Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 566 › Conversation 566-014

Nixon, Haldeman & Kissinger on Economic Policy and US-USSR Relations

Tuesday, August 17, 1971 · 2:55 PM–3:23 PM ET · Oval Office

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Kissinger, Henry A.Conversation566-014 on Tape 566 (tape position 02:54:50–03:18:34)StartTuesday, August 17, 1971 at 2:55 PMEndTuesday, August 17, 1971 at 3:23 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 566-014 ↗

President Nixon consulted with H.R. Haldeman regarding upcoming travel schedules and the need for a series of speeches to maintain public momentum for his new economic program. Following Haldeman's departure, Henry Kissinger joined the discussion to coordinate the timing of upcoming summit announcements with the Soviet Union and China. The participants strategized that these diplomatic breakthroughs would provide a necessary psychological lift to the nation and effectively distract from media criticism regarding Vietnam and the economy.

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This conversation has not yet been cut into its own clip, so the player above contains the full tape segment shared with neighbouring conversations. It begins about 02:54:50 into the tape and ends around 03:18:34.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Timestamps are positions within the full tape recording.
2:55:49Yeah, you can talk to him.
2:55:52I'll get this back.
2:55:53Please.
2:55:54Tommy, what is this?
2:56:30What you do is simply go visit a campsite, look at the lake, and I want you to know, sir, you do not obtain anything out of that.
2:57:00You're all alone.
2:57:00You've got a cabinet all to yourself.
2:57:01You and Julie live in a very nice house currently, and it's isolated from the other area, and that's it.
2:57:03And you have lots of time to see all that out there.
2:57:47It's a remarkable government.
2:58:23But it's your cell phone.
2:58:24I don't want to say that.
2:58:24You're going to say it in 40 seconds, is it?
2:58:25I don't think you should.
2:58:26I'm not going to prefer it.
2:58:26You shouldn't use the numbers anyway.
2:58:27But I want them.
2:58:27I want them.
2:58:28That's the way you get them all done.
2:58:58I've been through them all.
2:58:59Oh, at least it was on Italian.
2:58:59Because, you know, they were talking about speaking for 10 minutes.
2:59:01And I've been in them all before the collection.
2:59:02I didn't get confirmed in all the parts I've been sawed here on it.
2:59:03George Hill.
2:59:03I've been in Louisiana.
2:59:04Mississippi.
2:59:30They may not be counting like Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
2:59:32Rhode Island, I would think they would have counted.
2:59:33I can see why they might not count Massachusetts.
2:59:34I'll turn it up because our trip models are more down to just those.
3:00:16It's on down here.
3:00:43This is Munster, South Dakota, isn't it?
3:00:44Oh, yeah, the college library.
3:00:45Library.
3:00:45General Eagle College.
3:00:45We've done Minnesota, Wisconsin.
3:00:46Yeah, this is in the campaign.
3:00:46Green Bank.
3:00:47Green Bank.
3:00:47That's right.
3:00:47We've got a town for a holiday to keep this true, but... Go ahead.
3:00:48We've got some possible events in the next three weeks to keep the momentum here.
3:01:15We've got to remember to revive it again.
3:01:16Your point is to make speeches.
3:01:17Our people have got to say, we're fighting the plague.
3:01:56Because if you get all this boost now, then if you get a recharge on it, the Congress comes back because it'll get a whole new thing.
3:01:59It's a congressional thing.
3:01:59It starts going again.
3:02:00The market at 230 was up 10 points.
3:02:00It started at 899.
3:02:01It may bust to 900.
3:02:27It's, uh, it's picking up steam through the day rather than losing it, so.
3:02:29Yeah.
3:02:29It's amazing.
3:02:29Oh, boy.
3:02:29I think it smells like a specialist in the lab.
3:02:30See, somebody had this smell.
3:03:39The content of it was that negative.
3:03:39It really wasn't.
3:03:40It was a question about media attack, violent proportions.
3:03:41Well, I think it really was.
3:03:41So what he did is launch a media attack back the other way, really.
3:03:43I really think that's it.
3:03:43It's the media, isn't it?
3:04:24I don't have anybody, but I agree with the editor now, and I have to do so much of it myself.
3:04:59You gotta find one guy.
3:05:32I don't really want him to come back.
3:05:33Because this guy right here, I think he may be a, what we call a speech giver, rather than a speech writer, the guy.
3:05:35Okay.
3:05:35Come on.
3:05:36Come on, let's talk before the meeting, before 11.
3:05:37Yeah, I understand what that was like.
3:05:38I'll have to get a lot of firecrackers to do the reading.
3:05:39Well, they agreed to the signing date of the, I don't know if I should ever worry about it.
3:06:07to work it out.
3:06:09On the summit, he says he's got to go back.
3:06:11He looked at the draft, and he said that looks fine to him.
3:06:15But he isn't authorized to agree to it.
3:06:19But he thinks there's no problem.
3:06:55We'll never get credit for it, but this is significant.
3:06:56Oh, yeah, he's in good form.
3:06:57Oh, he's a good man.
3:07:27in a big way when he moved.
3:07:28I said, yes, in everything.
3:07:28I said, it's dangerous to crowd him.
3:07:30And I think that's the lesson.
3:07:31There's still a lot of people on the door from this.
3:07:33I don't know.
3:07:33I think it's true.
3:07:50But what that meant to me, Rockefeller was almost beside himself.
3:07:54Well, he could be more honest with me than with you.
3:07:57Anyway, it's... all he said is a revolution.
3:08:33and the rest.
3:08:33But on the other hand, what I think will save us is that the economy, even if we haven't done this, is going to move.
