Nixon White House TapesTape 210 › Conversation 210-012

Nixon phone call with Colson on 1972 Presidential Campaign

Wednesday, September 13, 1972 · 11:27 AM–11:41 AM ET · Camp David Hard Wire ·12 sec

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Colson, Charles W.Conversation210-012 onTape 210StartWednesday, September 13, 1972 at 11:27 AMEndWednesday, September 13, 1972 at 11:41 AMRecording deviceCamp David Hard WireSourceNixon Library record for 210-012 ↗

President Nixon met with special counsel Charles Colson at Camp David to strategize on political affairs during the 1972 reelection campaign. The two men discussed tactics for managing political fallout and addressing ongoing pressures facing the administration. While specific details of their deliberation remain shielded by the withdrawal of one segment of the record, the discussion reflects the high-level coordination between the President and his key political aide during a critical phase of the campaign.

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No transcript is available yet for this conversation. The recording may contain no audible speech, or it may not have been processed.

On September 13, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 11:27 am to 11:41 am. The Camp David Hard Wire taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 210-012 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 210-12

Date: September 13, 1972
Time: 11:27 am - 11:41 am
Location: Camp David Hard Wire

The President talked with Charles W. Colson.

[See Conversation no. 142-9; one item has been withdrawn from this conversation]
  • 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.
  • 142-007 9:04 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone at Camp David from 9:04 pm to 9:15 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.
  • 142-008 11:26 AM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator talked on the telephone at Camp David at 11:26 am.
  • 210-011 11:26 AM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Camp David operator met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David at 11:26 am.
  • 142-009 11:27 AM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone at Camp David from 11:27 am to 11:41 am.
  • 210-013 11:40 AM · 37 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Camp David operator, and Lawrence M. Higby met in the Aspen Lodge study at Camp David from 11:40 am to 1:12 pm.

Conversation 210-012, 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/210-012 (accessed September 18, 2026).