Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 1 › Conversation 001-148

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on Henry Kissinger

Sunday, April 18, 1971 · 1:18 PM–1:28 PM ET · White House Telephone ·4 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  White House operatorConversation001-148 onTape 1 (tape position 04:48:40–04:48:55)StartSunday, April 18, 1971 at 1:18 PMEndSunday, April 18, 1971 at 1:28 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 001-148 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon directs the White House operator to place a telephone call to National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger. This brief interaction serves as a routine administrative request to facilitate direct communication between the President and his advisor. No substantive policy discussions occur, as the call functions solely to connect the two parties.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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. Kessinger, please.
Thank you.

NARA Description

On April 18, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:18 pm and 1:28 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 001-148 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 1-148

Date: April 18, 1971
Time: Unknown between 1:18 pm and 1:28 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

     Call to Henry A. Kissinger

Also recorded on April 18, 1971

  • 001-145 10:23 AM · 12 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 10:23 am to 10:35 am.
  • 001-146 10:41 AM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 10:41 am to 10:48 am.
  • 001-147 10:48 AM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:48 am and 11:12 am.
  • 001-149 1:18 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:18 pm and 1:28 pm.
  • 001-150 1:28 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 1:28 pm to 1:36 pm.
  • 001-151 1:38 PM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:38 pm and 1:52 pm.
  • 001-152 1:38 PM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:38 pm and 1:52 pm.
  • 001-153 1:52 PM · 24 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 1:52 pm to 2:16 pm.

All 15 conversations from April 18, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 001-148, April 18, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/001-148 (accessed September 18, 2026).