3:08:35But we have to get the country to need a psychological lift that free living gets done.
3:08:37This is more psychology.
3:08:37The country needs a psychological lift.
3:08:38This gives them a psychological lift.
3:08:39Every day is one of the icing on the cake.
3:08:40It doesn't matter when we get it.
3:09:02It's time that they got here.
3:09:02The media has just really, I guess, been thinking about what they put us through.
3:09:04They put this country through, not only through our communities, but through the last couple of years of Johnson.
3:09:07But they've already done that.
3:09:08These young kids and the rest, that's why the kids have gone bad.
3:09:09It's absolutely unconscionable.
3:09:10And one could see that they were trying to say,
3:09:40The minute you took that away from them, they shifted to the economy.
3:09:43They were weeks when you didn't hear about the economy.
3:09:46Suddenly, they started this.
3:09:48Now they've lost the economy.
3:09:49They'd rather go back to foreign policy, for at least.
3:09:53Then we'll put them between the eyes again.
3:10:08Oh, uh, that stuff.
3:10:08What was the date of the victory?
3:10:09May 22nd.
3:10:09They won't go around with you again, Mr. President.
3:10:10They didn't announce it on September 15th.
3:10:11Well, it's like I gave them an extra day, 50 per 60.
3:10:12If you let me give them another day, you'll have to decide on the 22nd, and I'll give you a choice.
3:10:14Well, then you should do research, and it's a good day.
3:10:45Yeah, he said, why don't you set a date with China?
3:10:48I said, well, he was relaxed.
3:10:51He said, are they making demands?
3:10:54I knew they always make demands.
3:10:55And I said, no, it's a very satisfactory relationship.
3:11:01And he said, you know, we want you to know we're trying to restrain the Indians.
3:11:05That's a good thing.
3:11:06I don't think he wants to tie himself to those.
3:11:14to discuss China and Peking, India and Peking.
3:11:15I said, look, I won't go into what I discussed in Peking, but we have our own fish to drive in Peking.
3:11:17That's true.
3:11:17Well, what other plans now?
3:11:18Are you going to go to California and stay?
3:11:19No, no.
3:11:53again on September 13th.
3:11:55I don't expect much to happen until the election.
3:12:00I won't go.
3:12:03Well, it was a close call.
3:12:06The reason I
3:12:28We had offered them eight points and hit them.
3:12:32If they don't attack, then we have got through the Vietnamese election campaign without being hit, without them to be affected.
3:12:42And I have to go anyway to set up my trip and to get the details begun for you.
3:12:46So for all these reasons, it's a close decision, though.
3:12:50I will not go again after that.
3:13:04It has one advantage.
3:13:06If we go on the 11th or 13th, I get these two alternates.
3:13:11It has, it has, and then we don't settle it, which I don't think we will.
3:13:18Then on the 15th and 16th, they get hit with a Russian announcement.
3:13:24That can be a real show to them.
3:13:29Awesome.
3:13:40He said to me it will make a settlement more slow, but more sure.
3:13:43And he's absolutely right.
3:13:47I think part of their stalling is to show us that they were not pressured into it by the Chinese.
3:13:58What they will see, Mr. President, is that their two big allies are dealing with us before the war in Vietnam is ended.
3:14:12is to make sure that they don't screw it all up because they obviously have their own fish to fry.
3:14:18So even if the Soviet Union doesn't do anything, it brings direct pressure.
3:14:26The mere fact that they are seeing you, that they're pushing you, pushing them on page 50 again for a month or two while people are yakking them, I should be changing this again.
3:14:39We've got them off the front pages, no matter what happens, until the middle of November.
3:14:43I asked them for their address, I think, probably early in October.
3:14:46What do you say?
3:14:47Anything we say, they'll do.
3:14:48End of September.
3:15:08Announce the Russian summit and then two weeks later announce the Japanese summit.
3:15:10That would make it about September 29th.
3:15:11Yeah, September 30th.
3:15:11Well, September 30th we had the accidental war signing.
3:15:13Oh, I see.
3:15:13Well, then... Well, my good man, it isn't all that important.
3:15:14We could announce it September 20th.
3:15:15Yeah, I'd say September 20th.
3:15:16Go a week after the Russian thing.
3:15:39A little bit later, the other Russians will leave.
3:16:02No, Bill, he's got to deal with us.
3:16:02I mean, he's got to deal with us for a while now.
3:16:03You know, these Democrats haven't had enough sauce in a bad way, too.
3:16:05I mean, despite their heartache and the old hungry and the now hungry's battle, a little bit, Muskie and Teddy haven't said a word about this economic.
3:16:08I mean, here's the biggest economic story in 30 years.
3:16:09In fact, it's taken two days.
3:16:37which I think will get the news, isn't it?
3:16:38Big news, man, who gets it done.
3:16:39You know, why didn't he get it?
3:16:40Why does he get off on the Viagra kick and not this kick?
3:16:42What gets into him?
3:16:56He is outdated, Mr. President.
3:16:57I don't think that's the matter anymore.
3:17:01I think, but if you manage to think...
3:17:06I mean, we are really within sight now.
3:17:08If I were in Hanoi, I just wouldn't... First of all, we've made Vietnam a small country in Asia.
3:17:21foreign policy Johnson had, and therefore the slightest twitch was a headline.
3:17:29I mean, now if they start twitching and screwing up the peace trips of a president, what can they do?
3:17:38I mean, supposing they start an attack while you're preparing to go to Peking, which would be the 10th period.
3:17:46I wouldn't bet that the American public would turn against you.
3:17:52They might do it against Sam at that point.

