Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 17 › Conversation 017-141

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on Henry Kissinger

Sunday, January 2, 1972 · 12:28 PM–12:39 PM ET · White House Telephone · 8 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation017-141 on Tape 17 (tape position 05:10:50–05:10:58)StartSunday, January 2, 1972 at 12:28 PMEndSunday, January 2, 1972 at 12:39 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 017-141 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon initiated a brief telephone communication with the White House operator to request an urgent connection with his National Security Advisor, Henry A. Kissinger. This administrative call served as a logistical step to facilitate direct consultation between the President and Kissinger regarding sensitive foreign policy or security matters. No substantive discussion occurred beyond the request to place 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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Dr. Kissinger, please.

NARA Description

On January 2, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:28 pm and 12:39 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 017-141 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 17-141

Date: January 2, 1972
Time: Unknown between 12:28 pm and 12:39 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

[See Conversation No. 311-40]

     Request for a call to Henry A. Kissinger

Also recorded on January 2, 1972

  • 017-139 12:12 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 12:12 pm.
  • 311-037 12:12 PM · 19 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 12:12 pm.
  • 311-038 12:12 PM · 33 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 12:12 pm and 12:24 pm.
  • 017-140 12:24 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 12:24 pm to 12:28 pm.
  • 311-039 12:24 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 12:24 pm to 12:28 pm.
  • 311-040 12:28 PM · 19 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 12:28 pm and 12:39 pm.
  • 017-142 12:39 PM · 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 12:39 pm to 12:48 pm.
  • 311-041 12:39 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 12:39 pm to 12:48 pm.

All 39 conversations from January 2, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 017-141, January 2, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/017-141 (accessed October 12, 2026).