Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 254 › Conversation 254-020

Nixon & Rogers on International Trade and Economic Policy

Monday, May 31, 1971 · 6:30 PM–6:38 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Rogers, William P.Conversation254-020 on Tape 254 (tape position 01:36:09–01:38:40)StartMonday, May 31, 1971 at 6:30 PMEndMonday, May 31, 1971 at 6:38 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 254-020 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Secretary of State William P. Rogers discuss maintaining a firm bargaining position regarding international trade and economic policy. They reflect on recent public appearances, specifically addressing national morale and the President's attendance at a Memorial Day event at West Point. The conversation concludes with an emphasis on balancing domestic political pressures with a responsible approach to economic management.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Hello?

Good evening, Arnie.

What?

You finished?

You finished all the work?

Right.

Sure.

I just got back from San Diego.

We're going to the cities.

I, uh, plan to play a very cool, I'm not saying a little off, uh, particularly, you know, scene.

Come on.

Or is there anything, is there anything positive I can throw at you?

I try to say, naturally, if they ask anything, I try to say, well, it wasn't a deal.

You're right.

Keep that bargaining position.

All that.

There are very big pressures, I'm sure, on the left in this country.

On the whole problem of the tech trade and the metal on that.

I know it's not even, by all means, that's the goal we've been working for for a year.

We are now in the process of starting to shape up the development.

It was good for Americans, I mean, particularly, which we need.

We need to make sure we have control over the economy.

I'm sure the media is now all over the place, totally, or what is on everything.

If there's anything that's left out,

Try to fight a battle and be responsible.

How do they put Memorial Day over there?

Yeah.

I don't know if somebody's putting me down.

I think I was wet, but I went to West Point for that reason.

Had a really good rain for me.

I mean, well, status and everything's going to hell and everybody has got to be, you know, you know, they know the rest and they want to feel like, my God, it's still a pretty good country.

I mean, the Delaware.

Exactly, yeah, right.

I'll give you that.

Okay.

Bye.

NARA Description

On May 31, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and William P. Rogers met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 6:30 pm to 6:38 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 254-020 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 254-20

Date: May 31, 1971
Time: 6:30 pm - 6:38 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with William P. Rogers

[See Conversation No. 3-203]

Also recorded on May 31, 1971

003-202 6:20 PM · 38 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 6:20 pm.
254-018 6:20 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 6:20 pm.
254-019 6:20 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:20 pm and 6:30 pm.
003-203 6:30 PM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and William P. Rogers talked on the telephone from 6:30 pm to 6:38 pm.
003-204 6:38 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 6:38 pm to 6:42 pm.
254-021 6:38 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 6:38 pm to 6:42 pm.
003-205 6:42 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:42 pm and 6:50 pm.
254-022 6:42 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 6:42 pm and 6:50 pm.

All 50 conversations from May 31, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 254-020, May 31, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/254-020 (accessed October 12, 2026).