Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 29 › Conversation 029-011

Nixon phone call with Ehrlichman on Export restrictions and Hides bill

Friday, August 4, 1972 · 9:04 AM–9:05 AM ET · White House Telephone · 1 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ehrlichman, John D.Conversation029-011 on Tape 29StartFriday, August 4, 1972 at 9:04 AMEndFriday, August 4, 1972 at 9:05 AMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 029-011 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and John Ehrlichman discussed a legislative development regarding the export of animal hides, expressing frustration over a House vote that took place without proper administration coordination. Nixon expressed concern that the restrictive nature of the bill was driven by the Department of Commerce rather than George Shultz's office. Ehrlichman was tasked with investigating the source of the legislative error and providing a follow-up briefing to the President.

Audio

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NARA Description

On August 4, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman talked on the telephone from 9:04 am to 9:05 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 029-011 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 29-11

Date: August 4, 1972
Time: 9:04 am - 9:05 am
Location: White House Telephone

John D. Ehrlichman talked with the President.

[See Conversation No. 761-2A]

     Economy
         -Hides bill
              -Congressional vote
                     -Administration efforts
                        -George P. Shultz's office
                        -Department of Commerce

                                -Peter G. Peterson
                -The President’s view
                -Restrictions
                     -Exports
                     -Effect on prices
          -Ehrlichman's forthcoming briefing

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Yeah.
Thank you.
Yes, sir.
On this business of the...
I'll just take a second here.
On this business of the hides, I noticed something in the news summary on it where the House is, of course, voted on it, and I really want to know who the hell screwed that up.
All right.
You don't know which?
It wasn't the Schultz office?
No, I believe it was Commerce.
But I'll find Peterson.
Peterson, right.
Well, as I told you, John, that might be a good trade-off, but it's a trade-off only if we can move before the Congress does something that forces tomorrow.
All right.
I'd hope you could get somebody on it right away.
I just can't believe...
What I mean is it moves in the way I think Schultz might not have been in because it moves in a more restrictive way.
It keeps the hides in the United States.
Right.
It says you can't export them.
Right.
Well, in an effort to fight the domestic market.
Yeah, in an effort basically to have more hides here.
Right.
To pull the price down.
Right.
But anyway, you see what I mean.
I'll be back to you.
All right.
Let me know.
Go ahead with the briefing.
Right.

Also recorded on August 4, 1972

  • 761-001 8:26 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:26 am and 8:56 am.
  • 761-002 8:56 AM · 19 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Charles W. Colson, John D. Ehrlichman, and Zosimo T. Monzon met in the Oval Office of the White House from 8:56 am to 10:22 am.
  • 029-012 10:22 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and unknown person(s) talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:22 am and 10:24 am.
  • 761-003 10:22 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, Manolo Sanchez, and Tricia Nixon Cox met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:22 am and 10:25 am.
  • 029-013 10:24 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Tricia Nixon Cox talked on the telephone from 10:24 am to 10:25 am.
  • 029-014 10:25 AM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:25 am and 10:36 am.
  • 761-004 10:25 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:25 am and 10:36 am.
  • 761-005 10:25 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:25 am and 10:36 am.

All 38 conversations from August 4, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 029-011, August 4, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/029-011 (accessed November 15, 2026).