Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 213 › Conversation 213-006

Nixon phone call with Kissinger on 1972 Presidential Election and Vietnam War

Saturday, September 23, 1972 · 4:50 PM–5:10 PM ET · Camp David Hard Wire · 7 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.Conversation213-006 on Tape 213StartSaturday, September 23, 1972 at 4:50 PMEndSaturday, September 23, 1972 at 5:10 PMRecording deviceCamp David Hard WireSourceNixon Library record for 213-006 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Henry Kissinger discuss domestic political strategy ahead of the 1972 election, focusing on managing relations with Jewish leaders and neutralizing political opponents. The conversation also addresses frustrations regarding military operations, with Nixon demanding a full investigation into low sortie counts in Vietnam. Furthermore, Nixon expresses deep concern over the mass killings in Burundi and orders an urgent report, criticizing the State Department’s perceived indifference toward the humanitarian crisis.

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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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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.
Hi, Henry.
Hi, how are you?
Fine.
Quite a show, yeah.
Boy, they just poured out about a thousand.
These and this, of course, was important because these, this was in the Mexican part that's 85% Democratic and poor and the rest.
So, shake them up a little.
I have a problem.
Yeah.
Right, right.
Right.
Right ahead.
I've been watching that number seem to be goddamn small.
Who orders that?
Absolutely.
Put it with my signature.
You don't even just say that I have raised the question with you for the past few weeks, and I want a full report accounting for that, because this is exactly the wrong thing to have happen at this time.
Also, that'll shake them up.
I want a report.
God damn them.
They just burned my tail.
Almost, yes.
Yeah.
That's right, too.
What do you suggest?
Right?
Also, when they get back to the States, by God, they are going to go in now.
Good.
Well, I think you're right.
I wouldn't create a confrontation with them.
Well, we're going to get them one day.
The day after this election, they are going to be dead.
You're going off at what time, Henry?
But nobody knows it yet.
You're going to announce it.
And when will it be announced then?
Tuesday?
Right.
Yeah.
In the meantime, as you know, I'm going to have to see some Jewish leaders in New York.
I thought probably a better date.
Oh, yes, I know.
Well, I thought maybe, what do you think about having Haig tell them?
And have me finesse the questions to Haig so that they don't get it from me.
You couldn't.
When I found you couldn't go, I said, well, maybe I better... See, I just don't want to be caught saying anything.
Yeah.
But that isn't what they're interested in.
They want it.
Yeah.
Right.
Just say that it's
They're working on the problem, and you've got to trust me.
I just think that's what I'll say.
I worked on the problem, and I usually succeeded.
You can just trust me.
I'm not going to make any public statements.
I'm not going to grant a standard.
Maybe something like that.
Because believe me, I'm not.
And it's that way.
They're going to make a hell of a mistake if they go the other way, because if we win without their support, they're going to look awful bad.
You see what I mean?
Darby knows this, too.
Fisher and that bunch, I know.
Oh, sure, sure.
It's like Adlai Stevenson and McGovern, you see what he said.
Damn, I mean, sometimes that record's got to get out of me.
If I were doing this sort of thing, good God, Henry.
Oh, well, well, forget it.
Arnold Hammer and the Soviet Union?
Oh.
And we're going to use them, too.
That's the other thing.
I'll say it then, too.
All right.
All right.
Anyway, I'm so glad you found that bombing thing, Henry.
Because I marked on a couple of things.
I said that 246 one day.
I said, good God, the weather can't be that bad.
That way here, I want you to follow through and get that ambassador from Burundi the hell and get his ass back here.
Get it back.
Get a report on what happened.
I want to know what the hell happened.
I mean, what is the matter with the State Department, Henry?
They killed 100,000 people.
Are we callous about it?
Don't we care?
Well, I just want the report.
I just want to get a report on it.
You know, the trouble is the state just wants to play these goddamn African leaders off.
Like they...
would mean more nations.
Damn, just think, 42 countries in Africa.
42 countries.
That's ridiculous.
Because my feeling about the Burundi thing is that I just get back on a sick leave or something.
Let's find out what the hell went on.
Or I want to report it.
That's all.
I'm not satisfied with the report that I've had.
Okay, Henry.
Thank you.

NARA Description

On September 23, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 4:50 pm to 5:10 pm. The Camp David Hard Wire taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 213-006 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 213-6

Date: September 23, 1972
Time: 4:50 pm - 5:10 pm
Location: Camp David Hard Wire

The President talked with Henry A. Kissinger.

[See Conversation no. 154-3; three items have been withdrawn
from this conversation]

Also recorded on September 23, 1972

  • 213-002 4:49 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at 4:49 pm.
  • 154-003 4:50 PM · 12 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone at Camp David from 4:50 pm to 5:10 pm.
  • 213-003 4:50 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at 4:50 pm.
  • 213-004 4:50 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at 4:50 pm.
  • 213-005 4:50 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at 4:50 pm.
  • 154-004 5:10 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:10 pm and 5:32 pm.
  • 213-007 5:10 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Julie Nixon Eisenhower met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:10 pm and 5:32 pm.
  • 213-008 5:10 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 5:10 pm and 5:32 pm.

All 16 conversations from September 23, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 213-006, September 23, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/213-006 (accessed October 12, 2026).