Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 41 › Conversation 041-016

Nixon phone call with Kissinger on Leonid Brezhnev and Camp David

Tuesday, June 19, 1973 · 2:31 PM–2:36 PM ET · White House Telephone · 5 min

ParticipantsKissinger, Henry A.; Nixon, Richard M. (President)Conversation041-016 on Tape 41StartTuesday, June 19, 1973 at 2:31 PMEndTuesday, June 19, 1973 at 2:36 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 041-016 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Henry Kissinger discussed logistical arrangements for an upcoming summit with Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev at Camp David, including travel plans due to poor weather and the composition of the delegation. They coordinated the scheduling of an economic meeting and ensured that the timing of a formal agreement signing would follow substantive discussions to maximize its political impact. Additionally, they touched upon media management, specifically addressing speculative reports by Victor Louis and Kissinger's recent interactions with journalist Hugh Sidey regarding positive public relations efforts.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Yep.
Mr. President, Dr. Kissinger.
Ready?
Mr. President.
Henry, we have a little weather problem tonight, which means that we probably can't get my helicopter to Camp David, and I'm just having it checked with all the military people to see if we can get my helicopter from to someplace, you know, about halfway, and then he and I will drive on up, which would be a nice thing for him, too.
Right.
And he and I in the car alone with the...
Yes, and I think that's fine.
We're checking it all out because I can't take any...
They wouldn't risk even me, but I don't want him to feel uncomfortable in the damn thing.
Right.
Right, right, right.
But that wouldn't be instead of the boat trip.
Huh?
Oh, no, no, no, no.
We've still got to do the boat trip.
Right.
I want to do the boat trip.
I just think that's a good thing.
I think it's a good thing, definitely.
Yeah.
We'd like to knock that economic thing off in about an hour.
I mean, can we?
Well, I think I'd let it go about till 6, 4.30 to 6.
All right.
But can we knock it at 6?
Absolutely.
I've already talked to Dobrynin about that.
You agree?
Yes.
Now, what does Dobrynin feel that he would like to have, what does Brezhnev really want in terms of, you know, as to who goes up there and so forth?
My impression is that they'd just as soon not have Rogers.
Yeah, but we can't duck that.
Exactly, but otherwise, it's up to you.
Well, then Rogers and Gromeko, you and who?
I think he'll probably want Alexandrov with him.
Whoever he wants, and...
We can have a small staff up there for him, and they don't have to sit in on the meat.
Yeah, Chef, send any of his staff up.
That'd be nice for them.
Yeah, but those are the only senior people he wants there.
Staff driven up there, right.
Right.
And fine.
I think that you discussed with the bringing the signing thing.
That has to be Friday and so forth.
That's all taken care of.
I guess, well, I'm just sitting here talking to Ron.
He says that this fellow, Louis, put it out.
Good God.
Nobody believes him.
Well, he's a KGB guy.
I know.
I know.
It's one of theirs.
But, I mean, you just don't know all that, can't you?
Oh, yeah.
Absolutely.
No question.
There's been speculation about this anyway.
That's right.
And this hasn't been picked up yet.
Well, we just knock it down.
The main point is, Henry, we have got to go to Camp David and discuss some things.
You see, the two big announcements are Thursday and Friday, and it just can't be if we were to put it out tomorrow, it'd look as if the whole damn thing was cooked up before we ever got here, and that the summit was purely...
Even that would still leave plenty of room for your exchanges, but still, as you said, it would kill the interest.
Oh, we've got to have it Friday.
It has to follow your conversations on Wednesday and Thursday morning.
Okay.
bringing to emphasize to him that this is his great initiative as well as mine you know what I mean and that it's we've got to talk about it some so that it's so that so that it's built up that way and we've got to build it up to Friday exactly there's no problem about that right right right okay how are your friends at the San Susi
Well, I'd give you a side here, little you.
Oh, God almighty.
Well...
I don't mind it.
I know, but I mean, I'm just sorry you put yourself through that torture.
Well, actually, he said that he had a very interesting experience.
He wrote a favorable column about Herb Klein this week.
Yeah, that's nice.
And he said he's never had so much mail saying, thank God, at last somebody's doing something positive.
We're sick and tired of getting our government befouled in the press.
So he wants to do another positive piece, so I gave him some human interest for fewer conversations with, uh, Strazhnev.
Okay.
And he'd do a favorable piece on it.
Well, we'd do our best.
It's all right.
Okay.
Then 4.30, though, we'll all meet, and I'll count on you or I don't know who.
Who's going to break up that darn meeting?
I'll break it up at 6.
6, sir.
All right, fine.
I'll be sure Brechtiff knows we're going to break up the darn thing, too.
I've already discussed it with Dobrynin, and I told Dobrynin that his leader was the sinner in this.
That's right.

NARA Description

On June 19, 1973, Henry A. Kissinger and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone from 2:31 pm to 2:36 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 041-016 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 41-16

Date: June 19, 1973
Time: 2:31 pm - 2:36 pm
Location: White House Telephone

Henry A. Kissinger talked with the President.

[See also Conversation No. 447-22B]

     President’s schedule
           -Leonid I. Brezhnev
                                       -8-

             NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                        Conversation No. 41-16 (cont’d)

           -Camp David
                 -Travel arrangements
                       -Helicopter
                 -Alexander M. Haig
           -Victor M. Sukhodrev
           -Sequoia
           -Economic meeting
                 -President’s schedule
                 -Kissinger’s conversation with Anatoliy F. Dobrynin
           -Camp David
                 -Brezhnev’s guest preferences
                 -William P. Rogers, Andrei A. Gromyko
                 -Kissinger, Andrei M. Aleksandrov
                 Brezhnev’s senior staff
           -Signing of agreement
                 -Schedule
                 -President’s conversation with Ronald L. Ziegler
                       -Victor Louis
                             -Background
                 -Timing
                       -Discussions
                             -Pre-arrangement

Kissinger’s conversation with Hugh S. Sidey
      -Public interest in summit meetings
      -Sans Souci restaurant
      -Sidey’s column concerning Herbert G. Klein
            -Public reaction
      -President’s conversation with Brezhnev

President’s schedule
      -Economic meeting
            -Length
            -Kissinger’s conversation with Dobrynin
                  -Brehznev
                                             -9-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Also recorded on June 19, 1973

  • 447-022 2:00 PM · 58 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, unknown person(s), Alexander M. Haig, Jr., and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:00 pm to 2:59 pm.
  • 041-017 3:00 PM · 20 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at 3:00 pm.
  • 041-018 3:00 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:00 pm and 3:01 pm.
  • 447-023 3:00 PM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 3:00 pm.
  • 447-024 3:00 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:00 pm and 3:01 pm.
  • 041-019 3:01 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower talked on the telephone from 3:01 pm to 3:04 pm.
  • 447-025 3:01 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:01 pm to 3:04 pm.
  • 041-020 3:07 PM · 16 sec — White House operator, President Richard M. Nixon, and J. Fred Buzhardt, Jr. talked on the telephone from 3:07 pm to 3:08 pm.

All 41 conversations from June 19, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 041-016, June 19, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/041-016 (accessed October 9, 2026).