Conversation 335-023

TapeTape 335StartWednesday, May 3, 1972 at 3:53 PMEndWednesday, May 3, 1972 at 4:34 PMTape start time01:47:14Tape end time02:28:33ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Colson, Charles W.;  White House operatorRecording deviceOld Executive Office Building

On May 3, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 3:53 pm and 4:34 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 335-023 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 335-23

Date: May 3, 1972
Time: Unknown after 3:53-4:34 pm.
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Charles W. Colson.

     Greetings

     J. Edgar Hoover eulogy
          -Drafts

                                        (rev. Nov-01)

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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 19m 52s ]

THE PRESIDENT TALKED WITH THE WHITE HOUSE OPERATOR AT AN UNKNOWN
TIME BETWEEN 3:53 AND 3:56 PM.

[Conversation No. 335-23A]

[See Conversation No. 23-144]

[End of telephone conversation]

THE WHITE HOUSE OPERATOR TALKED WITH THE PRESIDENT AT 3:56 PM.

[Conversation No. 335-23B]

[See Conversation No. 23-145]

[End of telephone conversation]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
**********************************************************************

     Edward M. Kennedy
         -Personal life
              -Publicity
              -The President’s view
              -Reports
              -Colson’s view
                     -Inner circle
                          -Infiltration
                     -Catholics

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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3

                                      (rev. Nov-01)

[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 12s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
**********************************************************************

     Edward Kennedy
         -Appearance
              -Colson’s view
         -Health
              -Compared with John F. Kennedy
              -Treatment
              -Appearance

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

BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Personal Returnable]
[Duration: 26s ]

END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5

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

     Democratic opposition
         -Effect on previous Paris peace talks
               -The President’s view
         -Edmund S. Muskie’s previous speech on Vietnam
               -Colson’s view

     Vietnam
          -Forthcoming demonstration
                -Haldeman's report
                -Turnout
                -Time
                -Counter demonstration
                -US flag

                                  (rev. Nov-01)

          -Demonstrators

Hoover
    -President’s remarks on Hoover’s death
          -President's statement on crime
                -Publicity
                -Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI]
          -President's relationship
          -Stance
                -Anti-crime, anti-Communists
          -Television coverage
          -Wire services
          -Media coverage
                -Kenneth W. Clawson
    -Media praise
          -Jack N. Anderson
          -Edward M. Kennedy
          -Muskie
          -Geoge S. McGovern
          -Muskie statement
    -President's eulogy
    -The President’s view
    -Critics
    -Public image
          -Support for Hoover
          -FBI
                -Repression, wiretapping
          -Support for crackdown on crime
          -Editorials
                -Haldeman's report
                -Washington Post

Vietnam
     -President's policies
           -Public support
                 -Albert E. Sindlinger poll
                       -Union members and Democrats
                            -Hawks
           -Louis P. Harris poll
                 -Vietnam
                       -Effect on President's rating
                            -Negotiations

                                   (rev. Nov-01)

     -Bombing
           -Effectiveness
           -Negotiations
           -The President’s view
     -South Vietnam performance
     -President's leadership
     -South Vietnam performance
           -Hue
     -Stock market
           -Impact of war
                 -North Vietnam offensive
           -Decline
                 -Changes
           -Other economic indicators
                 -James D. Hodgson
                 -Industrial production
                       -Durable goods
                       -Psychology of market
                 -Impact of Vietnam
           -Public support for the President on Vietnam
                 -Media

Soviet Union summit
     -Harris and Sindlinger
           -Opinion on Soviet summit
           -Sindlinger's opinion of country's mood
           -Harris compared with Sindlinger
     -President's foreign policy
           -Desire for peace
     -Cancellation possibility
     -President's tone toward Soviets
     -President's experience
           -Public expectations
                 -People's Republic of China [PRC] trip
                 -Moscow trip
     -Vietnam
           -Public support for President
                 -Blockade
                       -Rallying effect
                 -Sindlinger
           -Antiwar sentiment
           -Hawkishness

                                        (rev. Nov-01)

                      -Unions
                      -Democratic Party
                      -South

Colson left at 4:34 pm.

