Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 1 › Conversation 001-020

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on Henry Kissinger

Wednesday, April 7, 1971 · 10:20 PM–10:21 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation001-020 on Tape 1 (tape position 00:51:19–00:51:24)StartWednesday, April 7, 1971 at 10:20 PMEndWednesday, April 7, 1971 at 10:21 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 001-020 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon requested that the White House operator place a telephone call to National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger. This brief interaction served solely as a logistical request to initiate communication between the President and his advisor. No further substantive policy matters or decisions were discussed during this brief exchange.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Please.
Not to catch you, please.
Thank you, sir.

NARA Description

On April 7, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:20 pm and 10:21 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 001-020 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 1-20

Date: April 7, 1971
Time: Unknown between 10:20 pm and 10:21 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

     Call to Henry A. Kissinger

Also recorded on April 8, 1971

  • 001-017 10:07 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 10:07 pm to 10:16 pm.
  • 001-018 10:16 PM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:16 pm and 10:20 pm.
  • 001-019 10:20 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 10:20 pm.
  • 001-021 10:21 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 10:21 pm to 10:27 pm.
  • 001-022 10:27 PM · 2 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone from 10:27 pm to 10:28 pm.
  • 001-023 10:28 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods talked on the telephone from 10:28 pm to 10:32 pm.
  • 001-024 10:34 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 10:34 pm.
  • 001-025 10:34 PM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone from 10:34 pm to 10:35 pm.

All 67 conversations from April 8, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 001-020, April 8, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/001-020 (accessed October 12, 2026).