Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 582 › Conversation 582-002

Nixon & Haldeman on Economic policy and Price controls

Thursday, September 30, 1971 · 2:22 PM–2:50 PM ET · Oval Office · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob")Conversation582-002 on Tape 582 (tape position 00:04:49–00:07:11)StartThursday, September 30, 1971 at 2:22 PMEndThursday, September 30, 1971 at 2:50 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 582-002 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 417179047 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and H. R. Haldeman met to discuss the preparation and framing of a forthcoming economic policy statement. Nixon emphasized the need for a concise, punchy document that clarifies the administration's stance on price increases and clearly defines responsibility for current economic conditions. He instructed Haldeman to oversee the drafting process, coordinating with staff such as Raymond Price and Patrick Buchanan to ensure the message is delivered effectively.

Audio

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NARA Description

On September 30, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:22 pm and 2:50 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 582-002 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 582-002

Date: September 30, 1971
Time: Unknown between 2:22 pm and 2:50 pm
Location: Oval Office

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

     Economic statement
         -Office of Management and Budget [OMB]

                 -Instruction for Haldeman
                 -Type of statement
                       -Preparation
                 -Price increases
                 - Office of Management and Budget [OMB]
                 - Raymond K. Price, Jr.
                 -Patrick J. Buchanan
                 -Substance of statement
                       -Responsibility for economic conditions
                 -Length of statement

Haldeman left at an unknown time before 2:25 pm.

Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 1 minute of this recording (about 52% 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).

When you get after that, somebody needs to go and read the statement on this.
I don't know if it's stronger, but that's the statement they were saying.
I'm not going to tell you what to say this time.
I'm off that.
I'm prepared.
They've got to say it.
It's got to be a punchy, punchy, strong state.
He said, this vehicle was not in the public interest area that it harmed.
That's the way to say it.
To say it in a way that it means that the price increases for you.
I don't understand.
I don't mean that.
It's the way that you drive it.
It's the inner road that you're going to be.
But you don't mean that the price is going to put all the better on you.
That's the way it is.
I'm not going to give you the words and take down my words.
I know I'm amused.
But what I meant is that responsibility for the country's
also going on.
It's much too long.
It's about making sure that all substances are created on the planet.
It's a short conversation.
That's fine.

Also recorded on September 30, 1971

  • 010-038 2:12 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles G. ("Bebe") Rebozo talked on the telephone from 2:12 pm to 2:15 pm.
  • 010-039 2:15 PM · 24 sec — Alexander P. Butterfield, White House operator, and Toni Sidley talked on the telephone on an unknown date, sometime between 2:15 pm on September 30, 1971 and 8:56 am on October 5, 1971.
  • 582-001 2:15 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:15 pm and 2:22 pm.
  • 582-003 2:25 PM · 20 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:25 pm to 2:50 pm.
  • 582-004 2:50 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:50 pm and 2:54 pm.
  • 582-005 2:50 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:50 pm and 2:54 pm.
  • 078-003 2:54 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Democratic Congressmen from the South, including Tom Bevill, Omar Burleson, William M. Colmer, David N. Henderson, Alton A. Lennon, George H. Mahon, Olin E. ("Tiger") Teague, Joe D. Waggonner, Jr., John D. Ehrlichman, George P. Shultz, Clark MacGregor, and Richard K. Cook, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House from 2:54 pm to 3:35 pm.
  • 582-006 3:38 PM · 16 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Souvanna Phouma, Prince Khammao, Alex Toumayan, and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House from 3:38 pm to 4:10 pm.

All 28 conversations from September 30, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 582-002, September 30, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417179047). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/582-002 (accessed November 12, 2026).