Nixon phone call with Colson on George Wallace assassination attempt

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Colson[unintelligible]

NixonTried to call Ehrlichman and Lukash and can't get any answer. What- what do you know?

ColsonWell, we're- [unintelligible]

ColsonFirst of all, on the front reports, the fellow [unintelligible]

NixonWell, it may be that the UPI guys [crosstalk] are doing it.

Colson[crosstalk] No, no. Not necessarily, Mr. President.

NixonOr the guy might be sick.

ColsonNo, they did four interviews, which they are now running, [unintelligible] with the landlord [unintelligible] said that he was strange, had no friends, kept to himself,

NixonWell, that's bad, though. It just came back in today's uh news summary.

ColsonRight.

ColsonHad Wallace literature all over the place,

ColsonWallace bumper stickers all over the apartment. [unintelligible]

NixonRight.

Colson[unintelligible] nothing else. The apartment was searched by police.

NixonHell, no.

NixonRight.

NixonYeah, just say he's uh, he prai- he's, he praised nothing.

ColsonCorrect.

ColsonHowever, in Milwaukee, they went to his apartment. [unintelligible]

NixonGood.

NixonAre they going to put it out, or not? The most important thing is to get it out, Chuck.

ColsonOh, they're going to put that out. They have to.

NixonGet it out immediately, then.

ColsonWell, in fact, they think it's their problem. No,

Colsonthe brother-

Colson[unintelligible] the brother-

Colsonbrother [unintelligible] one interview [unintelligible] Wallace party [unintelligible]

NixonCrap.

NixonIt's a plot. It's a plot.

ColsonAll right, well I got ahold of Pat Gray, and I called him- [unintelligible]

NixonWell, he did it- that transcript of Wallace's button- if he was a Wallace man, he'd never cover himself with Wallace buttons.

NixonThat must get out very, very fast.

ColsonRight. Gray's got thirty men [unintelligible]

NixonRight, good.

NixonYeah.

ColsonRight.

NixonTwo or three months.

NixonWell-

NixonWell, yes he could.

NixonAfter the convention.

Colson[unintelligible] 4-A [unintelligible]

NixonYeah, he was a [unintelligible].

ColsonNo, 4-F. [unintelligible]

NixonAll right, sure.

Colson[unintelligible] Clawson's back. [unintelligible]

NixonGood, good. Just, just, just keep going.

ColsonWell, we're doing it on our own. Clawson [unintelligible]

NixonYeah.

NixonThe UPI ought to put that all on. That that was funny, Chuck.

ColsonWell, instead of that, Pat Gray is uh- they questioned [unintelligible]

NixonWhy, at a shooting? That's right.

ColsonWhy would he be at a shooting-

NixonNow, no, it's stage. Have- have- be sure Clawson puts it on stage. The whole thing was staged.

ColsonRight. [unintelligible]

NixonMust get out awful fast, awful hard, right away, because look, Chuck, the whole Wallace thing is a is a problem.

NixonIf they don't know his background, probably very left-wing before this [unintelligible]

Colson[unintelligible] that's what I told Pat. I said [unintelligible]

NixonWell, and when and when- what he's got to write, what a background. He's got to have it.

ColsonWell, all he kept saying was that they were [unintelligible] the apartment, [unintelligible]

NixonWhere'd he get this gun?

ColsonWell, that's right. [unintelligible]

NixonHe got a .38 gun, and he gets down to Maryland. Now, how the hell do you do that?

NixonWe're not- deliberate. Sure, we know that.

ColsonI think that's it.

NixonYou know, you know though, you know how they- never forget how the media played the Kennedy assassination being a right-wing plot when it was a communist.

NixonRight.

NixonNo, I know. But Gray- Gray will play the game. Wallace just wanted to get the true thought, goddamn, and catch the press.

ColsonWell, he has to [unintelligible] right? Now, it's gotta work [unintelligible]

NixonThe woman is not seriously hurt, was she?

NixonThe election's been affected. Won't be running against you. Well, I'm terribly sorry that Wallace got hurt, anybody [crosstalk].

ColsonWell, I am too. I

NixonMuskie, all the other ones, what [unintelligible] Humphrey and McGovern, all the ones that get affected, [unintelligible]

NixonPut him up. I've never said a ni- a decent- a bad thing about him. No, he's a decent man.

NixonMuskie was vicious toward Humphrey then. Humphrey-

NixonWhat about McGovern?

ColsonWell, the fine thing's all turning against Humphrey because everyone's saying, "What's Muskie doing that for?" Right.

NixonWhat's going to happen tomorrow in Maryland?

