Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 20 › Conversation 020-091

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on Henry Kissinger

Monday, February 14, 1972 · 10:22 PM–10:32 PM ET · White House Telephone · 14 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation020-091 on Tape 20 (tape position 02:54:14–02:54:28)StartMonday, February 14, 1972 at 10:22 PMEndMonday, February 14, 1972 at 10:32 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 020-091 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon instructed the White House operator to place an urgent telephone call to his National Security Advisor, Henry Kissinger. The President expressed a desire to reach Kissinger despite acknowledging uncertainty regarding whether he had returned to his office or residence. This brief administrative exchange served solely to facilitate direct communication between the President and his top foreign policy aide.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Operator, would you ring Dr. Kissinger?
He may not be back to his office or home yet, but it's time to get there.
All right.
Thank you.
You're welcome.

NARA Description

On February 14, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:22 pm and 10:32 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 020-091 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 20-91

Date: February 14, 1972
Time: Unknown between 10:22 pm and 10:32 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 15, 1972

  • 671-005 7:09 PM · 1 min — United States Secret Service agents and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 7:09 pm and 11:59 pm.
  • 020-092 10:32 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 10:32 pm to 10:40 pm.
  • 020-093 10:40 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:40 pm and 10:42 pm.
  • 020-094 10:42 PM · 10 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 10:42 pm to 10:52 pm.
  • 020-095 9:02 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Julie Nixon Eisenhower talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:02 am and 10:21 am.
  • 672-002 9:12 AM · 3 hr 34 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, unknown person(s), Rose Mary Woods, Ronald L. Ziegler, Julie Nixon Eisenhower, Dwight L. Chapin, White House operator, Tricia Nixon Cox, Henry A. Kissinger, Alexander P. Butterfield, and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:12 am to 12:47 pm.
  • 020-096 10:30 AM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:30 am and 10:45 am.
  • 020-097 10:45 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Tricia Nixon Cox talked on the telephone from 10:45 am to 10:47 am.

All 15 conversations from February 15, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 020-091, February 15, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/020-091 (accessed October 2, 2026).