Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 20 › Conversation 020-085

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on Henry Kissinger

Wednesday, February 9, 1972 · 2:51 PM–3:36 PM ET · White House Telephone · 10 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation020-085 on Tape 20 (tape position 02:33:45–02:33:55)StartWednesday, February 9, 1972 at 2:51 PMEndWednesday, February 9, 1972 at 3:36 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 020-085 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon contacted the White House operator to facilitate an immediate telephone connection with his National Security Advisor, Henry A. Kissinger. This brief administrative interaction served as the necessary logistical step to initiate a high-level consultation between the two men. No substantive policy matters were discussed during this request for communication.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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NARA Description

On February 9, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:51 pm and 3:36 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 020-085 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 20-85

Date: February 9, 1972
Time: Unknown between 2:51 pm and 3:36 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

     Request for a call to Henry A. Kissinger

Also recorded on February 9, 1972

  • 020-084 2:52 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone from 2:52 pm to 2:57 pm.
  • 321-011 2:52 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:52 pm to 2:57 pm.
  • 321-012 2:57 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:57 pm and 3:15 pm.
  • 321-013 2:57 PM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:57 pm and 3:15 pm.
  • 321-014 3:15 PM · 16 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Manolo Sanchez, and John D. Ehrlichman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:15 pm to 3:40 pm.
  • 020-086 3:36 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 3:36 pm to 3:38 pm.
  • 020-087 3:38 PM · 2 min — H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, White House operator, President Richard M. Nixon, and Patrick J. Buchanan talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:38 pm and 11:59 pm.
  • 321-015 3:40 PM · 32 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building on an unknown date, sometime between 3:40 pm on February 9, 1972 and 12:29 pm on March 8, 1972.

All 53 conversations from February 9, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 020-085, February 9, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/020-085 (accessed October 2, 2026).