{"conversationCode":"145-023","tapeNumber":145,"conversationNumber":23,"identifier":"37-wht-conversation-145-023","startDateTime":"1972-10-03T00:51:00.000Z","endDateTime":"1972-10-03T00:52:00.000Z","startDate":"2-Oct-1972","startTime":"8:51 PM","endDate":"2-Oct-1972","endTime":"8:52 PM","dateCertainty":"certain","timeCertainty":"certain","participants":"Nixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.;","description":"On October 2, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone at Camp David from 8:51 pm to 8:52 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 145-023 of the White House Tapes.","locationCode":"CDST","recordingDevice":"Camp David Study Table","latitudeEstimated":39.648333,"longitudeEstimated":-77.465,"chronCode":4,"chronRelease":"Fourth Chronological Release","chronReleaseDate":"10-Dec-2003","aogpRelease":null,"aogpSegment":null,"lastModified":"2015-07-27T17:04:10.235Z","findingAid":"Conversation No. 145-23\n\nDate: October 2, 1972\nTime: 8:51 pm - 8:52 pm\nLocation: Camp David Study Table\n\nThe President talked with Henry A. Kissinger.\n\n[See Conversation No. 214-36]\n\n             Strategic Arms Limitation Talks [SALT]\n                  -Kissinger’s negotiation with Anatoliy F. Dobrynin\n                      -The President’s position\n                          -Cambodian bombing\n                          -Previous US-Soviet Union summit\n                          -The President’s policies\n                                -1972 election\n                                -Tone","filename":["145-023.mp3"],"tapeStart":"","tapeEnd":"","participantsList":["Nixon, Richard M. (President)","Kissinger, Henry A."],"prevCode":"145-022","nextCode":"145-024","transcript":[{"start":1.18,"end":4.24,"text":"Oh, one point I did not make."},{"start":4.26,"end":4.64,"text":"Are you there?"},{"start":5.1,"end":6.52,"text":"I'm with the Foreign Ministry."},{"start":6.82,"end":30.73,"text":"I wanted you to be sure to get across the point that I had failed to point out that I wouldn't want to say it, but you should point out that, after all, when very much was at stake, that I made the decision on Cambodia, and something that I considered the most vital thing in this administration, the meeting with the"},{"start":31.2,"end":55.79,"text":"you know at the summit that I did what was necessary and that now when frankly we have no election problems or anything else that they just got to assume that we don't want it that the president doesn't like to lay down all the mediums he won't but you must never underestimate what he's going to do exactly I could say that I think you see the idea that"},{"start":56.43,"end":59.86,"text":"We talked softly, but don't underestimate it."},{"start":60.04,"end":61.05,"text":"Don't you think you should say that?"},{"start":61.27,"end":61.91,"text":"I will say it."},{"start":62.03,"end":64.38,"text":"If you could convey that time to him, okay?"},{"start":64.4,"end":65.76,"text":"Absolutely, I'll make that point."},{"start":65.78,"end":66.81,"text":"Okay, fine."}],"aiSummary":{"text":"President Nixon instructs Henry Kissinger to emphasize to Soviet Ambassador Anatoliy Dobrynin that his past willingness to take decisive actions, such as the bombing of Cambodia and the Moscow summit, reflects a readiness to act despite political risks. Nixon intends to project a firm stance, signaling that while he prefers diplomatic restraint, the Soviets should not underestimate his resolve or his capacity for unilateral action. Kissinger agrees to convey this message of underlying strength to ensure the Soviets understand the President's commitment to his policies.","topics":["SALT","Foreign Policy","Cambodia","Anatoliy Dobrynin","Diplomatic Strategy","US-Soviet Relations"],"generatedAt":"2026-04-06T08:47:56.372Z"},"topicSlugs":["salt","foreign-policy","cambodia","anatoliy-dobrynin","diplomatic-strategy","us-soviet-relations"],"audioDurationSec":73,"audioFiles":[{"file":"145-023.mp3","bytes":1751666,"durationSec":72.93,"bitrate":192138,"missing":false}],"audioIsShared":false,"audioProbedAt":"2026-09-18T02:19:33.323Z","audio":["https://nixon.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com/audio/145-023.mp3"],"url":"https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/145-023","nixonLibraryUrl":"https://www.nixonlibrary.gov/white-house-tapes/145/conversation-145-023","license":"Public domain (U.S. Government work). AI-generated fields (transcript, aiSummary) are provided as-is without warranty."}