Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 2 › Conversation 002-085

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on Melvin R. Laird

Wednesday, May 5, 1971 · 10:15 AM–10:30 AM ET · White House Telephone · 5 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation002-085 on Tape 2 (tape position 03:09:39–03:09:45)StartWednesday, May 5, 1971 at 10:15 AMEndWednesday, May 5, 1971 at 10:30 AMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 002-085 ↗ · National Archives Catalog, NAID 417188131 ↗

A 5-second recording. What it contains is described by the archivists' log below; no AI summary is shown for recordings this short.

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On May 5, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:15 am and 10:30 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 002-085 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 2-85

Date: May 5, 1971
Time: Unknown between 10:15 am and 10:27 am
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

[See Conversation No. 491-17]

     Call to Melvin R. Laird

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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.
Secretary Laird, please.
Yes, Mr. President.
  • 002-083 10:15 AM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:15 am and 10:30 am.
  • 002-084 10:15 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Harry F. Byrd, Jr. talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:15 am and 10:30 am.
  • 491-015 10:15 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:15 am and 10:27 am.
  • 491-016 10:15 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Harry F. Byrd, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:15 am and 10:27 am.
  • 491-017 10:15 AM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:15 am and 10:27 am.
  • 491-018 10:15 AM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:15 am and 10:27 am.
  • 491-019 10:15 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:15 am and 10:27 am.
  • 002-086 10:27 AM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Melvin R. Laird talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:27 am and 10:33 am.

Conversation 002-085, May 5, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives (NAID 417188131). Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/002-085 (accessed November 2, 2026).