Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 23 › Conversation 023-031

Nixon phone call with an unidentified caller on Charles W. Colson

Wednesday, April 19, 1972 · 12:17 PM–12:57 PM ET · White House Telephone · 6 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operatorConversation023-031 on Tape 23StartWednesday, April 19, 1972 at 12:17 PMEndWednesday, April 19, 1972 at 12:57 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 023-031 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon initiates a request for the White House operator to connect him with special counsel Charles W. Colson. This brief communication serves purely as an administrative directive to facilitate a subsequent private discussion between the President and his advisor. No substantive policy matters are addressed in this exchange.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) · JSON data

Mr. Colson, please.
Yes, sir.

NARA Description

On April 19, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:17 pm and 12:57 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 023-031 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 23-31

Date: April 19, 1972
Time: Unknown between 12:17 and 12:57 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

[See also Conversation No. 331-23]

     Request for a call to Charles W. Colson

Also recorded on April 19, 1972

  • 023-169 12:17 PM · 3 sec — a telephone call was attempted at an unknown time between 12:17 pm and 12:57 pm, but the call was not completed.
  • 331-017 12:17 PM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:17 pm and 12:57 pm.
  • 331-018 12:17 PM · 24 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:17 pm and 12:57 pm.
  • 331-019 12:17 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:17 pm and 12:57 pm.
  • 331-020 12:17 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:17 pm and 12:57 pm.
  • 331-021 12:17 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:17 pm and 12:57 pm.
  • 331-022 12:17 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:17 pm and 12:57 pm.
  • 331-023 12:17 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:17 pm and 12:57 pm.

All 56 conversations from April 19, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 023-031, April 19, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/023-031 (accessed October 1, 2026).