Nixon White House TapesTape 273 › Conversation 273-026

Nixon & Mitchell on Economic Policy and Wage and Price Freeze

Sunday, August 15, 1971 · 5:04 PM–5:10 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Mitchell, John N.Conversation273-026 onTape 273 (tape position 03:46:40–03:50:58)StartSunday, August 15, 1971 at 5:04 PMEndSunday, August 15, 1971 at 5:10 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 273-026 ↗

President Richard Nixon met with John N. Mitchell to finalize preparations for the administration's major economic policy announcement, specifically the upcoming wage and price freeze. The two discussed key components of the new program, including tax incentives, budget cuts, revenue sharing, and the decision to close the gold window. They also coordinated the President's schedule, including an upcoming cabinet meeting and the rollout of his national address regarding these fiscal measures.

Download MP3 (part 1) · 111.9 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 112.0 MB ·Download MP3 (part 3) · 67.9 MB

This conversation has not yet been cut into its own clip, so the player above contains the full tape segment shared with neighbouring conversations. It begins about 03:46:40 into the tape and ends around 03:50:58.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) ·JSON data · Timestamps are positions within the full tape recording.

3:46:40Mewn gwirionedd, rydyn ni wir yn debyg yn gael rhywfaint o gyfleoedd i'w wneud ar hyn o bryd, ond rwy'n meddwl ei fod yn fwy tebyg i'r Chyngor Cymru, lle mae'r cyfnod sy'n dod ar hyn o bryd yn hollbwysig iawn.
3:46:44Ac cyn i'r eraill i gyd ddod allan, a'r cyfnod a'r cyfnod a'r cyfnod a'r cyfnod a'r cyfnod a'r cyfnod a'r cyfnod a'r cyfnod a'r cyfnod a'r
3:46:53Mae yna un adnodd arall sydd wedi dod i mi.
3:46:55Dydw i ddim wedi'i ddweud yn y ffordd hon, ond rydym yn siarad am y prifysgolion yn ei wneud ar hyn o bryd, ac mae'n cael cyngor yma.
3:47:03Felly, ar hyn o bryd, dydw i ddim yn credu y byddwn ni'n gysylltiedig â'r cyngor arall.
3:47:09Beth ydych chi'n ei ddweud?
3:47:10Efallai y byddwch chi eisiau gofyn Neil a Bernie, ond efallai Russell.
3:47:15Dydw i ddim yn gwybod.
3:47:17Maen nhw'n cymryd cymorth i'r holl bethau hyn.
3:47:18Ac yn gyffredinol, rydych chi'n gweld, pan fydd y Cymru allan o'r tŷn, nid oes gennym ni ddiddordeb i'w ysgogi.
3:47:24Ac roedden nhw'n ymwneud â'r busnes yr oedden nhw.
3:47:26Felly dwi'n credu bod rhywbeth yn gweithio allan i'w wneud hefyd.
3:47:31Ond mae'r anodd o wneud hynny ar hyn o bryd yn rhywbeth i'w wneud.
3:47:37Dwi ddim yn siŵr ein bod ni ddylem ysgogi nhw.
3:47:40Dwi ddim yn gwneud hynny.
3:47:50Diolch.
3:49:12Diolch yn fawr.
3:49:15Diolch yn fawr.
3:49:16Diolch yn fawr.
3:49:20Diolch yn fawr.
3:49:30Diolch yn fawr.
3:49:41Mae'n rhaid i mi ddweud, John, y byddwn i'n arwain i'r bobl sy'n gwneud hynny.
3:49:47Mae'n ymwneud â'r busnes ac ati, ac ati, ac ati, ac ati, ac ati, ac ati, ac ati, ac ati, ac ati, ac ati, ac ati, ac ati, ac ati, ac ati, ac ati, ac ati, ac ati, ac ati, ac ati, ac ati, ac ati, ac ati, ac ati.
3:50:06Ie, ie, ie.
3:50:32Rydyn ni'n mynd i ddweud, rydyn ni'n mynd i ddweud, rydyn ni'n mynd i ddweud, rydyn ni'n mynd i
3:51:03Mae'n rhaid i ni wneud hynny mewn unrhyw ffordd.
3:51:10Mae'n rhaid i ni wneud hynny mewn unrhyw ffordd.
3:51:14Mae'n rhaid i ni wneud hynny mewn unrhyw ffordd.
3:51:17Mae'n rhaid i ni wneud hynny mewn unrhyw ffordd.
3:51:24Mae'n rhaid i ni wneud hynny mewn unrhyw ffordd.
3:51:31Mae'n rhaid iddo wneud ffaith rhywbeth.
3:51:35Mae'n rhaid iddo wneud ffaith rhywbeth.
3:51:41Mae'n rhaid iddo wneud ffaith rhywbeth.

On August 15, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and John N. Mitchell met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 5:04 pm to 5:10 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 273-026 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 273-26

Date: August 15, 1971
Time: 5:04 pm - 5:10 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

John N. Mitchell talked with the President.

     President's previous meeting with unknown people
          -Business competition
                 -Steel industry

     President's schedule
          -President’s forthcoming announcement

     President's forthcoming economic program
          -Provisions
                 -Wage and price freeze
                 -Taxes
                       -Investment tax credit
                       -Repeal of automobile excise tax
                       -Personal income tax exemption
                 -Budget cuts
                 -Revenue sharing
          -Timing
          -President's schedule
                 -Cabinet meeting, August 16, 1971
          -Arthur F. Burns’ views
                 -Closing gold window
          -Paul W. McCracken
          -President's forthcoming speech
          -John B. Connally's forthcoming telephone calls
          -Provisions
                 -Wage and price freeze
                       -Duration
                 -Import tax
  • 007-117 4:53 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:53 pm and 9:30 pm.
  • 273-025 4:59 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 4:59 pm and 5:04 pm.
  • 273-027 5:10 PM · 46 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Marjorie P. Acker met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:10 pm and 5:26 pm.
  • 273-028 5:10 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:10 pm and 5:26 pm.
  • 273-029 5:10 PM · 20 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:10 pm and 5:26 pm.
  • 273-030 5:10 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:10 pm and 5:26 pm.
  • 273-031 5:10 PM · 4 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 5:10 pm and 5:26 pm.
  • 273-032 5:26 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 5:26 pm to 5:28 pm.

Conversation 273-026, August 15, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/273-026 (accessed September 18, 2026).