Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 322 › Conversation 322-010

Nixon & Colson on China visit and Public opinion

Tuesday, February 29, 1972 · 2:56 PM–3:16 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 9 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Colson, Charles W.Conversation322-010 on Tape 322 (tape position 00:07:40–00:16:37)StartTuesday, February 29, 1972 at 2:56 PMEndTuesday, February 29, 1972 at 3:16 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 322-010 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Charles Colson discuss the political fallout and public perception following the President's recent trip to China. They analyze the impact of media coverage, specifically criticizing negative headlines, while assessing how the trip bolstered Nixon's personal image despite unfavorable reporting on his family. The conversation focuses on leveraging this positive momentum in public opinion to bolster the administration's standing for the upcoming election cycle.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 4 minutes of this recording (about 48% 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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Yeah, hello.
Yeah.
Hello.
Yeah, I'm finished now.
Is this a substance?
See, if it's a substance, we're in trouble, because that isn't what really matters.
Is that true?
Have you talked to Sendlinger or anybody online?
Play it again.
Again.
That's a little late.
Get there a little bit.
Now.
Snooze.
The point that you make is that you think that the personal image thing finally got through a little.
That's the thing we needed to know and what we deserved and never got because of the hospital person.
Because I've been told that I opposed to the people, all of them, and Harold Wilson,
And I understood that because, my God, when I saw that Washington Post headline when it came back, it was the most disgraceful headline I've ever seen.
And it was wrong.
Totally wrong.
And they were doing it deliberately.
Because Christ said you want to flush fire along many events.
I told the leaders that.
I said it was the most disgraceful headline I've ever seen.
First, I gave them a good shot at the airport in my speech.
Rather, just to sum up the mission, I'm sure Rather gets a few nasty notes on him.
I don't know whether it helps or not, but does he?
Well, if you arrange that, I'd get him on our calls and everything, but you know what I mean.
as I wrote the damn thing in the plan, but it wasn't too long.
It was a report for the nation, and there are at least people listening last night that will listen if I did it next week.
And the thing about the man can help us, because the way you go up, the substance goes up and down.
And if it helps with regard to the man, then that sort of thing that you had with Eisenhower that sort of kept him, you know, everything else went down, he stayed up.
You get a little of that feeling, it's weird, it's a shame.
The Magnus.
The wall, the forbidden city, the toasting and all that.
How far are we right?
Fast enough.
Yeah.
I agree.
I'm not reading this on this for a couple of weeks.
That's why they did it.
That's why they did it.
All right, now.
You start to think, you know, that wasn't a bad article, that wasn't like she was using it.
If you were using what they've been writing about my brother, making him out to appear to be a fat, I don't mind him making him out to, you know, trying to use influence, but he's a fat, indecent slob.
Well, goddammit, that hurts me very deeply, but I'm not going to cry about it.
Yeah, from weeks ago.
Isn't that?
My God, you'd never think of me.
He'll stay up by 8 o'clock, at 6, 5, 7, or 10 o'clock.
What do you say?
Bring me Mr. .
How's Florida?
How's that look now?
Yeah.
The situation with regard to Lindsay, he was down there.
The market didn't go down while I was gone.
It was in 1924.
So that's good.
That's fine.
Like I said, I don't want it to move.
That's from before they were crippled.
Must be.
But Harris feels pretty good with the chance of crippling.
It's time.
I don't think the people are going to give God a damn about what's going on.
Just like that, you went both ways, man.
Remember, we all were worried about the end of our future, but now we've got it.
Now we've got it.
Now we've got it.
Now we've got it.
Now we've got it.
Now we've got it.
Now we've got it.
Now we've got it.
Oh, it came down again.
Good.
And we've done four, at least, the month before.
Crayon, I guess, the one hint of... Crayon, I suggest, does that sound better?
Right.
Three hints.
That sounded pretty fun, so it should do.
I agree.
Oh
Well, I was probably still in the numbers up there.
About one-third of them, I guess.
It's hilarious that you can't seriously consider a trip like that across the nation, of course, for nothing.
Rick!
Okay.
Oh, I will, yeah.
Yeah, well, I'm a little tired, but I'll be fine.
Okay.

NARA Description

On February 29, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:56 pm to 3:16 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 322-010 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 322-10

Date: February 29, 1972
Time: 2:56 pm - 3:16 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with Charles W. Colson.

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[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 10/10/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[322-010-w001]
[Duration: 3m 38s]

[See Conversation No. 020-120-w001]

******************************************************************************

******************************************************************************

[Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 10/10/2019.
Segment cleared for release.]
[Personal Returnable]
[322-010-w002]
[Duration: 37s]

[See Conversation No. 020-120-w002]

******************************************************************************

Also recorded on February 29, 1972

  • 322-005 2:48 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Clark MacGregor met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:48 pm to 2:50 pm.
  • 020-118 2:50 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 2:50 pm to 2:53 pm.
  • 322-006 2:51 PM · 55 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:51 pm to 2:53 pm.
  • 020-119 2:53 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:53 pm and 2:56 pm.
  • 322-007 2:53 PM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:53 pm and 2:56 pm.
  • 322-008 2:53 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, Manolo Sanchez, and Lawrence M. Higby met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:53 pm and 2:56 pm.
  • 322-009 2:53 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 2:53 pm and 2:56 pm.
  • 020-120 2:56 PM · 13 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 2:56 pm to 3:16 pm.

All 51 conversations from February 29, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 322-010, February 29, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/322-010 (accessed October 23, 2026).