Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 12 › Conversation 012-002

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on Donald H. Rumsfeld

Wednesday, October 20, 1971 · 3:00 PM–3:06 PM ET · White House Telephone · 7 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation012-002 on Tape 12 (tape position 00:08:28–00:08:34)StartWednesday, October 20, 1971 at 3:00 PMEndWednesday, October 20, 1971 at 3:06 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 012-002 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon initiates a request to the White House operator to place a telephone call to Donald H. Rumsfeld. The brief exchange serves as a procedural step for the President to establish communication with his advisor. No further substantive policy matters were discussed during this brief request.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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

Rumsfeld, please.

NARA Description

On October 20, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:00 pm and 3:06 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 012-002 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 012-002

Date: October 20, 1971
Time: Unknown between 3:00 pm and 3:06 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

[See Conversation No. 282-11]

     Request for call to Donald H. Rumsfeld

Also recorded on October 20, 1971

  • 282-009 2:47 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:47 pm to 2:51 pm.
  • 012-001 2:51 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon and William P. Rogers talked on the telephone from 2:51 pm to 3:00 pm.
  • 282-010 2:51 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon and William P. Rogers met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:51 pm to 3:00 pm.
  • 282-011 3:00 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:00 pm and 3:06 pm.
  • 012-003 3:06 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Donald H. Rumsfeld talked on the telephone from 3:06 pm to 3:10 pm.
  • 282-012 3:06 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Donald H. Rumsfeld met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:06 pm to 3:10 pm.
  • 282-013 3:10 PM · 17 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:10 pm and 3:15 pm.
  • 282-014 3:15 PM · 26 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Alexander M. Haig, Jr., H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:15 pm to 3:42 pm.

All 83 conversations from October 20, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 012-002, October 20, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/012-002 (accessed September 28, 2026).