Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 214 › Conversation 214-036

Nixon phone call with Kissinger on Foreign Policy and Negotiation Strategy

Monday, October 2, 1972 · 8:51 PM–8:52 PM ET · Camp David Hard Wire · 54 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.Conversation214-036 on Tape 214StartMonday, October 2, 1972 at 8:51 PMEndMonday, October 2, 1972 at 8:52 PMRecording deviceCamp David Hard WireSourceNixon Library record for 214-036 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon instructed Henry Kissinger to convey a firm message to an unnamed interlocutor regarding the administration's political stability and resolve. Nixon emphasized that despite a measured, diplomatic tone, the other party must not underestimate his willingness to take decisive action. The conversation served to ensure that Kissinger explicitly articulated this posture of strength to prevent the President's intentions from being misread during ongoing negotiations.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 1 minute of this recording (about 72% of it) is represented by only a few words. Listen to the audio rather than relying on the text below; a corrected transcript is queued.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

One thing I find I did not think, are you there?
Yeah.
I wanted you to be sure to get across the point that I had failed to point out that, uh... Me?
Me?
Yeah.
And now, and frankly, uh, that, uh, we have no election problems or anything else, that, uh, they've just got to assume that.
They've just got to, that, that we don't want that the president's mind played on all of him.
He won't.
but you must never underestimate what he's going to do.
You could say that, I think you see the idea that we talk softly, but don't underestimate it.
I just think you should say that.
You just didn't convey that to me, Todd.
Okay.
Okay, bye.

NARA Description

On October 2, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 8:51 pm to 8:52 pm. The Camp David Hard Wire taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 214-036 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 214-36

Date: October 2, 1972
Time: 8:51 pm - 8:52 pm
Location: Camp David Hard Wire

The President talked with Henry A. Kissinger.

[See Conversation No. 145-23]

Also recorded on October 3, 1972

  • 145-021 8:39 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone at Camp David from 8:39 pm to 8:43 pm.
  • 214-033 8:39 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 8:39 pm to 8:43 pm.
  • 145-022 8:43 PM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 8:43 pm and 8:51 pm.
  • 214-034 8:43 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 8:43 pm and 8:51 pm.
  • 214-035 8:43 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 8:43 pm and 8:51 pm.
  • 145-023 8:51 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone at Camp David from 8:51 pm to 8:52 pm.
  • 145-024 8:54 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 8:54 pm and 9:09 pm.
  • 214-037 8:54 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at 8:54 pm.

All 64 conversations from October 3, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 214-036, October 3, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/214-036 (accessed October 12, 2026).