Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 13 › Conversation 013-147

Nixon phone call with Colson on Soviet Union grain deal and Public relations

Friday, November 5, 1971 · 8:50 AM–8:52 AM ET · White House Telephone · 52 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Colson, Charles W.Conversation013-147 on Tape 13 (tape position 04:15:19–04:16:11)StartFriday, November 5, 1971 at 8:50 AMEndFriday, November 5, 1971 at 8:52 AMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 013-147 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Charles Colson discuss a public relations strategy to maximize the political impact of a Soviet Union grain deal. Nixon directs Colson to have the relevant representatives announce the deal on Capitol Hill to generate favorable press coverage. They plan to frame the announcement as a weekend-long media narrative to highlight the President’s personal involvement in the negotiations.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Mr. President, Mr. Carlson's on the line.
Yes, sir.
Yeah, it occurred to me that one thing you should do is in order to build this up, maybe just to have those two guys go up to the Senate rather than doing it from that asshole department.
They could go up there and the House and Senate and those interested in.
and uh... you know corn so forth and so on you get a few together and they go up and make the announcement and the press will be there to cover it and then you hit them you hit them with the double whammy and you with them of course to cover the other side that's very good i think we'll uh yes sir you like right i think we'll do that plus mr president we can get out tomorrow through uh state press and through the wire services how this came about you're involved right we can get good we'll play it all weekend i know it's a good story

NARA Description

On November 5, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 8:50 am to 8:52 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 013-147 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 013-147

Date: November 5, 1971
Time: 8:50 am - 8:52 am
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Charles W. Colson.

[See Conversation No. 615-4A]

     Soviet Union grain deal
          -Public relations
          -Schedules of Colson and two unknown men
               -Possible meeting with Congressmen
          -Possible press coverage

       Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, NARA Online Public Access Catalog Identifier: 597542

Also recorded on November 5, 1971

  • 615-004 7:50 AM · 1 hr 18 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 7:50 am to 9:10 am.
  • 013-146 8:46 AM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:46 am and 8:50 am.
  • 615-005 9:10 AM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:10 am and 9:23 am.
  • 615-006 9:10 AM · 26 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:10 am and 9:23 am.
  • 615-007 9:10 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:10 am and 9:23 am.
  • 013-148 9:24 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Edward V. Regan talked on the telephone from 9:24 am to 9:28 am.
  • 615-008 9:27 AM · 41 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:27 am to 10:04 am.
  • 013-149 9:48 AM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, and John V. N. Klein talked on the telephone from 9:48 am to 9:50 am.

All 53 conversations from November 5, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 013-147, November 5, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/013-147 (accessed October 12, 2026).