Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 278 › Conversation 278-055

Nixon & Kissinger on US-Soviet relations and Mack Truck deal

Thursday, September 16, 1971 · 11:15 AM–11:48 AM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.Conversation278-055 on Tape 278 (tape position 02:50:35–02:52:55)StartThursday, September 16, 1971 at 11:15 AMEndThursday, September 16, 1971 at 11:48 AMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 278-055 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Henry Kissinger discussed the political management of the Mack Truck deal with the Soviet Union, emphasizing the need for a swift and effective public relations strategy to address political fallout. The two also coordinated the President’s messaging regarding the UN Security Council vote on China, specifically focusing on the US stance on Taiwan. Additionally, they reviewed protocol for a potential meeting with Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko and addressed the broader implications of US policy toward Vietnam.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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On this Mack truck thing, are you sure we are not at fault?
Remember, I've been pressing on that thing because it's a hell of a hot political issue.
But when it comes, could I just respectfully suggest, do it fast and get a hell of a lot of enlisting on it because we haven't got any adequate thing that might be called forward on long-term care.
It's a very important and handsome matter on this field.
I want that personally to be, I mean, I don't want St. Peter's to jump on it, but I want it personally to be pulled over.
so that he gets to me at the earliest possible time of the PR plan when it's okay.
So it's been a problem.
If I'm asked incidentally about seeing Gromyko, should it be said or not?
Well, I won't give the date.
I don't know the date.
But nevertheless, if that's a, sorry, if that was a question, the date, yeah.
The Red China...
the State Department sent out the support council, the county's security council.
That, of course, is what was inevitable.
But that position is one thing.
In other words, we just say, that is our position, period.
I'll go through Gantt Park, and I'll come back and say what I want to say.
Do you think I need, you know, do you think State's got to say hello to them?
I'll just say, I'm going to keep it very, very brief.
We support one, we oppose the other, and we're doing everything we can in an effective way.
This is one effective way to do it.
That says the United States should have been cut off.
They would choose government, the couple, the situation, and the assessment that we see won't be discussed.
I don't know whether to comment.
No?
Okay.

NARA Description

On September 16, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 11:15 am and 11:48 am. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 278-055 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 278-55

Date: September 16, 1971
Time: Unknown between 11:15 am and 11:48 am
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with Henry A. Kissinger.

     Foreign policy
          -Us-Soviet Union relations
                -Mack Truck deal
                -Arrival
                -Publicity
                      -Gerald R. Ford
                -Peter G. Peterson
                -Public relations plan
          -Andrei A. Gromyko's forthcoming arrival in the US for United Nations [UN] session
                -Timing
          -People’s Republic of China [PRC]
                -UN Security Council
                -US position on Taiwan, Republic of China
                      -State Department
                            -Message
                      -President’s forthcoming statement
          -Vietnam
                -US aid
                      -Communist takeover

Also recorded on September 16, 1971

  • 009-038 10:48 AM · 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon and F. Edward Hébert talked on the telephone from 10:48 am to 10:57 am.
  • 278-051 10:48 AM · 24 min — President Richard M. Nixon, F. Edward Hébert, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 10:48 am to 10:57 am.
  • 009-039 11:15 AM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:15 am and 11:48 am.
  • 278-052 11:15 AM · 11 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 11:15 am and 11:48 am.
  • 278-053 11:15 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 11:15 am and 11:48 am.
  • 278-054 11:15 AM · 9 sec — 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 11:15 am and 11:48 am.
  • 278-056 11:15 AM · 7 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 11:15 am and 11:48 am.
  • 009-040 11:48 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and George P. Shultz talked on the telephone from 11:48 am to 11:50 am.

All 52 conversations from September 16, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 278-055, September 16, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/278-055 (accessed October 12, 2026).