Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 16 › Conversation 016-054

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on John N. Mitchell

Wednesday, December 8, 1971 · 3:39 PM ET · White House Telephone · 7 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation016-054 on Tape 16 (tape position 01:56:00–01:56:06)StartWednesday, December 8, 1971 at 3:39 PMEndWednesday, December 8, 1971 at 3:39 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 016-054 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon initiates a brief telephonic request to the White House operator to be connected with Attorney General John N. Mitchell. The conversation serves as an administrative bridge to facilitate direct communication with the Attorney General. No substantive policy matters are discussed, as the interaction is limited to placing the call.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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

Attorney General Mitchell please.
Thank you sir.

NARA Description

On December 8, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 3:39 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 016-054 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 16-54

Date: December 8, 1971
Time: 3:39 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

[See Conversation No. 307-19]

     Request for a call to John N. Mitchell

Also recorded on December 8, 1971

  • 307-019 3:39 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 3:39 pm.
  • 016-055 3:40 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Arthur S. Flemming talked on the telephone from 3:40 pm to 3:42 pm.
  • 307-020 3:40 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Arthur S. Flemming met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:40 pm to 3:42 pm.
  • 016-056 3:43 PM · 40 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and John N. Mitchell talked on the telephone from 3:43 pm to 3:44 pm.
  • 307-021 3:43 PM · 38 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and John N. Mitchell met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:43 pm to 3:44 pm.
  • 016-057 3:44 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:44 pm and 3:46 pm.
  • 307-022 3:44 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:44 pm and 3:46 pm.
  • 307-023 3:44 PM · 6 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 3:44 pm and 3:46 pm.

All 76 conversations from December 8, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 016-054, December 8, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/016-054 (accessed October 12, 2026).