Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 252 › Conversation 252-003

Nixon & Colson on Public relations and Welfare reform

Wednesday, April 21, 1971 · 2:31 PM–2:42 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 5 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Colson, Charles W.Conversation252-003 on Tape 252 (tape position 00:03:38–00:08:42)StartWednesday, April 21, 1971 at 2:31 PMEndWednesday, April 21, 1971 at 2:42 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 252-003 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Charles Colson discuss strategies for managing public perception regarding anti-war protests and the welfare system. The President expresses concern over the political optics of demonstrators occupying the National Mall and emphasizes the need to leverage support from conservative factions. Nixon instructs Colson to monitor current legislative developments and mobilize political allies to take a firm stand on these divisive issues.

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Position in tape: 00:03:38 – 00:08:42

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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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.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).
Yeah.
Yeah.
Oh.
Tells me the hard-ass were pleased with my welfare stand-up.
Not everybody heard about it.
What do they think of the crowd at the mall down there?
Do they mention that or do they see it?
It's awful.
They shouldn't fight veterans.
We're getting many points out of Dillman.
Some of those folks in the cabin kind of got around.
That's the word.
The idea is somebody they know darn well will run away from the meeting and they're going to go out and talk to us.
We've got also some more jobs.
I mean, I'm inviting ships starting to go up in that space.
All right.
We've got no use for the concentration camp.
The concentration camp is just the same as the Moscow one.
So, I told Bob this morning, I don't know what it was, I don't know what it was, I don't know what it was, I don't know.
They want to help me, but they don't want to help these people with their sponge and gold working off the others.
I'm good.
It's helpful particularly to get into the personal deceit.
There was a lot of speech writing on here, and of course I had to do some things on my own.
And also a lot of the kids from Rio Grande High School, you know, had to stop.
I have a little story here.
A fellow speech writer who does this said, you know, I'll take the price of the pros and then it's fine too.
A little pro, a little of that.
A little Leanne, a little of that.
That can get around.
Another thing that you might do is get back to the area that Bob was going to have really done.
Not only that, but all the Republican members, the Congress, and all this other kind of thing.
This is an issue that really strikes home right now.
They're very behind back in the welfare industry.
It's a lot of money.
And I'm proud of my mom, of course, and I'm very proud of her.
Of course, the best part of everything.
I guess, you know, that's what married as far as the truth.
In fact, the trouble is, it penalizes itself.
It's a lot harder than ours.
It's a lot harder than our situation.
It's a lot harder than our situation.
It's a lot harder than our situation.
That's a good call.
Now check up today.
Check up today to see what's happening.
These guys now, they can't make this shit go out in the world.
They talk about courage now.
This is a profile from courage now.
That's when they do that.
Check today and have a goal or somebody, somebody just want to make a speech and do it.
It's better.
I don't know where I'm in here as a free Democrat.
They won't stand up to be counted on either side.
Things are what I think they're doing.
So, that's it.
That's it.
That's it.
That's it.
Well, now let's see what they did today.
They have to go today.
They didn't table it.
Let's come down a little.
Good.
Oh, yeah.

NARA Description

On April 21, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:31 pm to 2:42 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 252-003 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 252-3

Date: April 21, 1971
Time: 2:31 pm - 2:42 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with Charles W. Colson

[See Conversation No. 42-63]

Also recorded on April 21, 1971

  • 042-063 2:31 PM · 11 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 2:31 pm to 2:42 pm.
  • 042-064 2:42 PM · 4 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:42 pm and 2:54 pm.
  • 252-004 2:42 PM · 26 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:42 pm and 2:54 pm.
  • 252-005 2:42 PM · 5 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:42 pm and 2:54 pm.
  • 252-006 2:42 PM · 11 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:42 pm and 2:54 pm.
  • 042-065 2:54 PM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John A. Scali talked on the telephone from 2:54 pm to 3:01 pm.
  • 252-007 2:54 PM · 7 min — President Richard M. Nixon and John A. Scali met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:54 pm to 3:01 pm.
  • 252-008 3:01 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:01 pm and 3:08 pm.

All 46 conversations from April 21, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 252-003, April 21, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/252-003 (accessed October 3, 2026).