Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 19 › Conversation 019-039

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on Henry Kissinger

Sunday, January 23, 1972 · 10:04 PM–10:07 PM ET · White House Telephone · 8 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation019-039 on Tape 19StartSunday, January 23, 1972 at 10:04 PMEndSunday, January 23, 1972 at 10:07 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 019-039 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon initiates a brief telephone exchange with the White House operator to request a connection to National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger. This casual interaction serves as a logistical bridge to facilitate an urgent communication between the President and his top foreign policy aide. No further policy discussions or substantive developments occur during this short bridge 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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Yes, sir?
I'd like a kiss on your face.
Thank you.

NARA Description

On January 23, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:04 pm and 10:07 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 019-039 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 19-39

Date: January 23, 1972
Time: Unknown between 10:04 pm and 10:07 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

     Request for a call to Henry A. Kissinger

Also recorded on January 24, 1972

  • 019-040 10:07 PM · 23 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 10:07 pm to 10:31 pm.
  • 653-001 8:58 AM · 12 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:58 am and 10:04 am.
  • 653-002 8:58 AM · 22 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:58 am and 10:04 am.
  • 653-003 8:58 AM · 26 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:58 am and 10:04 am.
  • 653-004 8:58 AM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:58 am and 10:04 am.
  • 653-005 8:58 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 8:58 am and 10:04 am.
  • 088-001 10:04 AM · 6 min — during the signing of the 1973 Budget Message, President Richard M. Nixon and staff members of the Office of Management and Budget, including Samuel M. Cohn, Mark W. Alger, Charles E. Benton, David Bray, Lawrence Breese, Velma N. Baldwin, Philip Dame, Donald A. Derman, Lynn Etheredge, C. William Fischer, James M. Frey, Wilmer Hunt, John F. Hurley, Walter W. Haase, Joseph Laitin, Susanne Lind, Hugh F. Loweth, Theodore C. Lutz, C. Peter Modlin, Jr., Philip MacDonald, Dale R. McOmber, Douglas Norwood, Wilfred H. Rommel, Wesley K. Sasaki, Glenn R. Schleede, Julius Shiskin, Richard Stubbing, Reardon Sullivan, Daniel H. Taft, Barbara Torrey, James D. Tschirigi, Milton Turen, Ellis H. Veatch, Joyce Walker, Charles Kraus, Frank C. Carlucci, III, and Raymond Clarke; and possibly William H. Kohlberg, William A. Niskanen, William H. Taft, IV, David P. Taylor, George P. Shultz, Caspar W. ("Cap") Weinberger, Arthur B. Laffer, William L. Gifford, Charles R. Perry, Dwight A. Ink, Kenneth W. Dam, Donald B. Rice, and Paul H. O'Neill, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House at an unknown time between 10:04 am and 11:59 pm.
  • 653-006 10:04 AM · 24 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Henry A. Kissinger, unknown person(s), Rose Mary Woods, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 10:04 am and 10:34 am.

All 54 conversations from January 24, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 019-039, January 24, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/019-039 (accessed October 12, 2026).