Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 31 › Conversation 031-043

Nixon phone call with Colson on 1972 campaign and media bias

Friday, October 13, 1972 · 7:24 PM–7:28 PM ET · White House Telephone · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Colson, Charles W.Conversation031-043 on Tape 31StartFriday, October 13, 1972 at 7:24 PMEndFriday, October 13, 1972 at 7:28 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 031-043 ↗

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.

Audio

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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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...

NARA 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.

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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1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

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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

        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

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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2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

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2

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

Also recorded on October 13, 1972

797-032 6:11 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 6:11 pm to 6:15 pm.
797-033 6:15 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 6:15 pm to 6:22 pm.
797-035 6:22 PM · 12 sec — United States Secret Service agents and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House from 6:22 pm to 6:25 pm.
031-038 6:45 PM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Rose Mary Woods talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:45 pm and 7:07 pm.
031-039 7:07 PM · 58 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Rose Mary Woods talked on the telephone from 7:07 pm to 7:08 pm.
031-040 7:08 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone from 7:08 pm to 7:14 pm.
031-041 7:14 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 7:14 pm to 7:17 pm.
031-042 7:17 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:17 pm and 7:24 pm.

All 50 conversations from October 13, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 031-043, October 13, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/031-043 (accessed October 10, 2026).