Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 23 › Conversation 023-100

Nixon phone call with Ziegler on US-Soviet relations and Leonid Brezhnev

Monday, May 1, 1972 · 7:11 PM–7:13 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Ziegler, Ronald L.Conversation023-100 on Tape 23StartMonday, May 1, 1972 at 7:11 PMEndMonday, May 1, 1972 at 7:13 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 023-100 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon consulted with Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler to evaluate the reception of a recent administration announcement regarding high-level diplomatic channels. Ziegler confirmed that the networks successfully grasped the significance of confidential exchanges between Nixon and Leonid Brezhnev, as well as Henry Kissinger's facilitating role. Nixon expressed frustration with negative press coverage, specifically targeting Howard K. Smith, before directing Ziegler to summon Kissinger for a follow-up meeting.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Uh-huh.

Yes, sir.

How'd your announcement go?

Did they understand it?

No, it went just fine.

I think they got the point.

They've used it on the network, so...

Refer to the fact of progress that they referred to this question.

Confidential exchanges that you had with Brezhnev.

That was really the... That's the heart of it, sure.

And they all gathered that this was a Kissinger Channel, too, didn't they?

Well, I said yes.

I said yes.

Yeah.

They asked you?

Yes.

They said it was one of the things that is a major subject.

Then I referred to your ongoing

We had said before that you had had ongoing communication with Brezhnev.

You got it off in time even for that effort.

Yes, sir.

They read it.

They didn't do it.

Oh, no, no.

We were so late.

What did you think of it?

Well, it was a very...

I mean, and that Smith, that crappy thing, you know, language.

It was a very interesting meeting for me, though.

Yeah.

I think the announcement came out all right.

Call Henry and tell him to run around here.

Yes, sir.

NARA Description

On May 1, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler talked on the telephone from 7:11 pm to 7:13 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 023-100 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 23-100

Date: May 1, 1972
Time: 7:11-7:13 pm
Location: White House Telephone
The President talked with Ronald L. Ziegler.

     Ziegler's announcement
          -Networks
                 -US-Soviet relations
                      -Confidential exchanges with Leonid I. Brezhnev
                      -Henry A. Kissinger
                      -Questions about Kissinger's trip to Moscow
                      -Exchanges with Brezhnev
                           -Network coverage
                                  -Howard K. Smith
                      -Gerard C. Smith
          -Press reception

Also recorded on May 1, 1972

023-095 6:49 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:49 pm and 6:53 pm.
716-006 6:49 PM · 1 min — United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at 6:49 pm.
023-096 6:53 PM · 12 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and Manolo Sanchez talked on the telephone from 6:53 pm to 7:06 pm.
023-097 7:06 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:06 pm and 7:07 pm.
023-098 7:07 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 7:07 pm to 7:08 pm.
023-099 7:09 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:09 pm and 7:11 pm.
023-101 7:13 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:13 pm and 7:18 pm.
023-102 7:18 PM · 49 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 7:18 pm to 7:19 pm.

All 19 conversations from May 1, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 023-100, May 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/023-100 (accessed October 9, 2026).