Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 272 › Conversation 272-012

Nixon & Kissinger on White House logistics and Communication protocols

Wednesday, August 11, 1971 · 2:54 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 39 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Kissinger, Henry A.Conversation272-012 on Tape 272 (tape position 01:25:18–01:27:42)StartWednesday, August 11, 1971 at 2:54 PMEndWednesday, August 11, 1971 at 2:54 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 272-012 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Henry Kissinger coordinate their schedules for an upcoming discussion, deliberating on whether to meet immediately at the Executive Office Building or communicate via telephone later. The brief exchange focuses on logistical arrangements to facilitate a follow-up consultation involving key staff members. Ultimately, they agree to delay the substantive discussion, with the President initiating the next point of contact.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

Yeah.
Yeah.
Hi, Henry.
Do you want to come over now?
Or do you want me to call you later?
Here.
Or shall I call you if you want me to call you later?
I'll call you.
Yeah, I'll call you.
Well, or I call Dave.
I'll let Abe know, and then he comes here.
Fine.
Whatever you want.

NARA Description

On August 11, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 2:54 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 272-012 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 272-012
Date: August 11, 1971
Time: 2:54 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
Henry A. Kissinger talked with the President.
President's schedule
-Meeting with Kissinger
-President's forthcoming call to Kissinger or Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

Also recorded on August 11, 1971

  • 561-012 12:59 PM · 44 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Ronald L. Ziegler, Charles W. Colson, Manolo Sanchez, Stephen B. Bull, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:59 pm to 1:43 pm.
  • 272-010 1:43 PM · 2 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:43 pm and 2:54 pm.
  • 272-011 1:43 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:43 pm and 2:54 pm.
  • 272-013 3:12 PM · 33 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, Adm. Thomas H. Moorer, Gen. Robert W., Jr. Cushman, Jr., John N. Irwin, II, Maurice J. Williams, Joseph J. Sisco, and Armistead I. Selden, Jr. met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:12 pm to 3:45 pm.
  • 272-014 3:45 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and George P. Shultz met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:45 pm and 3:52 pm.
  • 272-015 3:45 PM · 37 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:45 pm and 3:52 pm.
  • 272-016 3:52 PM · 47 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Raymond K. Price, Jr., and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:52 pm to 4:45 pm.
  • 272-017 4:45 PM · 1 hr 42 min — President Richard M. Nixon, George P. Shultz, White House operator, John T. Dunlop, Manolo Sanchez, and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:45 pm to 6:31 pm.

All 30 conversations from August 11, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 272-012, August 11, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/272-012 (accessed October 23, 2026).