Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 20 › Conversation 020-143

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on Henry A. Kissinger

Monday, February 28, 1972 · 10:46 PM ET · White House Telephone · 8 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation020-143 on Tape 20 (tape position 03:19:56–03:20:04)StartMonday, February 28, 1972 at 10:46 PMEndMonday, February 28, 1972 at 10:46 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 020-143 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon instructed the White House operator to place an urgent call to National Security Advisor Henry A. Kissinger. This administrative interaction served to facilitate direct communication between the President and his advisor during the late evening. No further substantive policy matters were discussed during this brief exchange.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

Yes, sir.
Yes, sir.

NARA Description

On February 28, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 10:46 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 020-143 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 20-143

Date: February 28, 1972
Time: 10:46 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 29, 1972

  • 020-104 10:46 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 10:46 pm.
  • 020-105 10:47 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and unknown person(s) talked on the telephone from 10:47 pm to 10:50 pm.
  • 020-106 10:52 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 10:52 pm to 11:00 pm.
  • 020-107 11:00 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:00 pm and 11:05 pm.
  • 020-108 11:05 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and William P. Rogers talked on the telephone from 11:05 pm to 11:11 pm.
  • 020-109 11:11 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone from 11:11 pm to 11:12 pm.
  • 020-110 11:12 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John B. Connally talked on the telephone from 11:12 pm to 11:15 pm.
  • 020-111 11:15 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:15 pm and 11:22 pm.

All 51 conversations from February 29, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 020-143, February 29, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/020-143 (accessed October 12, 2026).