President Nixon, H. R. Haldeman, Charles Colson, and FBI Associate Director W. Mark Felt discussed the aftermath of the assassination attempt on George C. Wallace. The participants focused on the background of the assailant, Arthur H. Bremer, specifically exploring potential political motivations, his anti-war connections, and rumored ties to Edward M. Kennedy. The group coordinated on the FBI's investigation and the necessity of verifying these rumors to ensure accurate reporting to the President.
On May 15, 1972, the White House operator, Charles W. Colson, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, President Richard M. Nixon, and W. Mark Felt talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:42 pm and 7:57 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 024-109 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 24-109
Date: May 15, 1972
Time: Unknown between 7:42 pm and 7:57 pm
Location: White House Telephone
The White House operator talked with Charles W. Colson.
Call from W. Mark Felt
Colson conferred with the President and H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman at an unknown time.
Felt's call
Questions
[End of conferral]
Felt's call
Felt talked with Colson at an unknown time.
Colson's location
Attack on George C. Wallace
-Latest report
-Assailants
-Number
-Release
-Arthur H. Bremer
-Name
-Race
-Sex
-Residence
-Source of information
-Purchase of gun
-Place
-Caliber
-Current location
-Reason
-Interrogation
-Doctors
-Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
-Protection
The President and Haldeman conferred at an unknown time.
Secret Service
[End of conferral]
Attack on Wallace
-Investigation
-FBI direction and control
-Legal basis
-Secret Service agent
-Surgery
-Location
-Condition
-Bremer
-Interrogation
-Time
-Questions
-Range
Colson conferred with the President and an unknown person at an unknown time.
[Unintelligible]
Edward M. Kennedy
[End of conferral]
Attack on Wallace
-Reports
-Bremer
-Political leanings
-Kennedy connection
-Antiwar connection
-Questions
-Questioning
-Colson’s view
-Further reports
Colson conferred with Haldeman at an unknown time.
-John D. Ehrlichman's Request for a call to Felt
[End of conferral]
-Ehrlichman's Request for a call to Felt
-Rumors
-Bremer's motives
-Political connections
-University of Wisconsin
-Anti-war connection
-Kennedy
-Questioning
-Timing
-Bremer
-Safety
-Compared with John F. Kennedy assassination
-Questioning
-Reports to the President
The President conferred with Haldeman at an unknown time.
-Surgery
[End of conferral]
-Rumors
-Verification
-Edward M. Kennedy
-Felt’s concern
-Colson's sources
-Bremer
-Questioning
-Timing
-Colson’s view
-Further reportsNo transcript is available for this conversation. The audio may not contain audible speech, or the recording may not yet have been processed.