Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 30 › Conversation 030-021

Nixon phone call with Colson on Watergate and Daniel Ellsberg

Thursday, September 21, 1972 · 8:04 PM–8:15 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Colson, Charles W.Conversation030-021 on Tape 30StartThursday, September 21, 1972 at 8:04 PMEndThursday, September 21, 1972 at 8:15 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 030-021 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Charles Colson discuss a Washington Star column by Crosby S. Noyes that draws a favorable comparison between the Watergate scandal and the Daniel Ellsberg case. They aim to shift the public narrative by challenging George McGovern to explain his support for Ellsberg’s theft of government documents in the context of his Watergate criticism. Nixon and Colson also speculate that McGovern’s recent silence on the Watergate affair stems from unfavorable polling data and potential concerns regarding Democratic political misconduct.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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).
Hello.
Yes, sir, Mr. President.
I enjoyed reading Crosby Noyes had a marvelous column tonight in the story in which he says the reason the Watergate column hasn't aroused any feeling is why should it?
The public didn't get very excited over Ellsberg, and what's the difference between that?
a little bit of political espionage on the one hand, and Ellsberg stealing government documents.
This is one that we've been waiting to use this one, frankly, until we could get Josh the right spokesman on this.
McGovern started really chirping away on the... Yeah, he ought to say something about Ellsberg.
Just say, well, how come you encouraged Ellsberg to publish stolen documents?
What's the difference?
That's right.
That's good.
Actually, it's kind of interesting the way
McGovern has shut up on the Watergate, hasn't he?
He hasn't talked about that this week.
I wonder why.
Yeah, I wonder why, too.
Maybe he's found that his polls may indicate it isn't making all that much impact on the folks.
I'm sure that's one reason.
Maybe he figured his people were up to a little bit of chicanery that goes in the back there.
Right.
No, I think basically it is that he found that it hasn't...

NARA Description

On September 21, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 8:04 pm to 8:15 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 030-021 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 30-21

Date: September 21, 1972
Time: 8:04 pm - 8:15 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Charles W. Colson.

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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 2m 29s     ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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

       Crosby S. Noyes
             -Washington Star
                    -Watergate
                          -Daniel Ellsberg

       George S. McGovern
             -Ellsberg
             -Watergate
                    -Polls
                    -Democratic chicanery

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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 5m 20s     ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

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

Also recorded on September 22, 1972

  • 030-022 8:15 PM · 20 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 8:15 pm and 8:22 pm.
  • 785-001 8:54 AM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 8:54 am to 8:57 am.
  • 785-002 8:58 AM · 9 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Charles W. Colson, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 8:58 am to 9:08 am.
  • 785-003 9:08 AM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Henry B. Sturby, Lloyd E. Church, William P. Jacobs, Jr., Roger E. Johnson, William F. Rhatican, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 9:08 am to 9:15 am.
  • 030-023 9:14 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 9:14 am.
  • 785-004 9:15 AM · 12 sec — unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 9:15 am and 9:17 am.

Cite this conversation

Conversation 030-021, September 22, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/030-021 (accessed October 1, 2026).