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Conversation 275-031

TapeTape 275StartTuesday, September 7, 1971 at 5:56 PMEndTuesday, September 7, 1971 at 6:00 PMTape start time02:02:29Tape end time02:05:19ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Connally, John B.Recording deviceOld Executive Office Building
AI Summary

President Nixon and Secretary of the Treasury John Connally discussed economic policy and messaging ahead of upcoming public appearances. Connally emphasized the administration's strong negotiating position regarding Japan, while Nixon focused on refining his rhetoric concerning unemployment and welfare. The pair concluded with an agreement on the necessity of fiscal restraint, specifically linking potential tax cuts to corresponding spending reductions in future speeches.

Economic policyFiscal restraintUS-Japan relationsUnemploymentWelfare reformTaxation
AudioNARA Description

On September 7, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and John B. Connally met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 5:56 pm to 6:00 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 275-031 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 275-31

Date: September 7, 1971
Time: 5:56 pm - 6:00 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with John B. Connally.

[See Conversation No. 8-42
Transcript (AI-Generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

Well, well, if they let you down, you've been back.
I'll be back.
I'm glad to be a part of the whole program.
The only way you're going to keep them down is to load this thing up.
How do you think of that?
How do you think of muskies?
My God, I mean, $100 sure enough for anybody to buy anything but an automobile.
Now, what's that prove?
I don't know.
I just couldn't believe it.
I mean, I... Yeah.
But I just thought, you know, they'll ask you about it tomorrow, I'm sure.
Well, they may not.
They may not.
No.
You know, the... You think the Japanese meeting is...
Oh, don't worry.
Don't worry.
We're in a strong position.
And I feel so strongly that we don't want to let it stoop.
Good, good, good.
Don't worry, I'm going to start closing in.
I don't know how much risk, but you know, you've got to remember what the expectations were.
We've now bought the time.
Sure, sure, sure.
So we're probably going to have some.
We're going to play the game.
You know, it's hard to hear 40,000 numbers.
I think you were right to have an organization like that.
They had 40,000 in one room, you know, in that apartment called The Dark Place.
I've never seen it this size.
The trees look all beautiful.
Oh, they cheered and yelled, you know what I mean?
Particularly what I talked about, the fact that there's people out of work rather than, you know, welfare.
That's what they like to hear.
I'm going to put that in the speech.
I'm going to say that we've got to be restrained, that we can't have tax cuts without the respective cuts, right?
Okay.
I got it.
Thank you.
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