Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 7 › Conversation 007-099

Nixon phone call with Lewis on Economic policy and Conservative movement

Wednesday, August 11, 1971 · 8:36 PM–8:40 PM ET · White House Telephone · 4 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Lewis, Hobart D.Conversation007-099 on Tape 7 (tape position 03:40:45–03:44:44)StartWednesday, August 11, 1971 at 8:36 PMEndWednesday, August 11, 1971 at 8:40 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 007-099 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon consulted with Reader's Digest editor Hobart D. Lewis regarding political optics, the status of the economy, and the administration’s foreign policy initiatives. Nixon previewed his upcoming national travel schedule, emphasizing that his team was actively working to address public concerns about economic conditions. The discussion also touched upon engaging conservative opinion leaders and coordinating a forthcoming meeting between Henry Kissinger and William F. Buckley, Jr. to build broader support for the President's agenda.

Audio

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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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Where'd I find you, at home?
Well...
How have you been?
Everything fine?
Everything's just fine, yeah.
There was some rumor that you were going up to...
I couldn't... No, I'm going to be in...
I have to go out and trip across the country tomorrow.
Are you really?
Next week I'm going to...
I'll be in New York Tuesday for the Knights of Columbus.
It's the first time a president has spoke to them.
That's right.
And then on to Illinois for the Illinois State Fair and on to, let's see, Jackson Hole and then...
in to Dallas for the VFW and then on to California.
The main thing is that the only thing people are concerned about is the economy, but don't worry about it.
It's going to come back.
It is back.
It's just a question of this.
People get a little frightened about this or that.
Well, the indicators are going to be better.
Well, they aren't seeing the big play.
The sensible conservatives see it.
No, well, we're trying.
He's been out of the country.
Henry's going to have a talk with him, I think, Thursday of this week or tomorrow, Friday.
He's going to try.
Right.
He'll do something good.
He's a decent fellow.
A fine man, yeah.
Right.
Incidentally, Mr. President, Jeff Parks, you may not know him.
Oh, yeah, I know this book.
Right.
Good.
Good.
Good.
Good.
Well, after we have a chance to have a talk, perhaps after Labor Day and get to see what's going on.
But you can be sure that there's a lot more going on than meets the eye at the moment.
Yeah.
Okay, Hope.
I give my best to the Admiral.

NARA Description

On August 11, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Hobart D. Lewis talked on the telephone from 8:36 pm to 8:40 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 007-099 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 7-99

Date: August 11, 1971
Time: 8:36 pm - 8:40 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Hobart D. Lewis.

      Lewis’ location

**********************************************************************

[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 08/09/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[007-099-w001]
[Duration: 1m 24s]

       John Lindsay’s party affiliation
              -Hobart D. Lewis’s opinion
                     -The President's comments at Gridiron Dinner
              -New York City
              -Democrats
              -Ronald W. Reagan's statement
                     -Democrats switch
              -Foreign policy
                     -Vietnam
                     -The People's Republic of China [PRC]
              -Democrats

**********************************************************************

     The President's schedule
          -Lowell Thomas
          -New York
                -Knights of Columbus
          -Illinois State Fair
          -Jackson Hole, Wyoming
          -Dallas

                -Veterans of Foreign Wars [VFW]
          -California

******************************************************************************

[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 08/09/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[007-099-w002]
[Duration: 17s]

     Hobart D. Lewis’s schedule
         -Family trip to Wyoming
               -“Old Baldy”

******************************************************************************

     Economy
         -Public concerns
         -Conservatives
         -William F. Buckley, Jr.
               -Forthcoming talk with Henry A. Kissinger

     Jeff [Hart?]
           -Book
                 -William L. Safire
                 -Patrick J. Buchanan
                 -Raymond K. Price, Jr.

     The President's schedule
          -Talk with Lewis
               -Timing

Also recorded on August 12, 1971

  • 007-096 8:20 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:20 pm and 8:24 pm.
  • 007-097 8:24 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald W. Reagan talked on the telephone from 8:24 pm to 8:28 pm.
  • 007-098 8:28 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:28 pm and 8:36 pm.
  • 007-100 8:43 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 8:43 pm.
  • 007-101 8:43 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:43 pm and 8:46 pm.
  • 007-102 8:43 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:43 pm and 8:46 pm.
  • 007-103 8:46 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Patrick J. Buchanan talked on the telephone from 8:46 pm to 8:55 pm.
  • 007-104 8:55 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:55 pm and 8:59 pm.

All 51 conversations from August 12, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 007-099, August 12, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/007-099 (accessed October 9, 2026).