Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 17 › Conversation 017-020
Nixon phone call with Colson on Jimmy Hoffa and Media coverage
Friday, December 24, 1971 · 3:45 PM–3:58 PM ET · White House Telephone · 13 min
AI Summary
President Nixon and Charles Colson spoke on Christmas Eve to discuss the political fallout and media reaction regarding recent news, specifically the release of Jimmy Hoffa. They reviewed public and media perceptions of the event, contrasted it with Democratic responses, and touched upon Secretary of State William P. Rogers' effective handling of Vietnam policy in the press. Additionally, they assessed the President's current approval ratings and leadership image, noting that recent actions had successfully strengthened his standing with the public.
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 6 minutes of this recording (about 45% 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.
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Hello.
Mr. President, Mr. Cate had a luncheon engagement.
Oh, yes.
But he will get back to the President in an hour and I'll have word.
Thank you.
Be careful.
Thank you.
Okay.
Hello.
Well, you've taken the day off today, I hope.
Well, I was in the morning, but I just got ready.
Good, good, good.
Well, I hope you get all your Christmas shopping and get a little relief from the
pressures that see what is tomorrow Saturday this would be one weekend I think everybody should just sort of pat down and take it easy well I've given as you had suggested I've given most of my people a weekend off good give them a text of news play just every now and then yeah I was I didn't read it frankly I just looked at the headlines but from my own feeling is that
it uh he probably got up and what i heard from those that saw television the sympathy reaction because he looks he looks so far tired and everything well his daughter-in-law came on cbs she said she was asked by the reporter what how was mrs author she said well she won't believe it
She still can't believe it until her husband came home in her arms and he got it.
She never appeared to her to say.
And rather played it very safe.
There's been a lot of people who felt they'd taken a bad conviction, a decent person here.
Dr. Kennedy has been long expected.
He played it very, very safe.
All of his friends have played it very safe.
The only negative is the New York Times editorial thoroughly predicted it.
Oh, well, of course.
We expect that post.
It'll go away today and then whack it.
It's been interesting today.
I checked the wires and it was about 2.30 before I left.
And there wasn't a single reaction or comment.
I think we'll hear from our Democratic friends.
Yeah.
But also there's the matter of compassion, you know, pretty under these circumstances, a sick wife, all the rest of it.
Yeah, that was good.
He's a very clever fellow.
It came off well.
I'm relieved about it because I thought we would get a little more heat.
Well, look, we're prepared for the heat.
We've done it now, and that's it.
Go right on.
I figured it was worth it, but it's not.
The health of the country.
That's good.
I thought Roger's thing came off well, too.
The good Henry, of course, doesn't like it because he just can't see anything good in Roger, but that's just too bad.
It's too bad.
He's effective.
He doesn't do it very often, but...
But when he does, he handled it well.
He handled the Vietnam questions particularly well.
I thought he did a beautiful job.
He did a beautiful job.
He did, huh?
And the Vietnam part's what led, didn't it?
Yeah, that's what the papers led with, at least.
Right.
And he handled all of the questions.
Right.
And we've got to use those questions.
Well, I just don't raise it with Henry at this point.
You know, Henry's hung up because of his...
I mean, there's people nitpicking India-Pakistan, but it's inevitable.
India-Pakistan was a tough deal, and we came out as well as we could, and it's over with then.
The people are not all...
I mean, he's concerned about it, but the average person doesn't have the slightest idea that we should have done anything differently.
No, Harris is putting some questions.
I hope they don't blame us for those.
Well, the sophisticates can't because they've all been pro-Indian.
And we have not.
We've been for both.
Right.
No, I think we came out of it a little too early.
I think that any time you have that kind of a situation, you know, people don't like to go to war.
That's right.
So it doesn't help to handle climate change.
That's right.
But it's good to have it all before Christmas.
Well, I don't think it really is going to reflect that much back on it.
The announcement of the long-term situation,
That's good.
That's good.
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Right.
Good.
That's good.
Sure.
Well, he knows offhand to get out, though.
Oh, sure.
He couldn't close it.
No, and I noticed that some of the... the only wire reaction that I did notice was the... the one at Woodcock, when I hit it with the... the serving against the jump that he released.
He did?
Yes.
Well, that's good.
So that's... that's the... the UAW person at Woodcock.
That's right.
All the deadly enemies of the Teamsters.
Oh, not now, though.
No, that's right.
That's right there.
They're in depth.
I forgot it.
