Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 28 › Conversation 028-009

Nixon phone call with Colson on Media relations and Press criticism

Friday, July 28, 1972 · 12:24 PM–12:28 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Colson, Charles W.; Nixon, Richard M. (President); Colson, Charles W.Conversation028-009 on Tape 28StartFriday, July 28, 1972 at 12:24 PMEndFriday, July 28, 1972 at 12:28 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 028-009 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon calls Charles W. Colson to offer personal encouragement after Colson expresses distress over a critical newspaper column by Thomas W. Braden. Nixon advises Colson to ignore media criticism, framing it as a predictable tactic by opponents intended to provoke a reactionary response. He encourages Colson to maintain a thick skin and treat such attacks as badges of honor rather than letting them cause personal frustration.

Audio

Download MP3 · 2.3 MB

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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

· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Yeah, Mr. Carlson.
Hello, Mr. President.
I wanted to tell you, Erlichman said you were sort of concerned about some piece by Erlichman.
That's one of which Brayden... Let me just say this.
The one thing I wanted to emphasize to you, and this is going to be true for everybody, that my rule with regard to the columnists and the critics is always this.
First,
If they don't criticize you, you aren't doing anything.
The second point, and this is even more important, you want to remember, the reason they do it is to try to get you to lay off, and second, to get under your skin.
And so don't let it get under your skin.
Just beat the bastards.
And don't let it worry you.
It's a pass.
a nasty bastard.
Oh, Christ.
And there's mankawits and a whole damn bunch, but they're going to be beaten, and that's why they're squealing.
Don't you worry about it.
I just tell you, I consider it a badge of honor.
The fact that I've been through hell, you shouldn't even worry at all.
You tell your kids that now tonight, okay?
Well, I will, Mr. President.
You're very kind.
Bye.
I appreciate that.
It does get unused.
Oh, of course it does, because it's so unfair and so rough, and they never say this about these other bastards.
I mean, it's unbelievable.
Yeah, it really is.
On the other hand, let me say, they're having their problems, too, Chuck.
Oh, hell, right now?
Well, I figure that what, as I've thought about it, okay, you get up in the morning, you just netter than a hornet when you read that, and you just like to tell the son of a bitch what you think of him, but
But when you think about it, you realize that what they want you to do is to come out swinging.
And also, they want to blunch you.
They want to make you afraid.
They want to make you gun-shy.
And I am a great believer.
You know, people don't believe it, but I do not read the editorial pages, believe me, of any of those goddamn papers.
I'll glance through the news summary.
It's a horrible double standard, but I've got a thick skin and I don't mind.
Anyway, I've got Dave Mahoney here now.
Yes, sir.
We can handle that matter.
Don't worry about it.
I appreciate your call very much.
Thank you.

NARA Description

On July 28, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 12:24 pm to 12:28 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 028-009 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 28-9

Date: July 28, 1972
Time: 12:24-12:28 PM
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Charles W. Colson

[See Conversation No. 756-11]

     Article by Thomas W. Braden
          -Colson’s reaction
                -John D. Ehrlichman
          -Press
                -Criticism
                -Source of irritation
                -Frank F. Mankiewicz
                -Prospect of defeat
                -The President’s message for Colson's family
                      -The President’s experience
                -Motivations
                -The President's reading of editorials
                      -News summaries

*****************************************************************

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 1m 55s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO.1

*****************************************************************

     David J. Mahoney, Jr.
         -Presence in Oval Office

Also recorded on July 28, 1972

  • 756-009 11:54 AM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:54 am and 11:56 am.
  • 756-024 11:54 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:54 am and 11:56 am.
  • 756-010 11:56 AM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Jack D. Maltester, John J. Gunther, and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:56 am to 12:09 pm.
  • 756-011 12:24 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:24 pm to 12:28 pm.
  • 028-010 12:28 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:28 pm and 2:08 pm.
  • 756-012 12:29 PM · 25 min — President Richard M. Nixon, David J. Mahoney, Jr., Kenneth R. Cole, Jr., and Leonard Garment met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:29 pm to 12:55 pm.
  • 756-013 12:55 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:55 pm and 1:00 pm.
  • 756-014 12:55 PM · 28 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:55 pm and 1:00 pm.

All 30 conversations from July 28, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 028-009, July 28, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/028-009 (accessed October 1, 2026).