Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 19 › Conversation 019-011

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on William L. Safire

Wednesday, January 19, 1972 · 2:34 PM–3:43 PM ET · White House Telephone · 6 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation019-011 on Tape 19StartWednesday, January 19, 1972 at 2:34 PMEndWednesday, January 19, 1972 at 3:43 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 019-011 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon initiates a request to the White House operator to place a telephone call to speechwriter and advisor William L. Safire. The brief interaction serves as a functional bridge to facilitate a direct communication line between the President and his staff member. No policy matters or substantive political issues were discussed during this 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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Sapphire please.
Thank you Mr. President.

NARA Description

On January 19, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:34 pm and 3:43 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 019-011 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 19-11

Date: January 19, 1972
Time: Unknown between 2:34 pm and 3:43 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

[See Conversation No. 315-18]

     Request for a call to William L. Safire

Also recorded on January 19, 1972

  • 651-013 1:15 PM · 17 sec — United States Secret Service agents and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 1:15 pm and 11:59 pm.
  • 019-007 1:40 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:40 pm and 1:43 pm.
  • 019-008 1:43 PM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Walter R. Tkach talked on the telephone from 1:43 pm to 1:44 pm.
  • 019-009 2:15 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:15 pm and 2:29 pm.
  • 019-010 2:29 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John B. Connally talked on the telephone from 2:29 pm to 2:34 pm.
  • 019-012 3:43 PM · 47 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and William L. Safire talked on the telephone from 3:43 pm to 3:44 pm.
  • 019-013 3:58 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 3:58 pm to 3:59 pm.
  • 019-014 4:30 PM · 42 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower talked on the telephone from 4:30 pm to 4:31 pm.

All 30 conversations from January 19, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 019-011, January 19, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/019-011 (accessed October 17, 2026).