Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 43 › Conversation 043-126

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on Henry Kissinger

Tuesday, February 20, 1973 · 7:22 PM–7:30 PM ET · White House Telephone · 19 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation043-126 on Tape 43StartTuesday, February 20, 1973 at 7:22 PMEndTuesday, February 20, 1973 at 7:30 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 043-126 ↗

President Nixon initiated a brief telephone request for the White House operator to connect him with National Security Advisor Henry A. Kissinger. This call served as a logistical step to facilitate direct communication between the President and his advisor regarding ongoing foreign policy matters. The interaction concluded immediately after the President issued his instructions to the operator.

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Dr. Kissinger, please.
Yes, sir.

On February 20, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:22 pm and 7:30 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 043-126 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 43-126

Date: February 20, 1973
Time: Unknown between 7:22 pm and 7:30 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

       Request for a call to Henry A. Kissinger
  • 043-125 7:21 PM · 49 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone from 7:21 pm to 7:22 pm.
  • 043-127 7:30 PM · 11 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 7:30 pm to 7:41 pm.
  • 043-128 7:41 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:41 pm and 7:43 pm.
  • 043-129 7:43 PM · 41 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 7:43 pm to 7:44 pm.
  • 043-130 7:44 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:44 pm and 7:54 pm.
  • 043-131 7:54 PM · 22 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:54 pm and 8:21 pm.
  • 043-133 8:21 PM · 25 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:21 pm and 10:00 pm.
  • 859-001 8:27 AM · 12 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 8:27 am to 8:40 am.

Conversation 043-126, February 21, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/043-126 (accessed October 1, 2026).