Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 19 › Conversation 019-071

Kissinger & Colson on Vietnam War and Public Relations

Tuesday, January 25, 1972 · 8:55 PM–10:03 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsKissinger, Henry A.; Colson, Charles W.Conversation019-071 on Tape 19StartTuesday, January 25, 1972 at 8:55 PMEndTuesday, January 25, 1972 at 10:03 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 019-071 ↗

AI Summary

Henry Kissinger and Charles Colson discussed the positive public and institutional response to President Nixon's recent address regarding the Vietnam War. Kissinger, acting on the President's behalf, encouraged Colson to sustain this momentum among key constituencies, including veterans, business leaders, and organized labor. The two men also coordinated efforts to secure endorsements from left-leaning figures, citing the collaborative work of George Shultz and Robert Finch to bolster the administration's narrative.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Hello.
Chuck?
Yes, Henry.
I'm with the President here, and he just wanted me to tell you anything you can do to get a maximum response from the various groups, you know, around the country.
Well, we're getting a great response so far, Henry.
I'm just overwhelmed with it.
Even without doing anything?
No, no.
Now, Henry, would I take credit away from you on an important thing?
No, no, I mean without generating it.
That's right.
It's a terrific response.
It is?
Really?
What way?
Well, people are saying, you know, that they had no idea, that they're kind of taking their breath away.
Oh, really?
That he's been doing this all along.
What sort of people?
Should cut the critics down, press people.
Really?
You know, our veterans, leaders, business people, laborers.
Really?
Well, anything you can do to keep it going, the president feels.
But you think it's already building very strongly.
Oh, yeah.
I think we're getting, you know, real superlatives coming in on it.
And, well, terrific.
It's great.
You did a fabulous job, Henry.
Well, Chuck, you keep it going.
Chuck, you gave more help this afternoon than I've ever had in any one briefing.
I'm serious.
Well, I appreciate that.
I was sore as hell when you gave it, but you were right.
Well, I'm just an old trial lawyer, you know.
I just wanted to cut him down.
I sat there feeling, Jesus, here I am trying to cut down the old master.
No, no, you were right.
It helped me in the other briefings.
I'm glad you took it constructively because I realized it was a little rough.
I could see the pickup.
It really was good.
Any left-wingers you can get who endorse it with help.
We're working on that.
I got Schultz calling some of his friends.
Good.
Excellent.
We'll keep it going.
Thank you, Chuck.
Thanks, Henry.
Bye-bye.

NARA Description

On January 25, 1972, Henry A. Kissinger and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:55 pm and 10:03 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 019-071 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 19-71

Date: January 25, 1972
Time: Unknown between 8:55 pm and 10:03 pm
Location: White House Telephone

Henry A. Kissinger talked with Charles W. Colson.

     The President's previous speech on Vietnam
          -Reaction
               -Colson's possible efforts
               -Press, veterans, business, labor
          -Kissinger's recent staff briefing
               -Colson's efforts
          -Reaction
               -Left-wing
               -Efforts by George P. Shultz and Robert H. Finch

Also recorded on January 26, 1972

  • 019-064 8:55 PM · 15 sec — Henry A. Kissinger, President Richard M. Nixon, and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:55 pm and 9:21 pm.
  • 019-065 8:55 PM · 8 min — Henry A. Kissinger and Anatoliy F. Dobrynin talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:55 pm and 10:03 pm.
  • 019-066 8:55 PM · 9 sec — the White House operator and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:55 pm and 10:03 pm.
  • 019-067 8:55 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry A. Kissinger, and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:55 pm and 10:03 pm.
  • 019-068 8:55 PM · 18 sec — the White House operator and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:55 pm and 10:03 pm.
  • 019-069 8:55 PM · 3 min — Henry A. Kissinger, White House operator, President Richard M. Nixon, Michael M. Marshall, and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:55 pm and 10:03 pm.
  • 019-070 8:55 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:55 pm and 10:03 pm.
  • 019-072 8:55 PM · 9 sec — Henry A. Kissinger and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:55 pm and 10:03 pm.

All 102 conversations from January 26, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 019-071, January 26, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/019-071 (accessed October 12, 2026).