Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 200 › Conversation 200-010

Nixon phone call with Ehrlichman on Food Prices and Price Freeze

Wednesday, August 9, 1972 · 10:19 AM–1:47 PM ET · Camp David Hard Wire · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ehrlichman, John D.Conversation200-010 on Tape 200StartWednesday, August 9, 1972 at 10:19 AMEndWednesday, August 9, 1972 at 1:47 PMRecording deviceCamp David Hard WireSourceNixon Library record for 200-010 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon directed John Ehrlichman to develop a strategy for addressing rising food prices and automobile industry labor practices. Concerned that food inflation could erode Republican support in the Midwest and Texas, Nixon proposed meeting with industry leaders to threaten a price freeze unless consumer costs were lowered. Additionally, the President discussed pressuring auto manufacturers to increase hiring in light of their strong sales and profits, tasking Ehrlichman and other advisors with formulating a formal recommendation on these economic interventions.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 2 minutes of this recording (about 79% of it) is represented by only a few words. Listen to the audio rather than relying on the text below; a corrected transcript is queued.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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It feels very strongly that we should not have a reasonable food crisis.
It feels that this might jeopardize the strength that we know as ours in the far rural areas in the Midwest and the states of Texas.
Whereas it might be marginal in terms of cutting our losses in the food price issue.
He believes, however, that we, I might be the one to call in the top change starting team, as well as the Packers.
And y'all wrote them hard with high publicity on passing on the savings and paying prices to the public and simply warning them that they don't do so.
There's nothing that they're on the risk of a freeze.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
It will probably be before the antivirus comes out.
The idea is better to avoid the fact that it comes out, but that puts us in the telephone.
All right?
And I don't think the story is getting the right picture out of that.
Discuss this with the public.
And post it.
Don't raise it with the media.
and possibly run itself and give me a recommendation.
Very correct.
He also feels as far as auto manufacturing is concerned that I should call in privately but they should add workers in this period of enormous sales and extraordinary profits.
This one.
I don't believe I want to be in that position, but I think it shows.
I need to break them down and give them a good word of all that I've said to tell them not to get used to it.
They have to recognize that that's the only problem in our area in the event that we don't respond to that problem.

NARA Description

On August 9, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:19 am and 1:47 pm. The Camp David Hard Wire taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 200-010 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 200-10

Date: August 9, 1972
Time: Unknown between 10:19 am and 1:47 pm
Location: Camp David Hard Wire

The President dictated a memorandum to John D. Ehrlichman.

     Food prices
         -Possible freeze
               -John B. Connally’s view
                     -Effects on Republican strength
                         -Midwest
                         -Texas
                         -Cities
                     -The President’s possible role
                         -Canning industry
                         -Meat packers
                         -Connally
                         -George P. Shultz
                         -Timing
                                 -Consumer Price Index [CPI]
                                 -California
                     -H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman
                     -Charles W. Colson
                     -Donald H. Rumsfeld
                     -Shultz

     Automobile manufacturers
         -Employment
               -Sales
               -Profits
         -Shultz
               -Instructions from the President

Also recorded on August 9, 1972

  • 200-005 10:19 AM · 47 sec — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:19 am and 1:47 pm.
  • 200-006 10:19 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:19 am and 1:47 pm.
  • 200-007 10:19 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:19 am and 1:47 pm.
  • 200-008 10:19 AM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:19 am and 1:47 pm.
  • 200-009 10:19 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:19 am and 1:47 pm.
  • 200-011 10:19 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:19 am and 1:47 pm.
  • 200-012 10:19 AM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:19 am and 1:47 pm.
  • 200-013 10:19 AM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 10:19 am and 1:47 pm.

All 23 conversations from August 9, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 200-010, August 9, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/200-010 (accessed October 12, 2026).