Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 18 › Conversation 018-016

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on Henry Kissinger

Sunday, January 9, 1972 · 12:39 PM–12:41 PM ET · White House Telephone · 10 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation018-016 on Tape 18 (tape position 00:25:35–00:25:44)StartSunday, January 9, 1972 at 12:39 PMEndSunday, January 9, 1972 at 12:41 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 018-016 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon initiates a brief telephone exchange with the White House operator to request a connection to National Security Advisor Henry A. Kissinger. This interaction serves as an administrative bridge to facilitate direct communication between the President and his advisor regarding ongoing national security matters. The conversation concludes once the operator confirms the request to place the call.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Yes, please.
Dr. Kissinger, please.
Thank you.

NARA Description

On January 9, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:39 pm and 12:41 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 018-016 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 18-16

Date: January 9, 1972
Time: Unknown between 12:39 pm and 12:41 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

[See Conversation No. 312-2]

     Request for a call to Henry A. Kissinger

Also recorded on January 9, 1972

  • 312-001 12:39 PM · 33 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:39 pm and 12:41 pm.
  • 312-002 12:39 PM · 1 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:39 pm and 12:41 pm.
  • 312-003 12:39 PM · 22 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:39 pm and 12:41 pm.
  • 018-017 12:41 PM · 12 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 12:41 pm to 12:52 pm.
  • 312-004 12:41 PM · 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 12:41 pm to 12:52 pm.
  • 018-018 12:52 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:52 pm and 12:55 pm.
  • 312-005 12:52 PM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:52 pm and 12:55 pm.
  • 312-006 12:52 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:52 pm and 12:55 pm.

All 29 conversations from January 9, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 018-016, January 9, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/018-016 (accessed September 20, 2026).