Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 333 › Conversation 333-016
Nixon & Colson on 1972 Presidential Election and Campaign Strategy
Wednesday, April 26, 1972 · 1:45 PM–2:07 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 13 min
AI Summary
President Nixon and Charles Colson discuss campaign strategy regarding the 1972 Democratic presidential primary, focusing on the perceived threat posed by George McGovern and the political maneuvering of other candidates. Nixon instructs Colson to initiate a campaign to pressure major local television network stations in key cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and Miami, to counter media narratives. The two agree on a strategic approach of characterizing political opponents as serious threats to avoid appearing dismissive while maximizing campaign leverage.
- 1972 Presidential Election
- Campaign Strategy
- George McGovern
- Media Manipulation
- Democratic Primaries
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 7 minutes 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.
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Yeah, I'll take him first, and I'll get him after that, please.
That's great.
He might get a comeback in one of these places.
Yeah, it may be a good... Well, you know, that's happened in many connections.
The party was the second choice, you know.
And, you know, after he invited them, they wanted him to go live.
It never happened.
It never happened.
The primary to destroy him was a boat cutter.
That's the...
What do they think of Walls?
I think that's quite remarkable.
He comes in second, doesn't he?
That's pretty simple.
And McGovern, without doing a damn thing, he comes in pretty good.
Isn't it?
Were we on the ballot there?
Yeah, I think so.
We got them all.
They will not go for, for example, any kind of a piece other than an all-out dove flying.
Because he'll have only the same time.
The whole one thing that you do, I forgot my name,
Doe mentioned to me, and I know Rooney is a problem, at least in America, that Rooney has the opposition of that son-of-a-bitch, what's his name, you know, Lowenthal.
Did you know that?
Yeah.
Well, many, many heads, and I don't know the public, but you know John Rooney?
Yeah.
I think you just ought to call him up as the elected president.
I've heard about that for the last five years.
Sure.
He just wants you to know that just probably being a Democrat wouldn't help you.
But he's all off.
He just hopes to wish you the best.
And we can do less now.
I just think that if you just tell him that the president asked you to, I'm sure Bo will pass this on to him anyway.
Just like you heard from Frank Gold last night.
He couldn't believe that there really was a trouble, but they were having a problem.
But the president just wants him to know
100% because he's a patriotic American.
On the other hand, he's a liberal.
Great.
Great in California.
There we go.
There he goes.
Lost in our nation.
I met him.
I met him.
I met him.
I met him.
He is not going to be a delegate.
He's been too bad.
Kevin White.
Because they all were muskies, eh?
Poor devils.
They vote separately for delegates.
I can't believe it's that bad, but it must be.
Unbelievable.
All the characters run out of the state.
I mean, you've got a few more people, but basically the Harvard, MIT, Smith, and all that, who will, they're just soft to state.
Well, what the hell have they been doing?
I don't know how much I admire.
It won't show on Poles, because basically it's a wheel and a dealing stick.
And Poles never told me anything about it.
But in New York, you can't predict who you are, because it's really a deal.
If you watch, say that Humphrey's up in Negroes, and that's where Humphrey's at.
That's where I, too.
I don't mind if Humphrey's together with you.
I don't think they can put the two of them together.
You know what I mean?
Yeah, not the numbers.
Well, also, it's too regional, too.
You know what I mean?
You can't have a couple people in neighboring states, one a very small state and another a medium state.
The government's never been a part of it.
I mean, I don't know.
We still feel that the government is not too destructive on us.
I don't know.
Yeah, I mean,
I think Kennedy is boring.
Kennedy is getting out for Kennedy.
And then he's out here in a few points.
Well, if this keeps putting that in an arena so that we can get him, he'll stay.
That will have a hell of an interest.
Kennedy may try to go for it, but if he does, then the coverage people should just jump on them down the shelf and say, why the hell didn't he get out and go out and do his primary duty?
