Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 2 › Conversation 002-087

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on White House operator

Wednesday, May 5, 1971 · 12:43 PM–1:13 PM ET · White House Telephone · 3 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation002-087 on Tape 2 (tape position 03:15:44–03:15:49)StartWednesday, May 5, 1971 at 12:43 PMEndWednesday, May 5, 1971 at 1:13 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 002-087 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon directed the White House operator to place a telephone call to John W. Dean, III. This brief exchange served as an administrative bridge to facilitate direct communication between the President and his White House Counsel. The conversation concluded once the connection to Dean was successfully initiated.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

John Dean.
Thank you, sir.

NARA Description

On May 5, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:43 pm and 1:13 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 002-087 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 2-87

Date: May 5, 1971
Time: Unknown between 12:43 pm and 1:13 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

[See Conversation No. 491-33B]

     Call to John W. Dean, III

Also recorded on May 5, 1971

  • 491-030 12:11 PM · 14 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, Samuel M. Cohn, Mrs. Samuel M. Cohn, U. Alexis Johnson, Edward F. Knipling, Mrs. Edward F. Knipling, Fred Leonard, Mrs. Fred Leonard, Mrs. George H. Willis, George H. Willis, Robert E. Hampton, John B. Connally, Clifford M. Hardin, George P. Shultz, and Frederic V. Malek met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:11 pm to 12:23 pm.
  • 491-031 12:23 PM · 17 min — President Richard M. Nixon, John G. Tower, Robert D. ("Bob") Lee, Jill Lee, A. J. ("Bob") Blasé, Richard A. Moore, Stephen B. Bull, and Oliver F. ("Ollie") Atkins met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:23 pm to 12:43 pm.
  • 002-088 12:43 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John W. Dean, III talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:43 pm and 1:13 pm.
  • 491-032 12:43 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at 12:43 pm.
  • 491-033 12:43 PM · 25 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, unknown person(s), White House operator, and John W. Dean, III met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:43 pm to 1:13 pm.
  • 491-034 1:13 PM · 1 min — United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:13 pm and 3:00 pm.
  • 042-087 1:16 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:16 pm and 3:00 pm.
  • 042-088 1:16 PM · 55 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Peter M. Flanigan talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:16 pm and 3:00 pm.

All 77 conversations from May 5, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 002-087, May 5, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/002-087 (accessed October 12, 2026).