Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 3 › Conversation 003-214

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on Henry A. Kissinger

Thursday, May 20, 1971 · 8:00 PM–8:11 PM ET · White House Telephone · 5 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation003-214 on Tape 3 (tape position 01:59:03–01:59:09)StartThursday, May 20, 1971 at 8:00 PMEndThursday, May 20, 1971 at 8:11 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 003-214 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon initiates a brief telephone call through the White House operator to connect with his National Security Advisor, Henry A. Kissinger. The exchange serves solely as a logistical request to facilitate direct communication between the President and Kissinger. No substantive policy discussions occur during this short administrative interaction.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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

Yes he is.
Dr. Kissinger please.
Thank you Mr. President.

NARA Description

On May 20, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:00 pm and 8:11 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 003-214 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 003-214

Date: May 20, 1971
Time: Unknown between 8:00 pm and 8:11 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

     Call to Henry A. Kissinger

Also recorded on May 21, 1971

  • 003-103 8:11 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 8:11 pm to 8:12 pm.
  • 003-215 8:12 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:12 pm and 8:14 pm.
  • 003-104 8:14 PM · 45 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 8:14 pm to 8:16 pm.
  • 003-105 8:25 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 8:25 pm to 8:27 pm.
  • 003-106 8:28 PM · 26 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone from 8:28 pm to 8:29 pm.
  • 003-107 7:32 AM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:32 am and 9:37 am.
  • 503-001 8:13 AM · 1 hr 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Henry A. Kissinger, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:13 am and 9:25 am.
  • 503-002 9:25 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 9:25 am and 9:37 am.

All 40 conversations from May 21, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 003-214, May 21, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/003-214 (accessed October 12, 2026).