Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 17 › Conversation 017-168

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on Henry Kissinger

Monday, January 3, 1972 · 12:30 AM ET · White House Telephone · 13 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation017-168 on Tape 17 (tape position 06:24:36–06:24:50)StartMonday, January 3, 1972 at 12:30 AMEndMonday, January 3, 1972 at 12:30 AMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 017-168 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon initiated a late-night phone call through the White House operator to reach National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger. The primary purpose of the contact was to facilitate an urgent discussion following Kissinger's prior return call. The interaction concludes with the operator confirming the attempt to locate and connect Kissinger to the President.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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

Waiting.
Dr. Kissinger, please.
Thank you, sir.
He returned your call incidentally, and I understood you had retired, but I'll get him for you, sir.
Bye.
Thank you, sir.

NARA Description

On January 3, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 12:30 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 017-168 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 17-168

Date: January 3, 1972
Time: 12:30 am
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

     Request for a call to Henry A. Kissinger

Also recorded on January 3, 1972

  • 017-161 11:35 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 11:35 pm.
  • 017-162 11:36 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 11:36 pm to 11:42 pm.
  • 017-163 11:42 PM · 2 sec — unknown person(s) and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:42 pm and 11:44 pm.
  • 017-164 11:42 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:42 pm and 11:44 pm.
  • 017-165 11:44 PM · 24 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods talked on the telephone from 11:44 pm to 11:45 pm.
  • 017-166 11:45 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone on an unknown date, sometime between 11:45 pm on January 2, 1972 and 12:29 am on January 3, 1972.
  • 017-167 12:29 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles G. ("Bebe") Rebozo talked on the telephone from 12:29 am to 12:30 am.
  • 017-169 12:31 AM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 12:31 am to 12:45 am.

All 105 conversations from January 3, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 017-168, January 3, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/017-168 (accessed October 23, 2026).