Nixon White House Tape 545 (July 24, 1971)

Nixon, Haldeman & Kissinger

President Nixon met with H.R. Haldeman, Henry Kissinger, John Ehrlichman, and Alexander Butterfield to coordinate the administration's response to ongoing leaks of classified national security information. The President directed that all staff with access to sensitive documents be subjected to polygraph tests to identify the sources, expressing deep frustration with the Department of State and the Department of Defense. Additionally, the participants reviewed the status of Vietnam peace negotiations and planning for the President's forthcoming diplomatic initiative with the People's Republic of China.

Connally

President Nixon and Treasury Secretary John Connally discussed strategies to project confidence in the American economy while addressing public perceptions of a recession. They explored ways to frame the administration’s economic policy as bold and forward-thinking, drawing parallels between upcoming economic initiatives and the President’s recent foreign policy breakthroughs with the People's Republic of China. The conversation emphasized the need to improve U.S. global competitiveness against rising pressure from Europe, Japan, and the Soviet Union, ultimately settling on the message, "Make America competitive again."

Nixon, Ehrlichman & Haldeman

President Nixon met with H.R. Haldeman, John Ehrlichman, and Egil Krogh to discuss strategies for curbing unauthorized leaks of government information and managing economic policy. The President directed that high-level officials and staff with top-secret access undergo polygraph examinations to identify leakers, specifically targeting a suspected individual within the Department of Defense. Additionally, the participants discussed the administration's strained relationship with Federal Reserve Chairman Arthur Burns, ultimately deciding to adopt a 'cool treatment' strategy to pressure him, while also considering efforts to influence the Federal Reserve's composition and independence.