Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 39 › Conversation 039-122

Nixon phone call with Cox on Watergate and Charles W. Colson

Wednesday, June 6, 1973 · 5:05 PM–5:07 PM ET · White House Telephone · 2 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); White House operator; Cox, Tricia NixonConversation039-122 on Tape 39StartWednesday, June 6, 1973 at 5:05 PMEndWednesday, June 6, 1973 at 5:07 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 039-122 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and his daughter, Tricia Nixon Cox, discuss Charles Colson's recent television interview with Howard K. Smith regarding the Watergate scandal. Tricia praises Colson’s performance and dignity, specifically highlighting his challenge to accusers to take lie detector tests. The call concludes with the President asking Tricia to inform First Lady Pat Nixon of his plans to have dinner on the Sequoia with John Connally and Alexander Haig.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Hello.
Hi, Daddy.
How did you, uh... We saw the program.
Thank you for having Steve put it on.
Did you see it?
No, I didn't.
Yeah, he was good on that.
Yeah.
Good.
You know, he handled the whole thing with dignity, and his questions were not in the form of indictments and all that.
It wasn't a zoo.
And it was just very well done, and it gave Colson a chance to take our very good case to the American people.
You know, the commentator, Howard K. Smith, was asking the questions that the American people had on their minds, and some of the other...
... favorably inclined, members of the press asking, and Colson did a great job of answering.
He really was convincing.
Good.
Good.
He just, great.
Over and out.
He really did.
Good.
Excellent.
And this whole thing with the lie detector test, everyone on our side's taken one.
Yeah.
No one on their side's been willing to.
You know, all the people who are making the terrible accusations, willing to take a lie detector test.
Yeah, that's true.
That's a very strong point.
Incidentally, I want to be sure to tell Mommy I'm going out to Sequoia with John Connolly and Al Haig tonight, so be sure that you know I'm not coming in, okay?
Fine.
Okay, Daddy.
We'll talk to you later.
This was great.
Bye.

NARA Description

On June 6, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Tricia Nixon Cox talked on the telephone from 5:05 pm to 5:07 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 039-122 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 39-122

Date: June 6, 1973
Time: 5:05 pm - 5:07 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President talked with the White House operator.

       Incoming telephone call

The President talked with Tricia Nixon Cox.

[See also Conversation No. 443-30]
                                                       -100-

                       NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                                            Conversation No. 39-122 (cont’d)

*****************************************************************
[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]

         Greeting

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1

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         Watergate
               -Charles W. Colson’s interview with Howard K. Smith, June 5
                      -Tricia Nixon Cox’s review
                              -Stephen B. Bull [?]
                      -Smith
                              -Attitude toward administration
                              -Questions
                      -Colson’s response to questions
                      -Lie detector tests

         President’s schedule
                -Dinner on Sequoia
                        -Message to Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
                        -John B. Connally, Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
*****************************************************************
                                               -101-

                    NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Also recorded on June 6, 1973

  • 039-120 4:56 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Gerald R. Ford talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 4:56 pm and 5:02 pm.
  • 443-027 4:56 PM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Gerald R. Ford, and Hugh Scott met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 4:56 pm to 5:02 pm.
  • 039-121 5:02 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 5:02 pm and 5:05 pm.
  • 443-028 5:02 PM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:02 pm and 5:05 pm.
  • 443-029 5:02 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:02 pm and 5:05 pm.
  • 443-030 5:05 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Tricia Nixon Cox met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 5:05 pm to 5:07 pm.
  • 443-031 5:07 PM · 28 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:07 pm and 5:33 pm.
  • 443-032 5:07 PM · 22 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 5:07 pm and 5:33 pm.

All 80 conversations from June 6, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 039-122, June 6, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/039-122 (accessed September 28, 2026).