We do not want to combat at all all we want to say is that he's a very serious candidate, a very great threat.
I play that line.
He's a very serious threat.
He's got a cutting edge.
We're worried about him.
That's the line we should have.
But don't, don't indicate at all anything about the, uh, well, the, uh, don't attack.
Just say we're worried about the government.
The government is great if you, if you, if you want to fight them.
And, uh, that's all right.
But on the other hand, you've got to, you've got to go.
I've just talked to all of them over this weekend.
I know it's nice to be trying to run everybody away 24 hours a day, following up, kicking,
calling the network, every device you can use now.
This is war.
Wasn't gonna make it.
Isn't that good, though?
Will he use it?
Get out in advance now and let's, uh, and also get Goldweiler to speed a second ride somewhere by having somebody attack him.
I don't know why.
They won't disassociate themselves with the communists.
The communists haven't been.
Don't say that to yourself, but be a communist.
The communists haven't been.
Yeah.
Oh, the senator told me.
Of course, that was because, you know,
And then Gallop followed with, not a good one, not as good, but at least on our side.
And we know Gallop loaded the crushers.
I agree with Johnson's mind.
I think that I understand what he did.
The only thing is, it's going to make him a big man that way.
He loved that.
He's now become one of the big three.
And also this whole thing about making sure that the rest come through.
They don't know what it is.
Yeah, this whole business, I mean, everybody...
That's a phony issue, but anything.
Because in our case, there's no question we put about, I know John's always worried about, are we telling the truth?
How the hell?
Do what's necessary.
That's right.
No, domestically, domestically tell them everything, because it doesn't matter.
An informed policy can do anything to get people.
And be sure, the only thing that I think all of the operations we've done here is really calling the network and closing the space.
You understand?
I want that done, though, particularly in the brotherhood.
But I mean, all our business calls, you know, and...
Right?
Peace for you.
The local station is more important than Denver.
And so get out there and have them hit Los Angeles, Miami, hit Chicago.
Hit just Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Cleveland, Miami.
Pick the, have them called.
Now set that up so that there are calls made to the stations, the major TV stations, network stations in those areas.
That will kill these people.
Because it will blow right back.
All right.
That's much more effective than calling in effort.
I couldn't agree more.
So we can work on that.
Yeah.
Okay.
Well, have fun.
Bye.
NARA Description
On April 26, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Charles W. Colson met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:45 pm to 2:07 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 333-016 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 333-16 Date: April 26, 1972 Time: 1:45 pm - 2:07 pm Location: Executive Office Building The White House operator talked with the President. The President talked with Charles W. Colson. ***************************************************************** [Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 10/24/2019. Segment cleared for release.] [Personal Returnable] [333-016-w001] [Duration: 4m 9s] [See Conversation No. 023-081] ***************************************************************** ***************************************************************** [Previous PRMPA Personal Returnable (G) withdrawal reviewed under deed of gift 10/24/2019. Segment cleared for release.] [Personal Returnable] [333-016-w002] [Duration: 2m 41s] [See Conversation No. 023-081] ***************************************************************** [End of telephone call]
Also recorded on April 26, 1972
- 023-080 1:10 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:10 pm and 1:45 pm.
- 023-081 1:45 PM · 20 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 1:45 pm to 2:07 pm.
- 023-082 2:07 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 2:07 pm and 2:08 pm.
- 333-017 2:07 PM · 4 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 2:07 pm and 2:08 pm.
- 023-083 2:08 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Adm. Thomas H. Moorer talked on the telephone from 2:08 pm to 2:12 pm.
- 333-018 2:08 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Adm. Thomas H. Moorer met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 2:08 pm to 2:12 pm.
- 333-019 2:12 PM · 5 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 2:12 pm and 3:43 pm.
- 333-020 2:12 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 2:12 pm and 3:43 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 333-016, April 26, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/333-016 (accessed October 9, 2026).