Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 24 › Conversation 024-134
Nixon phone call with Colson on George Wallace and Arthur Bremer
Monday, May 15, 1972 · 11:12 PM–11:41 PM ET · White House Telephone
AI Summary
President Nixon and Charles Colson discuss the investigation into Arthur Bremer, the assailant who shot George Wallace, with a particular focus on his potential political affiliations and motives. They assess the efficacy of FBI Director L. Patrick Gray’s investigation and strategize on how to manage public perception regarding the shooter's ideological leanings and the broader implications for gun control. Additionally, the pair reviews Wallace’s medical prognosis and evaluates the domestic political climate concerning the President's Vietnam policies and the upcoming Moscow summit.
Audio
Download MP3 (part 1) · 111.6 MB ·Download MP3 (part 2) · 28.2 MB
This conversation has not yet been cut into its own clip, so the player above contains the full tape segment shared with neighbouring conversations. It begins about 02:44:32 into the tape and ends around 03:13:45.
Transcript (AI-generated)
No transcript is available yet for this conversation. The recording may contain no audible speech, or it may not have been processed.
NARA Description
On May 15, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 11:12 pm to 11:41 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 024-134 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 24-134
Date: May 15, 1972
Time: 11:12 pm - 11:41 pm
Location: White House Telephone
The President talked with Charles W. Colson.
Attack on George C. Wallace
-Calls to Dr. William M. Lukash and John D. Ehrlichman
-Arthur H. Bremer
-Press stories
-Political leanings
-Motives
-Press interviews with landlord
-Literature in apartment
-Wallace
-Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI] investigation
-L. Patrick Gray, III
-Interviews
-Mental state
-Lawyer
-Gray
-Custody
-Baltimore
-Plans for autobiography
-Apartment search
-Writings
-Mental condition
-Political affiliations
-George S. McGovern
-Publicity
-Brother
-Attitude toward Wallace
-Gray
-Political affiliations
-Cover
-Publicity
-Kenneth W. Clawson
-Wallace's condition
-Operation
-Recovery
-Lukash's report
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 37s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
*****************************************************************
-Lukash's prognosis
-Extent of injury
-Paralysis
-Investigation
-FBI
-Gray's control
-Information
-Release
-Political leanings
-Press reports
-Clawson
-Public perceptions
-Bremer
-Background
-Political leanings
-The President’s view
-Background
-Gray's investigation
-Money sources
-Schooling
-Travels
-Money sources
-Literature
-John F. Kennedy assassination
-Media coverage
-Motive of Lee Harvey Oswald
-Bremer
-Media coverage
-Investigation
-Gray's direction
-The President’s view
-Wallace's condition
-Operation
-Completion
-Lukash's report
-Medical bulletins
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 2m 39s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
*****************************************************************
Candidate protection
-Edward M. Kennedy
-Shirley Chisholm
-The President's orders
-Publicity
-Lukash
-Chisholm
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 2m 10s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
*****************************************************************
Assault on Wallace
-Forthcoming press coverage
-Bremer
-United Press International [UPI] report
-Political leanings
-Gray
-Possible motive
-Left wing McGovern and Hubert H. Humphrey supporters
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 1m ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
*****************************************************************
Assault on Wallace
-Weapon
-.38 caliber
-Power
-Impact
-.45 caliber
-Handgun
-Saturday night special
-Purchase
-Gun control
-Issue
-Publicity
-Clawson
-National Rifle Association [NRA]
-Bremer
-Accomplices
-Mental condition
-Public reaction
-Bremer
-Motive
-Political affiliation
-Young Democrats
-Publicity
-Gray
Vietnam
-Blockade
-Public response
-Leonard Woodcock's television appearance on Face the Nation
-Statements
-Questions
-Louis P. Harris's statements on Meet the Press
-Robert J. Dole
-Statement
-Publicity
-Critics
-Stance
-Soviet summit
-Polls
-New York Times
-Polls
-Albert E. Sindlinger results
-Support for the President
Wallace
-Sindlinger poll
-Press coverage
-Recovery
-The President's trip to Moscow
-Condition
-Paralysis possibility
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 3m 6s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
*****************************************************************
Assault on Wallace
-Investigation
-GrayAlso recorded on May 16, 1972
- 024-131 10:15 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:15 pm and 11:07 pm.
- 024-133 11:07 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:07 pm and 11:12 pm.
- 024-135 11:41 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:41 pm and 11:42 pm.
- 024-136 11:42 PM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Joe D. Waggonner, Jr., and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone from 11:42 pm to 11:49 pm.
- 131-001 12:01 AM · 2 min — Unknown person(s) talked on the telephone at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 12:01 am on May 16, 1972 and 2:26 pm on May 17, 1972.
- 131-002 12:01 AM · 23 sec — Unknown person(s) and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 12:01 am on May 16, 1972 and 2:26 pm on May 17, 1972.
- 131-003 12:01 AM · 52 sec — Unknown person(s) and John ("Microwave") Mizzer talked on the telephone at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 12:01 am on May 16, 1972 and 2:26 pm on May 17, 1972.
- 131-004 12:01 AM · 1 min — John ("Microwave") Mizzer, Camp David operator, and unknown person(s) talked on the telephone at Camp David on an unknown date, sometime between 12:01 am on May 16, 1972 and 2:26 pm on May 17, 1972.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 024-134, May 16, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/024-134 (accessed September 18, 2026).