On August 17, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:55 pm to 3:23 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 566-014 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 566-14

Date: August 17, 1971
Time: 2:55 pm - 3:23 pm
Location: Oval Office

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

     President's schedule
          -Grand Tetons
                 -Speech

          -Itinerary
                -Sightseeing
          -Rogers C.B. Morton
          Accommodations
                -Cabin
                       -Julie Nixon Eisenhower
     -Forthcoming speech at Veterans of War [VFW] meeting
          -Draft
                -John K. Andrews, Jr.
     -Idaho Falls
     -Montana, Oregon, Washington
     -[Emperor of Japan] Hirohito
          -Alaska
     -Michigan
     -Previous trips to states
          -The South
          -Idaho
          -James Byrnes
                -South Carolina
          -Number
                -Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi
                -Massachusetts, Rhode Island
                -Trip files
                -Oregon, Washington, Montana, Alaska, Michigan
                -Idaho, Wyoming
                -Arkansas, Texas, New Mexico, South Dakota, North Dakota
          -Karl E. Mundt
                -General Beadle College
          -Green Bay, Wisconsin

National economy
     -President's program
           -John B. Connally's role
                 -Momentum
           -Public reaction
                 -Polls
                 -Possible speeches
                       -Inflation, employment
                 -Charles W. Colson
           -Effect
                 -Congress

                -Reaction
                     -Stock market
                          -Volume
                          -Traders
                          -News media
                               -Possible Administration response

     President's speeches
          -President’s schedule

     President’s schedule
          -Women’s meeting

     President’s speeches
          -Milk producers
          -Preparation
                -Thomas R. Shepard, Jr. of Look magazine
                      -Speechwriter

Henry A. Kissinger entered and Haldeman left at 3:07 pm.

