Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 14 › Conversation 014-070

Nixon phone call with Kissinger on John J. McCloy

Thursday, November 11, 1971 · 7:24 PM–7:26 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operator; Kissinger, Henry A.Conversation014-070 on Tape 14 (tape position 02:11:49–02:13:40)StartThursday, November 11, 1971 at 7:24 PMEndThursday, November 11, 1971 at 7:26 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 014-070 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Henry Kissinger discuss the potential appointment of John J. McCloy to the administration. Seeking to avoid the complications of a Cabinet-level position, Nixon decides to offer McCloy a role specifically within the National Security Council focusing on European matters. This decision aims to utilize McCloy's expertise while limiting his influence over broader administrative concerns.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Dr. Kissinger, Mr. President.
Yeah.
Mr. President.
Hello.
Mr. President.
Yeah.
You asked me to call you back.
Must have been about something earlier.
I was, uh...
No, I'm just looking here.
Nothing.
I was taking a shower.
Oh, yeah.
Wait a minute.
Wait a minute.
Wait a minute.
Let me see.
That's right.
You're going out.
Let me just check a minute.
It's over at the desk.
Just a second.
Oh, yeah, I know what it was.
With regard to McCloy in the morning, rather than saying a member of the cabinet, why don't we tell him I want to make him a member of the National Security Council?
It's more important.
It doesn't involve all the cabinet crap, you see, which means nothing.
And, you know, I can always add something.
How did that sound to you?
Well, he just has to be on the National Security Council for European matters.
Well...
He'll be a pain in the neck.
Just say, for the National Security Council, European matters or anything indirectly or directly involving them.
Right.
I don't even mind him being on, you know, because... Well, he could be a pain in the neck.
All right, I see.
Fine.
National Security Council for all European matters.
Right.
The Cabinet thing is a little bit of a problem because we've got so many jackasses there already and it doesn't look too much.
Okay?
Right, Mr. President.
All right.
Have fun tonight.
Bye.
Bye.

NARA Description

On November 11, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 7:24 pm to 7:26 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 014-070 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 14-70

Date: November 11, 1971
Time: 7:24 pm - 7:26 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

     Henry A. Kissinger

Kissinger talked with the President.

     Return call

     Kissinger's schedule

     John J. McCloy
          -Possible role with administration
               -Cabinet and National Security Council [NSC]

Also recorded on November 12, 1971

  • 014-065 7:11 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and William Proxmire talked on the telephone from 7:11 pm to 7:13 pm.
  • 014-066 7:13 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:13 pm and 7:15 pm.
  • 014-067 7:13 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:13 pm and 7:15 pm.
  • 014-068 7:15 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 7:15 pm to 7:19 pm.
  • 014-069 7:22 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 7:22 pm.
  • 014-071 7:30 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Charles G. ("Bebe") Rebozo talked on the telephone from 7:30 pm to 7:39 pm.
  • 014-072 7:40 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower talked on the telephone from 7:40 pm to 7:45 pm.
  • 014-073 7:46 PM · 43 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 7:46 pm to 7:47 pm.

All 93 conversations from November 12, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 014-070, November 12, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/014-070 (accessed October 12, 2026).