Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 331 › Conversation 331-024

Nixon & Colson on Vietnam War and Democratic Party

Wednesday, April 19, 1972 · 12:57 PM–1:09 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 7 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Colson, Charles W.Conversation331-024 on Tape 331 (tape position 04:06:26–04:14:10)StartWednesday, April 19, 1972 at 12:57 PMEndWednesday, April 19, 1972 at 1:09 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 331-024 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Charles Colson discuss political strategy regarding ongoing congressional hearings and the public narrative surrounding the Vietnam War. They analyze the Democratic Party's internal divisions over an 'end to war' amendment, with Nixon emphasizing the need to frame his opponents as siding with communists. Ultimately, the President encourages an aggressive stance, framing the ongoing crisis as an opportunity to project strength and firm leadership to the public.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 3 minutes of this recording (about 46% 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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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Hello?
I just want to get a report on the hearing, how's it going?
Right.
Yeah.
I thought that they're not going to return for the Senate floor hearings today.
Well, that'll be tomorrow.
Certainly, they'll take all day for money.
I think our people should walk out of a night session tonight.
That's ridiculous.
Don't you think so?
Right, right, right.
Fine, fine.
Well, I won't worry about that.
I've got some other two sessions.
But anyway, that's fine.
It seems to me your people did very well yesterday out here.
The FW guy.
Yeah.
I didn't see the summary box at all.
Good.
I think they're not having too much success.
We haven't tried to stir yet the demonstration.
It's spring and everything, and they should have barrel guns.
What do you care?
We just keep hammering.
Invasion, invasion, sentencing, very well.
They let the president always say that if they cross the DMV and invade it, we have to react.
And we haven't, but I don't know if we should.
Devin Rogers is intending to meet the people, which is good.
Was that just Republicans or Republicans and Democrats?
Right?
And you've got to interrupt with how, in a way.
An end to war amendment by the Democratic caucus puts the Democratic Party in a hell of a bad position.
I'm not so worried about that.
I'm going to pass their dances.
They get it out of that floor.
I'm going to pass theirs.
A lot of Democrats will squeal like hell about it, too.
I am going to attempt in that caucus to get your resolution considered.
What do the Democrats say?
They don't want to condemn our Vietnam.
That or abstract.
Right.
Right.
But the aggressors, in other words, the infidels, the North Vietnamese, communists, and the aggressors, and all they're going to do is fight aggression.
They're on the side of the communists.
You know, putting them on the side of the enemy, on the side of the communists, you just keep hammering them.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Okay.
Right.
We may have more people on our side than anything.
But you can't tell.
You never know.
I mean, all these, you know, things that you've got to type and other things.
But we're not going to be reflective and cold.
We're just going to go right ahead because we're on the right side.
On the right side.
All right.
It's a mistake on his part, but I mean, if he wants to
He should always be strong in this issue.
That's the one thing he's considered as a patriot.
But he's just going to be lower in his name, particularly if this moves.
And I wish you would get Brandon to say something.
Good.
Really thanks a lot.
We didn't plan it that way, but the Senate told them that way last week.
Yeah.
That's great.
Well, you know, Chuck, as a matter of fact, this kind of thing is good for us.
Do you realize that the idea that I have seen in some of the political columns, you know, right here and there, running for president's chair, being distressed because the Republicans didn't get the amount of that.
Listen.
whenever you have a crisis, and handle it properly.
That's a plus.
It's leadership.
Don't you agree?
The public's be damned.
Good.
Good.
That's right.
Don't get too worried about whatever happens, Seth.
I'm not going to do any of that.
Let's just drag on this long.
I think it was true.
Yeah.
We're off that wicket.
We have offered him, and they're squealing that we don't offer others.
It becomes patently partisan.
On the other hand, on the recent day, I said, don't be too worried about it.
Our guys should have adjourned the damn hearing at 5 o'clock, though.
Yeah.
And Gilliam Otter and the rest, they really ought to hammer him hard.
Yeah.
Yeah.
All right.
Good.
All right.
Good luck.

NARA Description

On April 19, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 12:57 pm to 1:09 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 331-024 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 331-24

Date: April 19, 1972
Time: 12:57 pm - 1:09 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with Charles W. Colson.

[See Conversation No. 23-32]

Also recorded on April 19, 1972

  • 023-031 12:17 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:17 pm and 12:57 pm.
  • 023-169 12:17 PM · 3 sec — a telephone call was attempted at an unknown time between 12:17 pm and 12:57 pm, but the call was not completed.
  • 331-017 12:17 PM · 23 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 12:17 pm and 12:57 pm.
  • 331-018 12:17 PM · 24 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 12:17 pm and 12:57 pm.
  • 331-019 12:17 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 12:17 pm and 12:57 pm.
  • 331-020 12:17 PM · 10 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 12:17 pm and 12:57 pm.
  • 023-032 12:57 PM · 11 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 12:57 pm to 1:09 pm.
  • 331-025 1:09 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 1:09 pm and 1:48 pm.

All 56 conversations from April 19, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 331-024, April 19, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/331-024 (accessed October 1, 2026).