Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 142 › Conversation 142-007
Nixon phone call with Colson on 1972 Presidential Campaign and George McGovern
Tuesday, September 12, 1972 · 9:04 PM–9:15 PM ET · Camp David Study Table · 3 min
AI Summary
President Nixon and Charles W. Colson discussed 1972 re-election strategy, specifically focusing on framing the contest as a referendum on voter trust and confidence. They evaluated the performance of Agriculture Secretary Earl L. Butz in defending the administration against George McGovern's accusations regarding the Soviet grain deal. Nixon and Colson concluded that McGovern’s perceived lack of sincerity and consistency would ultimately alienate voters, leading them to prioritize a campaign strategy centered on the President's perceived stability over reactive partisan attacks.
- 1972 Presidential Campaign
- George McGovern
- Earl L. Butz
- Soviet grain deal
- Public trust
- Political strategy
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
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I was thinking a little bit about the thing and one thing that occurred to me is that perhaps one outburst like that may not be too bad in a sense that in one sense that a lot of people really think McGovern really is lying
oh yeah that's right you see what i mean they don't trust them and they don't believe them and uh i mean it's just one of those things i wouldn't repeat it but i'm inclined to think that uh i don't know we our guys have got you know they've got to show a little indignation now and then you know and uh at that level well i think people like emotion i mean they like someone to be uh and of course someone who looks as sincere as earl looks and he he really is a he's a
a good, solid Midwest kind of guy.
I saw it.
I had to rerun it.
He came through very, very sincere.
I mean, he was just a fellow who said, by God, when I'm accused of this kind of thing, and in turn the President of the United States is accused of this kind of thing, well, then this fellow's a bald-faced liar, and he's got a fight on his hands.
Yeah.
And he's got a fight on his hands with me.
No, I think he...
He did it well.
I mean, he pulled it off.
It's not the thing that everybody can do.
But I think, of course, it is what people think.
It's the point that's made so often about...
I've heard so much in the last two or three days that people just don't trust this fellow.
They don't believe him.
I wouldn't, on the butts thing, I wouldn't really... Earl did that all right.
He didn't... Sure, I know he did.
And as I say, that particular issue, I think we...
I don't know, on balance, I think we came out ahead.
On balance, I think we probably made a point or two on it.
But on the final analysis, what people...
I am just totally convinced that people are going to vote on their trust and confidence in a man.
And that's what this election is going to be all about.
And there's no... No, we can't win on that, we're sure.
I'm dead.
Well, we've won on that.
That's a matter of holding on.
All of these issues just don't amount to all of that much...
I think what really counts is that the people, you have to give them credit.
They know.
They put their trust in you, and they will not in this guy.
He's waffled around so much that I think he's lost it.
Okay, fine.
Thank you.
Thanks, Mr. President.
NARA Description
On September 12, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone at Camp David from 9:04 pm to 9:15 pm. The Camp David Study Table taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 142-007 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 142-7
Date: September 12, 1972
Time: 9:04 pm - 9:15 pm
Location: Camp David Study Table
The President talked with Charles W. Colson.
[See Conversation No. 210-9]
Public relations
-Earl L. Butz
-Grain deal with Soviet Union
-Statement
-George S. McGovern's statement on grain issue
-Analysis
-Authenticity of statement
-Butz
-Appearance
-Type of statement answering McGovern's statement
-Defense of the President
*****************************************************************
[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 07/12/2018.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[142-007-w001]
[Duration: 8m 2s]
Campaign strategy
-Reactions to George S. McGovern
-R. Sargent Shriver
-George S. McGovern’s 1,000 dollar welfare plan
-R. Sargent Shriver
-Background material on R. Sargent Shriver
-Media
-Spiro T. Agnew
-Television coverage on Spiro T. Agnew's statements
-R. Sargent Shriver
-Campaign issue
-Spiro T. Agnew
-Statements by the press on Spiro T. Agnew
-R. Sargent Shriver
-Type of statements
-George S. McGovern’s 1,000 dollar welfare plan as a proposal
-Hubert H. Humphrey
-Idea of selling 1,000 dollar welfare plan
-Albert E. Sindlinger's views
-Reactions to George S. McGovern
-Al Capp
-Richard M. Scammon
-The President's current course of action during campaign
-Public reaction to George S. McGovern
-Trust issue
-Lack of trust in George S. McGovern
-Trust in President
-Stay out of gutter and mud-slinging
-Type of campaigning by George S. McGovern
-Campaigning by the President
-Type of comments
-Voter registration
-Second term
-Previous speeches
-Public needs
-Concentrate on future
-George S. McGovern
-Republican congress
-Public support of the President
-Speculation in the South
-Results
-Possible landslide
-American flag lapel pin
-Significance
-Atmosphere in country
-US News and World Report magazine
-Sample of interviews from machinist’s convention
-Reactions to George S. McGovern
-Amnesty issue
-Union reactions to George S. McGovern
-Franklin County, Pennsylvania
-The President's campaign
-The President's experience of 4 years in The White House
-Street rallies
-Barry M. Goldwater's campaign
Media effects on 1972 campaign
-Watergate
-Effect on campaign
-Speculation on public reactions
-Al Capp
1972 campaign
-R. Sargent Shriver
-George S. McGovern
-Appearance and personality
-The President's campaign
*****************************************************************
Soviet grain deal
-Butz statement
-Effect of issue
-The President's campaign
-Idea of "trust and confidence"
-US public needs and reactions to the President's campaignAlso recorded on September 13, 1972
- 142-004 8:53 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at 8:53 pm.
- 210-006 8:53 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at 8:53 pm.
- 142-005 8:58 PM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Tricia Nixon Cox talked on the telephone at Camp David from 8:58 pm to 9:00 pm.
- 210-007 8:58 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Tricia Nixon Cox met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 8:58 pm to 9:00 pm.
- 142-006 9:03 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at 9:03 pm.
- 210-008 9:03 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at 9:03 pm.
- 210-009 9:04 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 9:04 pm to 9:15 pm.
- 210-010 9:15 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 9:15 pm and 9:50 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 142-007, September 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/142-007 (accessed October 12, 2026).