Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 454 › Conversation 454-003

Nixon, Haldeman & Ehrlichman on Inflation and Media coverage

Friday, February 19, 1971 · 4:59 PM–5:08 PM ET · Oval Office · 8 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Ehrlichman, John D.; Bull, Stephen B.Conversation454-003 on Tape 454 (tape position 00:07:10–00:15:22)StartFriday, February 19, 1971 at 4:59 PMEndFriday, February 19, 1971 at 5:08 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 454-003 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with H. R. Haldeman, John Ehrlichman, and Stephen Bull to discuss the administration's frustration with media coverage of inflation statistics and to coordinate the upcoming Quadriad meeting. Nixon expressed concern over inconsistent reporting between outlets regarding economic data and emphasized the importance of ensuring John Connally's dominant role in his economic team. The discussion also briefly touched upon a recent attack involving a Soviet diplomat's vehicle.

Audio

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This clip was extracted from the full tape recording by Easy Nixon.

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Position in tape: 00:07:10 – 00:15:22

part A, 6:24

454a.mp3

454b.mp3

454c.mp3

NARA Description

On February 19, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:59 pm to 5:08 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 454-003 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 454-3

Date: February 19, 1971
Time: 4:59 pm - 5:08 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman

     Inflation rate
           -Press stories
                 -Washington Star
                       -Administration policies

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 8s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

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                -Accuracy
                     -Haldeman’s figures
                     -New York Times
                     -National Broadcasting Company [NBC]
                     -Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
                -Washington Post
                -CBS
                -Charles W. Colson

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 2m 42s ]

[The President talked with John D. Ehrlichman at an unknown time between 4:59
                                                                     Conv.    pm454-3
                                                                            No.  and 5:08
                                                                                      (cont.)
pm]

[Conversation No. 454-3A]

Show the rest of the log (37 more lines)

[End of telephone conversation]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 4:59 pm

     The President’s schedule
          -John B. Connally
          -Forthcoming meeting

Bull left at an unknown time before 5:08 pm

     Quadriad
         -Connally
              -Role
         -Arthur F. Burns

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 2m 8s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

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     Attack on car of Soviet diplomat
          -News story

     President’s schedule
          -Quadriad

Haldeman left at 5:08 pm

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.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).

I did check.

In December and November, the seasonally adjusted and the in-adjusted were the same.

There was no difference.

They screwed us on.

The adjusted we have .5 and the unadjusted was .6.

And the New York Times headline used the .5 that the Starman Post book used the .6.

The NBC used the .6.

CBS recorded one of the watches that he raised and CBS thought it was a great setback for .6.

I mean, I mean, I'm supposed to let that in.

I just really feel the honor.

And then call.

I'm going to race up to the back here.

What the hell happened to you here, Kevin?

— 2 min 44 s with no transcribed speech —

Yeah, we'll be ready as soon as he comes.

Okay, he's gonna be on the right.

Yeah, when you get it right here in, it's on your shoulder.

I remember Mr. Craig, Secretary of Trade, he has got to be my man.

You see, Parker can't be my man.

See, Connolly ranks all the others, and he gets supposed to say he's the ranking member there.

But even assuming that the other is ranking with the White House, Parker is not the President's man.

That's not the way out.

— 2 min 11 s with no transcribed speech —

Huge as blowing up the Russian Donau wheels.

Oh no.

I'm going to go out.

All right.

That's not the quadrant I love.

Also recorded on February 19, 1971

453-002 3:59 PM · 58 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:59 pm and 4:00 pm.
453-003 4:00 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Melia Black, Pamela Southall, Orville Black, Hilary Black, Rosemary Manarin, Betty Fountain, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:00 pm to 4:05 pm.
453-004 4:06 PM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald C. Romas, Linda McQuaig, Glenn Wilson, Jay Morris, Joseph Abate, Robert C. Odle, Jr., and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 4:06 pm to 4:11 pm.
453-005 4:11 PM · 5 min — United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:11 pm and 4:52 pm.
454-001 4:11 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander P. Butterfield, Manolo Sanchez, Ronald L. Ziegler, White House operator, Rose Mary Woods, and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:11 pm and 4:59 pm.
454-002 4:54 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:54 pm and 4:59 pm.
454-004 5:08 PM · 1 hr 39 min — President Richard M. Nixon, George P. Shultz, Paul W. McCracken, Arthur F. Burns, John B. Connally, Ronald L. Ziegler, Rose Mary Woods, the White House photographer, and members of the press met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:08 pm to 6:34 pm.
454-005 6:34 PM · 19 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 6:34 pm and 6:46 pm.

All 30 conversations from February 19, 1971 →

Nixon, Connally & Colson on Press relations and Economic policy August 16, 1971 · 3 min
Nixon phone call with Connally on Public Relations and Press Strategy October 5, 1971 · 3 min
Nixon phone call with Meany on Inflation and Organized Labor October 12, 1971 · 2 min
Nixon, Connally & Woods on Economic Policy and Federal Reserve March 18, 1971 · 58 min
Nixon, Ehrlichman & Burns on Economic Policy and Balance of Payments April 14, 1971 · 27 min
Nixon, McCracken & Connally on Economic policy and Unemployment July 22, 1971 · 45 min

Cite this conversation

Conversation 454-003, February 19, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/454-003 (accessed November 2, 2026).