Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 7 › Conversation 007-127

Nixon phone call with Kennedy on Wage-price freeze and Economic policy

Sunday, August 15, 1971 · 10:03 PM–10:05 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Kennedy, David M.Conversation007-127 on Tape 7 (tape position 04:40:37–04:42:21)StartSunday, August 15, 1971 at 10:03 PMEndSunday, August 15, 1971 at 10:05 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 007-127 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and David M. Kennedy discussed the strategic necessity of the recently announced wage-price freeze, agreeing that proactive executive action was essential to preempt adverse Congressional intervention. They reviewed the domestic and international economic pressures that necessitated the decision, noting that delaying the measure would have been politically and economically disastrous. The conversation concluded with Nixon encouraging Kennedy to travel to Europe to manage the international diplomatic fallout and reassure foreign partners.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Hello Dave, how are you?

Well, I think we had to do it, Dave.

You'll set us up for some of the other things that you and I know we're working on.

And also, if we hadn't done it today, the Congress would have forced us to do something the wrong way.

That's right.

We're going to do it the right way.

Well, Wilbur was pushing for that.

Right.

But apart from that, the international thing required the kind of action he took.

I talked to John Connolly and Colville.

Yeah, John told me.

Oh, yes, yes.

And I was glad that you went along with it.

It was a tough thing.

Well, it's not easy.

Combs was very much opposed to it.

But I just felt that they said, well, you might do your domestic things and all these other things would come into play.

But we might have to crisis next year.

So I said, bite the bullet now.

Let's do that.

Don't you agree?

If we had done that, we'd have to do the other later.

That would be murder later.

That's right.

This was the action that I had in mind.

Well, I appreciate it very much.

We'll have a talk.

You'll be at the cabinet meeting tomorrow?

Yes, I will.

Good.

I think that I may go over to Europe.

Oh, boy.

You may have to.

I know.

I thought I'd go over there.

Good.

You can hold their hand.

Yeah.

Good.

Very good.

Dave, good of you to call.

Thank you.

NARA Description

On August 15, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and David M. Kennedy talked on the telephone from 10:03 pm to 10:05 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 007-127 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 7-127

Date: August 15, 1971
Time: 10:03 pm - 10:05 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with David M. Kennedy.

     Wage-price freeze speech
          -Kennedy's reaction
         -Congress
               -Wilbur D. Mills
         -International monetary issue
               -Kennedy's talk with John B. Connally and Paul A. Volcker
               -Charles Coombs (?)
               -Domestic issues
                     -Timing

     Kennedy's schedule
         -Cabinet meeting
         -Europe

Also recorded on August 16, 1971

007-122 9:46 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John B. Connally talked on the telephone from 9:46 pm to 9:50 pm.
007-123 9:50 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 9:50 pm.
007-124 9:50 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and William P. Rogers talked on the telephone from 9:50 pm to 9:55 pm.
007-125 9:55 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 9:55 pm.
007-126 9:56 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John N. Mitchell talked on the telephone from 9:56 pm to 10:02 pm.
007-128 10:05 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 10:05 pm.
007-129 10:06 PM · 15 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 10:06 pm to 10:21 pm.
007-130 10:21 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 10:21 pm.

All 88 conversations from August 16, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 007-127, August 16, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/007-127 (accessed October 7, 2026).