Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 25 › Conversation 025-015
Nixon phone call with Colson on 1972 election and George S. McGovern
Tuesday, June 6, 1972 · 1:42 PM–1:57 PM ET · White House Telephone · 3 min
AI Summary
President Nixon and Charles Colson strategize on how to undermine Democratic presidential candidate George S. McGovern by capitalizing on his perceived political vulnerabilities. They discuss efforts to influence key labor leaders, specifically George Meany, to withhold support from the Democratic ticket, while evaluating the potential for securing backing from New York labor unions. The conversation focuses on leveraging institutional relationships and media narratives to frame McGovern as an extreme candidate and solidify labor support for Nixon's re-election campaign.
- 1972 election
- George S. McGovern
- Labor unions
- George Meany
- Campaign strategy
- New York politics
Audio
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 June 6, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 1:42 pm to 1:57 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 025-015 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 25-15
Date: June 6, 1972
Time: 1:42 pm - 1:57 pm
Location: White House Telephone
The President talked with Charles W. Colson.
[See Conversation No. 728-1]
*****************************************************************
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 10/25/2017.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[025-015-w001]
[Duration: 2m 48s]
1972 election
-George S. McGovern
-Jay Lovestone
-July 1971 Playboy interview with George S. McGovern
-George S. McGovern’s portrayal as a communist
-Democratic convention
-George Meany
-Endorsement of George S. McGovern
-Likelihood
-Lack of organizational support
-Congressional races
-Arrogance
Melvin R. Laird
-Statement
-Effect on George Meany and Labor community
-Labor unions
-President’s performance
-William P. Rogers
-New York Times printers
-New York unions’ support of the President
-Nelson A. Rockefeller
-Ties with unions
-Statewide affair to support the President
-New York labor groups
-Conservatism
*****************************************************************Also recorded on June 6, 1972
- 728-001 1:42 PM · 18 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the Oval Office of the White House from 1:42 pm to 1:59 pm.
- 025-016 2:01 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:01 pm and 2:05 pm.
- 025-017 2:01 PM · 2 min — unknown person(s) talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:01 pm and 2:05 pm.
- 728-002 2:01 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:01 pm and 2:04 pm.
- 728-003 2:01 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:01 pm and 2:04 pm.
- 728-004 2:01 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 2:01 pm and 2:04 pm.
- 728-005 2:04 PM · 13 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander M. Haig, Jr. met in the Oval Office of the White House from 2:04 pm to 2:17 pm.
- 728-006 2:17 PM · 50 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at 2:17 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 025-015, June 6, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/025-015 (accessed October 9, 2026).