NixonHe'll win it? He could beat us there?

NixonThen they'll decide he can't run, that's that.

NixonI tell you, I think we're right to order the protection for that Kennedy and that Chisholm business and all the rest of them.

NixonAnd call the woman. Good.

Nixon'Cause the Democrats don't want that, do they?

NixonThen it gets down, however, to, in Miami, if I'd be only regarded as having bring them all of these people out of the convention, into the Democratic, get a ticket.

NixonLet's see what he's got here.

ColsonYeah, and all they're trying to do, it is [unintelligible].

NixonI kind of hate to do it.

NixonI just can't believe that Humphrey, McGovern would have this. Frankly, the bad taste to fly down, you see, to see Mrs. Wallace.

Nixoncalled her up [unintelligible]

NixonEverybody knows he's no friend of Wallace.

NixonAnd one thing we know what the headlines will be tomorrow, don't we?

ColsonYes, we do.

NixonBremer? Bremer. He's 21, isn't he?

NixonIf you watch, though, the FBI is careful with the press, by the way. I hope they are trying to handle it. My God, how a Wallace man kill a Wallace? It's unbelievable.

NixonWho would be who would be Left-wing, go that far? Yeah, agreed. The McGovern people would be.

NixonNot the Humphrey people, McGovern's.

NixonThey want boy carrying the convention far.

NixonIf he come walking in there in a wheelchair, he'll tear hell out of them, won't he?

ColsonWell, in 15 or less-

NixonWell, yeah, well, you're right.

Colsoneight-hour

ColsonWhat is it, an eight-hour?

NixonNo. A .45 would have really done him in, wouldn't it?

NixonIt sure wasn't a Saturday Night Special, was it?

NixonYeah, they're working there to see where he really got the gun, I suppose. Wanted to know where he got it.

NixonSo that's we've got both gun control-

ColsonWell, now, hell, none of this applies to gun control, none of that.

NixonThat doesn't reach him.

NixonBe sure that our that, uh, Clawson and the rest, be sure that our PR people press the hell out of that.

NixonGet the National Rifle Association on the phone right away—well, tomorrow morning.

ColsonAll right, sir.

NixonAnd be sure that they point out this had nothing to do with what they're against—gun control.

ColsonRight.

NixonIs he by himself, or what about these other kids he's associate with? You don't know.

NixonHe's probably a little nut. Well, I think so too. That would be my guess.

NixonWell, even nits can be—can be used, you know. But it happens.

ColsonI talked to [unintelligible]

NixonWell, you know that sound—that sounded that they had something to do with the primary. Right.

NixonWhat else is new in the other front?

ColsonWell, [unintelligible]

ColsonThe people are blowing out [unintelligible]

NixonGood. They never expected to win. How did Wallace do?

NixonIsn't it something if they would win, what would they do? Wallace won Maryland?

NixonMichigan's awful far.

NixonYeah.

NixonDo the cast—the real—about the Soviet summit, because they think, maybe he'll come off, huh?

NixonYeah.

NixonI think it's good.

NixonThey'll announce that tomorrow. If Wallace is heavily forward, won't you?

NixonIn other words, you think Wallace will dominate today?

NixonWell, Wallace is going to be the tragedy is going to wipe out [unintelligible] take him out of it. Really bad.

NixonWas it four bullets? Only one. Yeah, but the one serious one is going to have one hell of an effect on the guy, Colson.

NixonThe other guy, Humphrey—Humphrey said he's going to go to California anyway.

NixonBecause he knows—he's not going to shoot.

ColsonKennedy said he's not going to shoot and Humphrey, they will, because they want to [unintelligible]

NixonYeah.

ColsonProtect Humphrey and Kennedy.

NixonYeah.

NixonOh, they're scared to death.

ColsonWhatever it is.

NixonThey will, really? Well, they don't have any [unintelligible]

NixonGood, if they all call off, helps the candidate. If they all call off, it helps the candidate, Wallace in California. Why don't also cancel?

NixonIs it?

NixonMust have heard of a bolt out in the blue, though.

ColsonHowever, in my judgment [unintelligible]

NixonOkay Chuck, bye.

ColsonAll the same, we've had a great day today, Mr. President. Good night, sir.

NixonGood.

ColsonWe're on the march. Bye, thank you.

Nixon phone call with Colson on George Wallace assassination attempt

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Nixon Library Finding Aid

Transcript (AI-generated)

Also recorded on May 15, 1972

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Nixon phone call with Colson on George Wallace assassination attempt

AI Summary

Audio

NARA Description

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Transcript (AI-generated)

Also recorded on May 15, 1972

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