Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 23 › Conversation 023-016

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on Melvin Laird

Tuesday, April 18, 1972 · 9:27 AM ET · White House Telephone ·12 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  White House operatorConversation023-016 onTape 23StartTuesday, April 18, 1972 at 9:27 AMEndTuesday, April 18, 1972 at 9:27 AMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 023-016 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and the White House operator coordinated an effort to contact Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird, who was attending a Senate Armed Services Committee meeting at the Capitol. Upon learning that Laird's availability was uncertain, the President instructed the operator to attempt to reach him at his location. This administrative exchange reflects the ongoing communication requirements between the White House and the Department of Defense regarding urgent business.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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.
Mr. President, Secretary Laird has gone over to the Capitol for the Senate Armed Services Committee.
The girl is not sure when he'll be back.
Well, we'll try to reach him there, yeah.
Try to reach him.
We surely will.
Yeah.

NARA Description

On April 18, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 9:27 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 023-016 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 23-16

Date: April 18, 1972
Time: 9:27 am
Location: White House Telephone

The White House operator talked with the President.

[See also Conversation No. 711-3C]

     Melvin R. Laird
          -Location
          -Return call

Also recorded on April 18, 1972

  • 023-013 9:18 AM · 3 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:18 am and 9:20 am.
  • 711-001 9:18 AM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:18 am and 9:20 am.
  • 711-002 9:18 AM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:18 am and 9:20 am.
  • 023-014 9:20 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and William P. Rogers talked on the telephone from 9:20 am to 9:23 am.
  • 711-003 9:20 AM · 38 min — President Richard M. Nixon, William P. Rogers, Henry A. Kissinger, White House operator, Manolo Sanchez, Alexander P. Butterfield, Melvin R. Laird, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:20 am and 10:02 am.
  • 023-015 9:23 AM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:23 am and 9:27 am.
  • 023-017 9:55 AM · 59 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Melvin R. Laird talked on the telephone from 9:55 am to 9:56 am.
  • 711-004 10:02 AM · 57 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Stephen B. Bull, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Oval Office of the White House from 10:02 am to 10:58 am.

All 44 conversations from April 18, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 023-016, April 18, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/023-016 (accessed September 18, 2026).