     Stock market

     US-Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR] relations
         -Kissinger's conversation With Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
               -Accidental War Treaty
                     -Signing
                           -Timing
                                 -William Rogers
               -President's forthcoming Summit meeting
                     -Announcement
                           -Timing
                     -Trip
                           -Timing
         -Berlin
               -[David] Kenneth Rush
                     -Message
               -Dobrynin
         -The President’s second term
         -Kissinger's conversation with Dobrynin
               -President's economic program

National economy
     -President's program
           -Kissinger's conversations
                 -Nelson A. Rockefeller
                      -1930’s
                 -Jacob K. Javits
                      -Statement
           -1972 election
           -Administration
                 -Wage and price freeze
           -Public psychology
                 -Vietnam
                 -USSR

News media
    -Attack on presidential policy
         -Lyndon B. Johnson
         -Youth
         -Vietnam
               -July 15, 1971
               -Madame Binh
               -Negotiating points
         -National economy
               -Issue

US-USSR relations
    -President's forthcoming Summit meeting
          -Announcement
                -Timing
    -Kissinger’s conversation with Dobrynin
          -People's Republic of China [PRC]
          -India
          -Kissinger's conversations in PRC
                -India

Kissinger's schedule
     -Children
     -Vietnam negotiations
           -Possible trip
           -Elections

          -Eight Points
          -Le Duc Tho
          -Eight Points
          -Possible North Vietnamese attacks
          -PRC
               -Kissinger’s and the President’s trips

Vietnam
     -Negotiations
         -Announcement of President's forthcoming trip to Moscow
         -President's forthcoming trip to PRC
                -Connally's conversation with Kissinger
         -Pace
                -PRC
         -Possible effect of USSR and PRC invitations to the President

Kissinger's forthcoming trip to PRC
     -Announcement
           -Timing
                 -Compared to USSR summit announcement

President's schedule
     -Andrei A. Gromyko
            -Kissinger’s conversation with Dobrynin

National economy
     -President's program
           -Reaction
                 -Hubert H. Humphrey
                 -Edmund S. Muskie, Edward M. Kennedy

Kennedy
    -Trip to India
          -Pakistan
                -Claim
                     -Possible effect
    -Biafra
    -Constituency

     Vietnam
          -President's policy
          -Johnson's policy
          -Possible military activities
                -President's forthcoming trips
                      -Possible reaction by Americans
          -Negotiations
                -Prospects
                -US troop withdrawals
                      -Prisoners of War [POWs]
                      -Cease-fire
                      -Schedule

     Kissinger's schedule

     Javits
           -Relationship with the Administration
           -Schedule
                -San Clemente
                      -Kissinger
                      -The President

     Kissinger’s schedule
          -The announcement
                -PRC

Kissinger left at 3:23 pm.
  • 008-025 2:25 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Tricia Nixon Cox talked on the telephone from 2:25 pm to 2:28 pm.
  • 566-010 2:25 PM · 11 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Tricia Nixon Cox met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:25 pm to 2:28 pm.
  • 008-120 2:28 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:28 pm and 4:12 pm.
  • 566-011 2:28 PM · 58 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:28 pm and 2:42 pm.
  • 566-012 2:42 PM · 10 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:42 pm to 2:45 pm.
  • 566-013 2:45 PM · 46 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:45 pm and 2:55 pm.
  • 566-015 3:23 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:23 pm to 3:26 pm.
  • 566-016 3:26 PM · 29 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 3:26 pm and 4:12 pm.

Conversation 566-014, August 17, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/566-014 (accessed October 12, 2026).