Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 878 › Conversation 878-012

Nixon & Ehrlichman on Food prices and Cabinet meetings

Tuesday, March 13, 1973 · 12:29 PM–12:42 PM ET · Oval Office · 37 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ehrlichman, John D.Conversation878-012 on Tape 878StartTuesday, March 13, 1973 at 12:29 PMEndTuesday, March 13, 1973 at 12:42 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 878-012 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and John Ehrlichman discussed the upcoming 3:00 p.m. meeting with Cabinet officers, specifically focusing on the administration's stance on food prices. Nixon directed Ehrlichman to include members of the stockpile group and emphasized his intention to aggressively confront the attendees regarding these economic concerns. This meeting served as a strategic planning session for managing Cabinet expectations and policy messaging.

Audio

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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John, on this meeting at 3 o'clock, I don't want to limit the food price.
I want those jackasses from that stockpile group and then maybe the others, because that'll help, too.
OK, good.
Because they said here, food price, people might just want to be sure.
And then I want them there.
And I intend to really rip them of that.
All right, good.

NARA Description

On March 13, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:29 pm and 12:42 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 878-012 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 878-12

Date: March 13, 1973
Time: Unknown between 12:29 pm and 12:42 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President talked with John D. Ehrlichman.

       Meeting with Cabinet officers
            -Attendance
                  -Food prices
                  -Stockpile group
                  -US Navy

Also recorded on March 13, 1973

  • 118-003 12:03 PM — unknown person(s) met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 12:03 pm and 3:13 pm.
  • 878-008 12:03 PM · 13 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Gen. B. A. Schriever, Harold R. Baker, Reginald E. Cole, Fred R. Boyett, Glenn R. Dickerson, Capt. William D. Harkins, Col. A. L. Schalbrack, John V. Vinciguerra, Mary Olmsted, Henry A. Carrington, B. N. McVay, Bernard E. Kelly, Reginald Johnson, Joseph Perry, Charles McMillan, Carl Kamp, Brian Usilaner, Norman Peterson, Earl L. Butz, William P. Rogers, William E. Simon, Elliot L. Richardson, Dixy Lee Ray, Caspar W. ("Cap") Weinberger, Arthur F. Sampson, Roy L. Ash, and Robert E. Hampton met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:03 pm and 12:16 pm.
  • 878-009 12:17 PM · 11 min — President Richard M. Nixon, James H. Cavanaugh, Renee Vincent, Dr. Clarence Vincent, Mrs. Dr. Clarence Vincent, Philip Roos, and Mrs. Curtis Knighton met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:17 pm to 12:29 pm.
  • 118-005 12:29 PM — unknown person(s) met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 12:29 pm and 3:13 pm.
  • 878-010 12:29 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:29 pm and 12:42 pm.
  • 878-011 12:29 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:29 pm and 12:42 pm.
  • 878-013 12:29 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 12:29 pm and 12:42 pm.
  • 878-014 12:42 PM · 1 hr 25 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and John W. Dean, III met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:42 pm to 2:00 pm.

All 43 conversations from March 13, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 878-012, March 13, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/878-012 (accessed October 12, 2026).