Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 25 › Conversation 025-085
Nixon phone call with Colson on Watergate and Political strategy
Tuesday, June 20, 1972 · 2:16 PM–2:17 PM ET · White House Telephone · 10 sec
AI Summary
President Nixon and Charles Colson held a brief telephone discussion concerning the evolving situation following the Watergate break-in. The primary focus of the dialogue involved assessing the political fallout and managing the narrative surrounding the incident. No specific long-term decisions were recorded during this brief exchange, which served as an initial touchpoint for coordinating the administration's response.
Audio
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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.
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NARA Description
On June 20, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 2:16 pm to 2:17 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 025-085 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 25-85
Date: June 20, 1972
Time: 2:16-2:17 pm
Location: White House Telephone
The President talked with Charles W. Colson.
[See Conversation No. 342-26]
Colson's location
MeetingAlso recorded on June 20, 1972
- 025-080 1:38 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Joseph Trerotola talked on the telephone from 1:38 pm to 1:39 pm.
- 025-081 1:39 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:39 pm and 1:45 pm.
- 025-082 1:39 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:39 pm and 1:45 pm.
- 025-083 1:45 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Clark MacGregor talked on the telephone from 1:45 pm to 1:49 pm.
- 025-084 2:10 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:10 pm and 2:16 pm.
- 342-025 2:10 PM · 7 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 2:10 pm and 2:16 pm.
- 342-026 2:16 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:16 pm to 2:17 pm.
- 342-027 2:20 PM · 1 hr 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:20 pm to 3:30 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 025-085, June 20, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/025-085 (accessed September 30, 2026).