Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 24 › Conversation 024-063

Nixon, Colson & Laird on Vietnam War and Naval blockade

Wednesday, May 10, 1972 · 10:40 AM–11:40 AM ET · White House Telephone · 3 min

ParticipantsColson, Charles W.; White House operator; Nixon, Richard M. (President); Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Laird, Melvin R.Conversation024-063 on Tape 24 (tape position 01:16:25–01:19:47)StartWednesday, May 10, 1972 at 10:40 AMEndWednesday, May 10, 1972 at 11:40 AMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 024-063 ↗

AI Summary

Charles Colson coordinates with Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird to address public reports of internal administration dissent regarding President Nixon’s decision to blockade Vietnam. The participants express frustration over media attempts to create division between the President and his staff, specifically involving John B. Connally. Colson informs Laird that the President is outraged by these leaks and instructs Press Secretary Ronald Ziegler to publicly debunk the claims, while also sharing favorable ORC poll results to bolster Laird’s confidence for his upcoming press conference.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

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Mr. Colson has been the President's guest.

I don't know.

Maybe I'm putting too much stress on what the tool is, but I think Bob... Hello?

No.

On this question of who's putting out the stories that you disagreed with this decision,

Well, they're trying to make...

I can see what they're doing.

They're trying to make a big deal for Conley.

Of course.

I understand.

I don't think that helps Conley, and I don't think it helps the president.

It hurts us all when that happens.

Let me just say that I've talked with Bob Haldeman, with Henry Kissinger, and with the president.

And Ziegler will go out there this morning and just knock that story down hard.

The president's outraged about it.

That doesn't do the president or Conley any good.

Of course it doesn't.

It's asinine.

And we ought to be able to talk about things.

I've been in opposition in this town for 20 years, and I always feel that it's important to raise all the questions about what might happen.

But when you raise questions, you ought to be able to do that

and not be quoted out of meeting.

That is exactly the phrase the president used, precisely the words he used.

And we are, believe me, he is incensed over it and has instructed Ziegler to go out there this morning, which will be the same time you're doing your press conference.

and just knock it down very damn hard okay very good the uh poll results that i talked to you about mel on on similar gear which were just which are just going out of the roof in terms of public support we now have an orc poll which is fantastic which i you probably should you shouldn't allude to it this morning unless you you say that you're aware of polls that are being taken that are coming up okay but it's fantastic this orc poll which was finished last night

which says to make sure that supplies do not reach the North Vietnamese, the President has taken the following actions.

One, and then list all the actions.

Do you support the President's actions or don't you?

Seventy-four yes, twenty-one no, five no opinion.

And all of the other polls, all of the other questions that have been running regularly in this ORC data, do you agree with the way the President's handling the situation in Vietnam, or do you approve of his handling of it, has just

just gone up beautifully.

I mean, we really have the people with us this week.

Well, we'll give them hell right now.

We're getting ready to go.

CBS has moved in live.

Yeah, we've got live from CBS, and we may have one other network come too.

So that's just marvelous.

Give them a little hell, Mel.

I will.

Okay, and we'll knock this other one out of the box, don't worry.

Do that, because that doesn't help anybody, and that's getting started.

We're getting interviews over here about it.

My people knock it down right away.

You know what you should do?

Just refer them to Ziegler.

All right.

Just refer, I'd refer...

Don't worry.

Sure as hell wouldn't let them get you off the track this morning, because you can whack the hell out of the critics and not let them try to divide us within the administration.

Very good.

Attaboy.

Thanks.

NARA Description

On May 10, 1972, Charles W. Colson, White House operator, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Melvin R. Laird talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:40 am and 11:40 am. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 024-063 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 24-63

Date: May 10, 1972
Time: Unknown between 10:40 am and 11:40 am
Location: White House Telephone

Charles W. Colson talked with the White House operator.

[See also Conversation No. 337-9G]

     Request for a call to Melvin R. Laird

The President conferred with H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman at an unknown time.

[See Conversation No. 337-9]

[End of conferral]

Colson talked with Laird at an unknown time.

     Vietnam
          -Blockade

                -The President's decision
                      -Press reports
                            -Laird's reported disagreement
                            -John B. Connally
                            -Laird's statement
                            -Colson's meetings with the President, H. R. (“Bob”) Haldeman and
                                 Henry A. Kissinger
                            -Ronald L. Ziegler's statement
                            -Effect on the President
                            -Laird's position
                                 -Laird’s view
                            -Ziegler's and Laird's press conferences
                -Poll results
                      -Albert E. Sindlinger
                      -[Opinion Research Center Corporation [ORC]
                            -Laird's press conference
                            -Results
                            -Support for the President
                            -Questions
                                 -Results
                -Laird's press conference
                      -Television coverage
                            -Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
                -Press reports
                      -Response
                            -Ziegler
                      -Colson’s view

Also recorded on May 10, 1972

337-004 9:50 AM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John S. Bradley met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 9:50 am and 10:05 am.
337-005 9:50 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 9:50 am and 10:05 am.
337-006 9:50 AM · 15 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 9:50 am and 10:05 am.
337-007 9:50 AM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 9:50 am and 10:05 am.
337-009 10:05 AM · 2 hr 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Henry A. Kissinger, White House operator, unknown person(s), Charles W. Colson, and Melvin R. Laird met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 10:05 am to 12:06 pm.
024-060 10:19 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 10:19 am.
024-061 10:19 AM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and unknown person(s) talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:19 am and 10:21 am.
024-062 10:21 AM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 10:21 am to 10:22 am.

All 42 conversations from May 10, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 024-063, May 10, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/024-063 (accessed October 12, 2026).