapes — Conversation 007-092
Date: Wednesday, August 11, 1971 at 7:58 PM
Participants: Nixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.
Recording device: White House Telephone
Source: https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/007-092

This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite it as authoritative.

[0:00] Hello.
[0:02] Mr. President.
[0:02] Hi, Henry.
[0:03] How'd your briefing go?
[0:07] Oh, uh, it's a completely different atmosphere now.
[0:10] Even with the interns?
[0:10] Oh, yeah.
[0:11] These are college kids, of course.
[0:13] Yeah.
[0:14] You were good to do it.
[0:16] I didn't really ask for it.
[0:18] We picked these kids, and they're not the bastards.
[0:21] They're not the worst bastards.
[0:22] Well, I just...
[0:32] I called back to Brennan and gave him the message.
[0:47] How'd he take it?
[0:47] He said it for September 30th, Mr. President, because Gromyko has to go back to France for that state visit they're paying there.
[0:50] September 30th?
[0:50] For the ceremony here.
[0:51] Right, good.
[0:53] And then that'll go through regular channels.
[1:00] Well, I told them that they should put it into Smith and I'll call Rogers tomorrow and tell him to work out the details with Sabrina.
[1:12] Will you?
[1:12] I mean, we've got to get a room and so forth.
[1:15] Just let Rogers know that they came in here and I said, well, we...
[1:25] consider going over there.
[1:37] You know, you've gone over the signing ceremony before.
[1:38] Yeah, and tell Bill that I want him to bring that for me to do it, but if he feels that I want to, once you say this, look, Bill, the President mentioned this, but if you feel that
[1:57] Right.
[1:57] Make him feel better.
[3:14] Henry, on the budget, I talked to Schultz.
[3:21] Let me tell you the line I want you to take.
[3:27] We've got to take the line of the 79 being sort of a, you know, we can't go above that at this point.
[3:30] As Schultz says, look, we're doing all these other things.
[3:48] At an appropriate time, I will move first.
[4:04] But I think at the meeting Friday, let's be very, very... We don't have to just say that, well...
[4:07] But you don't have to...
[4:08] I wouldn't announce a figure at the meeting.
[4:09] No, but because the joint chiefs won't be there.
[4:10] We'll just go over the whole thing.
[4:12] But it seems to me that you and Schultz and Packard work at the hangout without layers.
[4:19] Well, fine.
[4:24] You get his feeling.
[4:25] And you tell him your truth.
[4:29] I told Schultz today that I said, look, the national security is going to require upping this defense budget.
[4:31] He said, well, how can you up the defense budget?
[4:34] He said, I agree, but he said, because of the Navy.
[4:35] How can you do it?
[4:43] I said, on the other hand, and Schultz says, the reason you're having success is because you're being strong.
[5:02] Exactly.
[5:02] And he said, on the other hand, right now, you can't appear that just as you're having success, you've got to increase the budget, increase taxes.
[5:05] See my point?
[5:06] Yeah.
[5:06] And I think he's right about that.
[5:06] Right, except that what got us to this point was your strength last year.
[5:08] I know, I know, I know.
[5:08] But I mean, at this point, we get to this point, then to increase taxes, say we're going to have more than that.
[5:11] Now, let me work it out with Colt's week.
[5:19] We will come up with something that will not require an increase in taxes.
[5:21] Do the best you can.
[5:22] Okay.
[5:22] Right, right, Mr. President.
[5:22] Finally.