Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 283 › Conversation 283-026

Nixon & Kissinger on Byrd Amendment and Chrome imports

Wednesday, October 6, 1971 · 11:10 AM–11:36 AM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.Conversation283-026 on Tape 283 (tape position 02:14:22–02:17:25)StartWednesday, October 6, 1971 at 11:10 AMEndWednesday, October 6, 1971 at 11:36 AMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 283-026 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Henry Kissinger discussed legislative strategy regarding the Byrd amendment on chrome, focusing on the need to manage relations with Senator Harry F. Byrd, Jr. and the broader implications for Congress. The conversation also touched upon the administration's stance on the PRC and upcoming messaging efforts, including the preparation of the President's Phase II economic speech. Kissinger committed to coordinating with Clark MacGregor to ensure key political allies were reassured and remained aligned with the administration's objectives.

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 59% 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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
I don't think you get a chance to do any more talking to them.
They have to do their thing.
We're going to have to sort of deal with the black metal, which is malicious.
One of these days, they're going to make out to get the world with them.
They'll be coming in and they'll join the war.
It hurts the environment.
You know, it's evident.
Yeah.
That's all.
That's right.
You're, uh, okay.
You're still right here.
Okay.
Sorry, I'm holding things up.
Well, I need you to be able to pay more attention to what you said.
And I'm, uh, I'm being critical.
I don't know what to say.
That was better.
They know goddamn well, and they're smart enough to know that this could possibly happen in 48 hours.
They know it very well.
And I think this is a case of their, it would be a case of their, what do you call them?
It's so clever.
Yeah.
That's all I can say.
I know that it shouldn't be him, but he would be responsible if he's not going.
He knows better than Patterson.
He may have told him, though, maybe that's not very good news.
It's kind of your responsibility, or is it just a good reason not to talk to him about it?
No, I could just say that I'm going to do it today.
I don't want to do anything weird.
It's me, that's me.
Oh, did you get the bird man in the chat?
I'll talk to McGregor and work it out.
McGregor is...
The bird should be reassured.
No, I don't want to be serving them.
They're going to think that we screwed them on an issue.
It's above the rules.
The whole human events, the nutcrackers, are behind us too.
And we never want to be with the nuts.
For that reason.
But on the other hand, where we really aren't against it, we should have to take the heat for it.
And if you agree, you have to have the degree to understand.
You have to have the degree to understand.
You have to have the degree to understand.
You have to have the degree to understand.
You have to have the degree to understand.
If you have anything else to say, between 3 and 4, I'll be here.
I won't have a draft until 4 o'clock.
Thank you.

NARA Description

On October 6, 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 11:10 am and 11:36 am. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 283-026 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 283-026

Date: October 6, 1971
Time: Unknown between 11:10 am and 11:36 am
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with Henry A. Kissinger.

     Vietnam
          -Environment

     Peking

     State Department
           -William P. Rogers
           -Statements on forthcoming People’s Republic of China [PRC] trip

     Congress
         -Clark MacGregor
         -Harry F. Byrd, Jr.
              -Chrome amendment
              -Position

     The President's schedule
          -Work on Phase II speech

Also recorded on October 6, 1971

  • 283-024 11:10 AM · 4 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 11:10 am and 11:36 am.
  • 283-025 11:10 AM · 8 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 11:10 am and 11:36 am.
  • 283-027 11:10 AM · 5 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 11:10 am and 11:36 am.
  • 010-076 11:36 AM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 11:36 am to 11:39 am.
  • 283-028 11:36 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 11:36 am to 11:39 am.
  • 010-077 11:39 AM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:39 am and 11:44 am.
  • 010-078 11:39 AM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:39 am and 11:44 am.
  • 283-029 11:39 AM · 10 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 11:39 am and 11:44 am.

All 110 conversations from October 6, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 283-026, October 6, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/283-026 (accessed October 12, 2026).