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Conversation 031-043

TapeTape 31StartFriday, October 13, 1972 at 7:24 PMEndFriday, October 13, 1972 at 7:28 PMParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Colson, Charles W.Recording deviceWhite House Telephone
AI Summary

President Nixon and Charles W. Colson discussed a strategy to counter media narratives by highlighting the violence directed against the Nixon campaign. They reviewed a list of documented attacks on campaign headquarters and acts of intimidation by anti-war protesters to contrast these events with allegations of campaign pranks. Nixon directed Colson to have Bob Dole and Clark MacGregor confront the press regarding their perceived double standard in reporting these incidents.

1972 campaignmedia biascampaign violenceCharles Colsonpublic relations
AudioNARA Description

On October 13, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 7:24 pm to 7:28 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 031-043 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 31-43

Date: October 13, 1972
Time: 7:24 pm - 7:28 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with Charles W. Colson.

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 3m 10s ]

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        Campaign practices
           -Attacks on the President’s campaign headquarters
               -Destruction, telephone threats
           -Anti-war demonstrators
           -Use of violence by the President’s opponents
           -Accusations on pranks
           -Press reporting
               -Robert J. Dole, Clark MacGregor
                    -White House response

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                                        (rev. Oct-06)

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 2m 14s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

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Transcript (AI-Generated)

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

We're continuing to get out to the stories of what they've done to us.
I've just gone through it.
I just finished going through it.
We've got some good white papers on what they've done to our headquarters.
I didn't realize they'd done so much.
Now that you see it all written out, it's
Really they've raised a lot of hell with this Molotov cocktail at the door of one of our headquarters in California.
And a number of threats, a number of phone threats have got in.
A couple of headquarters burned.
And of course we know the organizing of the anti-war demonstrators.
Sure, sure.
people marching through our state headquarters in Boston.
Did they do that?
Yes, sir.
We've got that there in Arlington, Massachusetts.
They broke our storefront operation apart.
So we've got all of these, and we'll put it out.
They're engaging in violence.
Oh, yeah.
That's the point that I want to get Bill and McGregor Monday to make as an answer to this fellow, that, goddammit, they can accuse us of pranks, and they're not true, but...
That's one thing, but my God, these are violent activities.
And the thing is, for Dole and McGregor to attack the press on this, I think they have to attack the press for its double standard.
I think it's the only way to say it.
And by making it an all-out assault on the press for their double standard and the rest that say, now, come on, you're going to report this campaign, let's report what's happening.
I think it can be done in a way, Mr. President, that is not...
anti-meteor, I think it can be done in a way that is...
Some segments of the press.
Yeah, well, I think we can say that the press seems to have become obsessed with what would normally be regarded as gossip column humor.
And my God, there are serious things going on in this campaign that aren't being reported.
And just go through this whole litany.
I think we can make some points on it.
Maybe that's just what will be needed to...
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