Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 238 › Conversation 238-020

Nixon phone call with Colson on Public Relations and Vietnam War

Saturday, December 30, 1972 · 1:04 PM–1:16 PM ET · Camp David Hard Wire · 11 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Colson, Charles W.Conversation238-020 on Tape 238StartSaturday, December 30, 1972 at 1:04 PMEndSaturday, December 30, 1972 at 1:16 PMRecording deviceCamp David Hard WireSourceNixon Library record for 238-020 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Charles Colson discuss strategies for managing public and press perception regarding ongoing military operations, specifically focusing on the necessity of generating vocal support in regions like Ohio. The conversation touches on favorable feedback received by broadcasters like Howard Smith and the administration's frustration with media coverage. Nixon emphasizes the importance of framing the political narrative to counter critical editorial stances and instructs Colson to actively challenge opposing viewpoints.

Audio

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NARA Description

On December 30, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 1:04 pm to 1:16 pm. The Camp David Hard Wire taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 238-020 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 238-20

Date: December 30, 1972
Time: 1:04 pm - 1:16 pm
Location: Camp David Hard Wire

The President talked with Charles W. Colson.

[See Conversation No. 158-57]

Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 2 minutes of this recording (about 18% 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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Hello.
Well, I, uh, any further reports on here?
I know.
Well, of course, they're all up to Paul James and so forth.
That's it.
All right.
Try it.
Okay, close.
Well, five's all right.
I mean, it didn't make a difference to me because they can't get it in the magazine this week anyway.
Yeah.
So what do we do if they don't give us, they're taking their own, that we can write down on the wire and suppose they don't give us, we quit.
We quit, we surrender.
And the star editorial, that's great, and they have a full event.
Yeah.
Oh, I know that.
There's got to be some people in Ohio.
If you'll make that up, people in Ohio are just up and saying it.
As I said to Skellig and Collin, the Columbus Dispatch,
And we really ought to put the police right on him.
And I don't think somebody should just call him some reporter.
I don't think anybody should say, what's your comment now?
I see.
I know.
I know.
Right.
No interesting thing, Henry.
I do want to place my call to a state of mind to say that it was funny enough that when he talked to Howard Smith, Howard said, you know, he was very pleased, of course, but he said, you know, he was coming home Thursday.
He told in his broadcast, which we had told him about, and he said that when he had made the broadcast, he was heading to the bomb shelters.
He said he received over 1,500 wires.
of which 98% supported him.
Right.
He said that he couldn't hardly find anything different.
He said this.
So, but now, of course, this is Smith's audience, so they're probably more hawkish, but nevertheless, it's not to be, you know, at least that Smith had a hell
You see, basically, the same group, of course, the star, it's not, it's predictable, and they give us this point, too, because they're a little soft, but, uh, I don't know, all that kind of crap, but, uh, they're just reflecting, like, uh, the softness of the country, but you would, you would think that after the election,
Sometimes we'll have problems with this tomorrow.
They'll say, well, it wasn't necessary.
It was proved that it wasn't necessary.
They'll take me off the line.
What?
Oh, there'd be two for half of us.
Oh, what the hell?
You know, they have battery themselves.
It's not going to be the people, too.
So what the hell?
He has no understanding of how the press is going to play every little bit of months.
That's why he falls into errors.
John had to look very well.
Well, we don't plan to.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Well, I know he would be pleased if it's all over.
Yeah.
Well.
All right.
Cut.
I, uh, this was late, though.
We don't worry about the various press things, and don't worry about the nuances in the TV.
They'll all recover from this and start shining again.
They always do.
But the main point is, I do think that Operation Saxony must not be an excuse.
And I think the tribe in several different ways, but there ought to be some important person in Ohio who may say, I will not support this because of this.
I told you to track this outrageous statement.
Okay.
Yeah.
Good.

Also recorded on December 30, 1972

  • 158-056 12:59 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 12:59 pm and 1:04 pm.
  • 238-019 12:59 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 12:59 pm and 1:04 pm.
  • 158-057 1:04 PM · 12 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone at Camp David from 1:04 pm to 1:16 pm.
  • 238-021 1:16 PM · 19 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 1:16 pm and 1:18 pm.
  • 158-058 1:18 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Tricia Nixon Cox talked on the telephone at Camp David from 1:18 pm to 1:20 pm.
  • 238-022 1:18 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Tricia Nixon Cox met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 1:18 pm to 1:20 pm.
  • 238-023 1:20 PM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 1:20 pm and 1:30 pm.
  • 238-028 1:20 PM · 15 sec — Thelma C. ("Pat") (Ryan) Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 1:20 pm and 1:30 pm.

All 62 conversations from December 30, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 238-020, December 30, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/238-020 (accessed November 2, 2026).