Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 20 › Conversation 020-126

Nixon phone call with Kissinger on China policy and William P. Rogers

Tuesday, February 29, 1972 · 8:52 PM–8:57 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operator; Kissinger, Henry A.Conversation020-126 on Tape 20 (tape position 04:19:42–04:22:04)StartTuesday, February 29, 1972 at 8:52 PMEndTuesday, February 29, 1972 at 8:57 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 020-126 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Henry Kissinger discuss logistics for upcoming travel to Florida and coordinate the messaging for Kissinger’s interactions with the Nixon family. The conversation addresses reports of skepticism from Secretary of State William P. Rogers regarding the President’s China policy, which Nixon and Kissinger dismiss as a lack of understanding. The two reaffirm their control over foreign policy strategy, specifically regarding China, the Soviet Union, and Vietnam negotiations.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Hello.

Hello, Henry?

I've got it all set up.

If you go on the 4 o'clock plane, which will be, you know, Air Force Two.

I'll go down to 212.

Yeah.

The second point is, Hague told me that you and I have been taken in by the confidence of Christ.

And I said, now, taken in?

Do you think he thinks that?

Now look, now look, for Christ's sake, Henry, we may be doing things for other reasons, but for Christ's

Could you ever be taken in?

Could I ever be taken in?

We know more than Bill will ever learn.

Okay, well, I appreciate you coming over tonight.

It's nice for you to talk to our children that way, because it's never great to them.

Oh, for hell!

I didn't mean to position on you, but, you know, they are, they are, you know, they have to hear it from them.

Because they, you know, they want to know what's going on.

The rest of the students don't.

Okay, fine.

Now, uh... Yeah.

Yeah.

For tomorrow, yeah.

Don't do anything tonight that I wouldn't do.

Don't take my prize.

Okay.

When I get down there, I'm going to make a proposal to give you his numbers 15 years ago.

All right.

NARA Description

On February 29, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:52 pm and 8:57 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 020-126 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 20-126

Date: February 29, 1972
Time: Unknown between 8:52 pm and 8:57 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The White House operator talked with the President.

     Henry A. Kissinger on the line

Kissinger talked with the President between 8:55 pm and 8:57 pm.

     Departure for Florida
         -Kissinger's schedule
                -Air Force Two
         -President's schedule
                -Julie Nixon Eisenhower

     Alexander M. Haig, Jr.’s talk with William P. Rogers
          -Rogers's view of People’s Republic of China [PRC] trip
               -Haig’s talk with the President
               -President/Kissinger dealing with PRC
                     -Kissinger/President qualifications
               -PRC policy

                     -Soviet Union
                     -Vietnam negotiations

     Kissinger dinner with President and family
          -Benefits

     Kissinger's schedule
          -Backgrounder
          -Charles G. (“Bebe”) Rebozo

Also recorded on March 1, 1972

020-123 8:40 PM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 8:40 pm to 8:47 pm.
020-124 8:47 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:47 pm and 8:49 pm.
020-125 8:49 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone from 8:49 pm to 8:52 pm.
020-127 8:57 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:57 pm and 9:05 pm.
020-128 8:57 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:57 pm and 9:05 pm.
020-129 9:05 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Hobart D. Lewis talked on the telephone from 9:05 pm to 9:08 pm.
020-130 9:08 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:08 pm and 9:13 pm.
020-131 9:13 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Hugh Scott talked on the telephone from 9:13 pm to 9:17 pm.

All 40 conversations from March 1, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 020-126, March 1, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/020-126 (accessed October 26, 2026).