Now it comes together.
And the Detroit Tide, of course.
It'll be interesting to see what Loeb does with it.
Well, I'm just fascinated by that because the press has said that he no longer owes the Houston any money.
Couldn't make any difference.
That's good.
I'm glad the press is saying that.
It shows we didn't do anything for that purpose.
And Loeb lives in constant fear that some of us will pull the rug out.
Fitch has got a lot on the wall.
Oh, we need to take care of that.
Good.
It will be interesting to see if I want to get the message
The thing that has come through in the past six months, I'll quote him precisely, is that everybody has had a leader.
And the president has fought.
He's a leader.
The last six months, the things he has done have convinced people of his courage.
He's a leader.
Much of that.
And you don't run into the, and your tux falls around, at least I don't.
I don't run back again.
The effects, as I was trying to tell him,
I don't hear any people yelling around about it.
They don't raise it.
I take the Pentagon Papers.
People did raise that because it was a very hot issue.
But this one is a...
Well, anyway, the main thing, it's over.
Well, anyway, we'll wish you a Merry Christmas.
Thank you.
NARA Description
On December 24, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 3:45 pm to 3:58 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 017-020 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 17-20
Date: December 24, 1971
Time: 3:45 pm - 3:58 pm
Location: White House Telephone
The White House operator talked with the President.
Ralph H. Cake's location
Call from Charles W. Colson
The President talked with Colson.
Colson's schedule
-Staff
-Christmas
Media coverage
-James R. (“Jimmy”) Hoffa
-Hoffa’s daughter-in-law on the Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
program, “60 Minutes”
-Dan Rather
-Josephine (Poszywak) Hoffa
-Compared to the Kennedy’s
-New York Times
-Editorial
-Washington Post
-Wires
-Democrats
*********************************************************************
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 12/21/2017.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[017-020-w001]
[Duration: 15s]
Media Coverage
-Wires
-Democrats
-Edmund S. Muskie
-Edward M. Kennedy
-Rank and file
**********************************************************************
Media Coverage
-Hoffa
-Ability for compassion
-Mrs. Hoffa
-National Cancer Act of 1971 signed
-William P. Rogers press conference
-Henry A. Kissinger
-Possible problems with Rogers
-Vietnam questions
-Praise for Rogers
-Kissinger
-India-Pakistan War
-Louis Harris poll
-India-Pakistan War
-Results
-Longshoreman situation
-Strike
-James D. Hodgson
George Meany health
Hoffa
-Wires
-Leonard Woodcock
-Teamsters
-Money problems
-William Loeb
-Frank E. Fitzsimmons
-Hoffa
**********************************************************************
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 12/21/2017.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[017-020-w003]
[Duration: 2m 16s]
Democrat primary
-John Ashbrook
-Edmund S. Muskie
-Patrick Buchanan
-Defense budget
-John Ashbrook
-Colson’s information
The President’s approval
-George Gallup poll
-Patrick Buchanan
-Percentage
-Louis Harris poll
-Percentage
-Approval ratings
-New York
-Nelson Rockefeller
-Opinion of President’s strength
-David Bradshaw
**********************************************************************
The President’s approval
-George Gallup poll
-Supporters
India-Pakistan War
-Henry C. Cashen, II
The Pentagon Papers
Meany confrontation
Christmas wishes
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[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 12/21/2017. 1s
segment cleared for release. 3s remain closed as 017-020-w004.]
[Personal Returnable]
[017-020-w004]
[Duration: 1s]
Thanks
**************************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal Returnable]
[017-020-w004]
[Duration: 3s]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
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**************************************************************************Also recorded on December 24, 1971
- 017-016 3:09 PM · 21 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 3:09 pm.
- 017-017 3:09 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:09 pm and 3:12 pm.
- 017-018 3:12 PM · 25 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 3:12 pm to 3:37 pm.
- 017-019 3:37 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone from 3:37 pm to 3:44 pm.
- 017-021 3:58 PM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 3:58 pm and 4:34 pm.
- 643-002 4:20 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Oliver F. ("Ollie") Atkins, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:20 pm and 11:59 pm.
- 643-016 4:28 PM · 2 min — United States Secret Service agents met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:28 pm and 11:59 pm.
- 017-022 4:34 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, Edward C. Nixon, and Gaye Lynne (Woods) Nixon talked on the telephone from 4:34 pm to 4:39 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 017-020, December 24, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/017-020 (accessed October 12, 2026).