Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 45 › Conversation 045-065

Nixon phone call with Colson on Watergate and White House Plumbers

Monday, April 30, 1973 · 11:24 PM–11:28 PM ET · White House Telephone · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); [Unknown person(s)]; Colson, Charles W.Conversation045-065 on Tape 45StartMonday, April 30, 1973 at 11:24 PMEndMonday, April 30, 1973 at 11:28 PMRecording deviceWhite House TelephoneSourceNixon Library record for 045-065 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Charles W. Colson discussed the public reception of the President's televised Watergate address, specifically focusing on the sincerity of his performance and positive feedback from supporters. Colson reported on favorable reactions from the public and the media, while the two men affirmed their commitment to defending the actions of the White House 'Plumbers' unit. They framed the unit's activities as justified national security operations and agreed on the necessity of maintaining that stance during ongoing investigations.

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
I'll go to Florida now.
Hello?
Mr. President, Mr. Colson.
Hello, Chuck.
Congratulations, Mr. President.
Will you survive?
Oh, yes, sir, I'll survive.
Don't worry about that.
I just say God bless you, because I think you laid it right on the line tonight.
I think the people who were worried about Watergate heard what they wanted to hear.
The vast majority of people who
I'm still convinced.
I'm not worried about Watergate.
I think you're right.
Well, I don't think it affects their lives.
But they saw you tonight.
Terribly sincere.
Speaking straight from the heart.
Asking for their help.
And that's the... Saying God bless America.
Yes, sir.
Oh, God, that ending.
Well, I've talked to 10 or 12 people tonight.
What did they say?
unanimous verdict.
They say that the man was of tremendous sympathy.
The man was speaking with great feeling and great conviction, and, my God, what he's been through, and shouldn't put the president through this.
And one fellow who was a police union leader said, God, he brought our boys home from Vietnam.
We'll remember him always for that.
And enormous
An enormous feeling of support.
I just think that the country is with you.
I've never seen the media in a more irresponsible, historical fashion.
What are they doing?
Raising elephants?
Well, not with this, no.
Oh, no, I mean up until tonight.
No, they can't raise elephants.
It's a little hard for them to knock this, isn't it?
Yes, sir.
You can put it to them right where it hurts.
They can't knock it.
They started to on CBS tonight, and then Dan Rather said...
I just received a message that the president went to the press room and said, you fellas keep patting at me when I'm wrong.
Give me hell.
Yeah, give me hell when I'm wrong.
And it just turned him around.
He said if that's what the president is saying, then he's saved the Republican Party.
I mean, that even got to those hard-boiled bastards.
All right.
But it was a hell of a job.
Chuck, keep your faith, boy.
Oh.
Let's fight him out.
I only care about one thing, and that's you.
Yeah, and incidentally, on this, you know, all this business about, you know, the plumber's operation, good God, that's totally justified, isn't it?
Yes, sir.
Or is it?
Well, I don't think there's any doubt about it.
I don't intend to talk about it.
I don't think they can make me, because that's at least what I know about it.
It's a national security operation.
Verlichman talked to me about that some time ago, and that was something that I wouldn't discuss.
I wouldn't have any reason to try.
But you say, look, we're protecting the security of this country.
That's right.
Right.
Okay, Chuck.
Well, God bless you, Mr. President.
God bless you, and keep your faith, boy.
Mine's with you, sir.
Mine.
And the country's with you, Mr. President.

NARA Description

On April 30, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, unknown person(s), and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 11:24 pm to 11:28 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 045-065 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 45-65

Date: April 30, 1973
Time: 11:24 pm - 11:28 pm
Location: White House Telephone

The President conferred with an unknown person.

     President’s schedule
           -Trip to Florida

The President talked with Charles W. Colson.

     Watergate
          -President’s speech
                -Popular concerns
          -President’s speech
                -Sincerity
                -Closing
                -Colson’s conversations
                      -Support for President
                             -Police union leader
                                   -Vietnam
                -Press reaction
                      -Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
                             -Dan Rather
                                             -48-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                            Conversation No. 45-65 (cont’d)

                                    -Republican Party
           -President’s support for Colson
           -Plumbers
                 -Justification
                 -Colson’s possible statement
                 -Colson’s conversation with John D. Ehrlichman
                 -National security

Also recorded on May 1, 1973

  • 045-060 11:13 PM · 2 min — Tricia Nixon Cox, President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, [Dwight] David Eisenhower, II, and Rose Mary Woods talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:13 pm and 11:14 pm.
  • 045-061 11:14 PM · 1 min — White House operator, Tricia Nixon Cox, President Richard M. Nixon, and Anne L. Armstrong talked on the telephone from 11:14 pm to 11:15 pm.
  • 045-062 11:15 PM · 3 min — White House operator, Tricia Nixon Cox, President Richard M. Nixon, and George H. W. Bush talked on the telephone from 11:15 pm to 11:18 pm.
  • 045-063 11:21 PM · 55 sec — White House operator, Tricia Nixon Cox, and Claude S. Brinegar talked on the telephone from 11:21 pm to 11:23 pm.
  • 045-064 11:23 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:23 pm and 11:24 pm.
  • 045-066 11:28 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 11:28 pm and 11:30 pm.
  • 045-067 11:30 PM · 14 sec — White House operator and President Richard M. Nixon talked on the telephone at 11:30 pm.
  • 045-068 11:36 PM · 41 sec — Tricia Nixon Cox, White House operator, President Richard M. Nixon, and Stephen B. Bull talked on the telephone from 11:36 pm to 11:37 pm.

All 181 conversations from May 1, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 045-065, May 1, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/045-065 (accessed October 5, 2026).