Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 196 › Conversation 196-025
Nixon phone call with Colson on Political strategy and Public opinion
Sunday, July 23, 1972 · 2:14 PM–2:35 PM ET · Camp David Hard Wire · 2 min
AI Summary
President Nixon and Charles Colson discuss political strategy and public perception regarding the administration's leadership and the rank-and-file electorate. The conversation centers on navigating political optics and managing potential public scrutiny of the administration's actions. The two agree to reconvene the following day to further refine their approach to these sensitive political matters.
- Political strategy
- Public opinion
- White House administration
- Electorate management
- Political optics
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 1 minute of this recording (about 54% of it) is represented by only a few words. Listen to the audio rather than relying on the text below; a corrected transcript is queued.
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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.
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NARA Description
On July 23, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 2:14 pm to 2:35 pm. The Camp David Hard Wire taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 196-025 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 196-25 Date: July 23, 1972 Time: 2:14-2:35 pm Location: Camp David Hard Wire The President talked with Charles W. Colson. [See Conversation No. 136-28; two items have been withdrawn]
Also recorded on July 23, 1972
- 196-023 2:01 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 2:01 pm to 2:10 pm.
- 136-026 2:10 PM · 8 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman talked on the telephone at Camp David at 2:10 pm.
- 136-027 2:10 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 2:10 pm and 2:14 pm.
- 196-024 2:10 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 2:10 pm and 2:14 pm.
- 136-028 2:35 PM · 20 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone at Camp David at 2:35 pm.
- 136-029 2:35 PM · 35 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 2:35 pm and 3:08 pm.
- 136-030 2:35 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at an unknown time between 2:35 pm and 3:08 pm.
- 196-026 2:35 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at an unknown time between 2:35 pm and 3:05 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 196-025, July 23, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/196-025 (accessed October 12, 2026).