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

I wonder if Ted here really ever worried anything about these babes.
There's been a lot of people worried about them.
Yeah, but he was, uh, he was, uh, he was probably established, you know, he was picked up without me doing anything.
And he went to the state trooper who picked him up and reported to the state trooper.
The state trooper denied it.
But the only one who did, the state trooper's mother, she broke down and said, yes, it's true, but it wasn't recent.
Of course, if it is recent, then it's published in the book.
And he's got public evidence to be worried about.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
The last time I saw him in person, he looked like he was drinking.
He was a puppy.
He's got that same disease, jackknife disease.
Jackknife disease.
He's got a carousel on him.
That's what it is.
It's the same.
We'll never get him.
He's right now in a jacket.
Sometimes he looks terrible.
He looks horrible.
It's unfortunate.
It's a good thing.
It's a good thing.
bad turn we're going to have to do that because uh i screwed up the negotiations by attacking
Bob talked me into the demonstration they planned for tomorrow.
It's not developing much, but it's easier to say that we'll give everything.
We're going to be together.
And if we see blood, we might have them together.
We have some people going up together.
They're going to be together.
Why not take, well, there will be one there, except
or we put it up.
It's being taken up by the councilor and that peace group.
Well, they are.
They're demonstrating up there.
So get the goddamn plan.
Now, that's what I'm saying.
So I'm going to tell you.
We spent a little money on the reports of people for this one.
So let's do it.
I don't know what kind of people.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't know.
I don't want to do it here because we welcome this public attention to give it to you.
If we did, then as of an hour ago, we didn't even assemble the people we were supposed to start assembling.
They're not quite there.
And around the country, the bullets are very, very powerful.
I said to you earlier, I...
It's closer to an idol in the United States and all that, but you didn't get the subtle effect in the country.
Subtle, absolutely.
You know, we screened this president very, very hard to find events that we could dramatize the decline in crime rate in the district and have a little policing, and it just doesn't mean it's very good.
But you're a association of movement, and it stands.
It's helped me a lot in front of students.
Just one week that we meet, and I talk to them.
And I take part in a meeting with you, which is not much right now, but it's all about now.
But I think three, when you say that I made a man, and I want to walk that man, I think that got him across.
Hopefully not all three of them.
Because the FBI had a second in people's minds, by the imagery from that.
That was extreme the world.
They did it.
It appeared, as I was watching the television, they did it without looking down once and that was my family house.
I never did this, for that kind of thing.
Right.
To be able to do that.
They had to live this beautiful life.
So I thought that was very good.
I had a closet that was 70 years old, to do that course.
Oh, I remember how it was that I made it.
I was sitting there the whole time.
And we made that point of attrition.
The one thing we regretted was something terrible was going to happen.
You didn't.
No, I don't.
Your identification was really the best and the perfect one.
The question always got me into cryptic depth.
Some of the stitches would come out and put the jack in or something.
Jack in.
A decent man who built an agency, and in all these years there wasn't a single case of agent corruption.
A crazy mover.
Now you see Kennedy crazy too.
Kennedy?
Kennedy.
All of that shit.
Musky.
And yet, I mean, hypocrisy, it makes you ill, because they've been raving about it being a fascist.
I don't know why they didn't say anything to the government.
No.
No.
The government made no statement.
Well, we've had our differences, different than some of the things that he did.
So, he was an honest, dedicated, alert, and great contribution to that business.
A lot of people look at it.
I'm still looking at it, but I'm coming down to this point.
It's not that important.
I mean, I'm going to have to read it and finish it.
But I think the point is this.
that phone came through very well.
And they must be feeling it because it's the only person in the room.
The man is always going to realize the reaction that he's going to throw at the person.
Is it against the type of reaction?
What is the situation?
I'm curious.
I don't know.
Are people really...
I think they're moved by it, Mr. Woodman, because all
I didn't have it on.
Yes, and they were proud of it.
Most people are proud of it.
Most people think they're a lot better than they are.
Yeah, I'll tell that.
But that's free decor.
People are proud of it, and I think the average American is proud of it.
They don't consider it repressive.
Why are you tapping on any solution?
crime, that what you're doing, absolutely, they want criminals shot in the mouth.
It has, it has an effect, of course.
Editorials are going to, according to all the things that they were writing about,
Oh
something that continues to report a very, very violent issue.
Propaganda has increased among the Indian members of the Democrats.
The Senate has got a new reaction.
It's really not necessary.
Yeah, it's what people were thinking.
So I didn't want to do this.
If they think the bombing is going to go before the bombings, if they think that this will lead to negotiations, whatever the... See, it may not.
The thing is, the bombing may not bring negotiations.
Okay.
Let's see.
Oh, they, they know very well from what they want to see.
It's hard to think that they can iraq away.
So don't be the least afraid of your stuff.
The stock market, one of the 10 points, and follow the lightning on it.
It's the war.
One of the 10 points by the end of the day, I remember, you know, it'd be the least of stuff.
And they call us.
They call us in the morning every day.
the dam, then go down to 900.
It'll come up.
It's going to go up again.
It closed down once.
It closed once again.
Where is it now?
But you know, every other economic indicator
It's actually the biggest one in history.
I have some thanks for getting ready to have a year.
I mean, I'm one of those people who's at least a bit involved.
I mean, I'm involved.
And the media closed down.
They may lose.
I mean, the media may lose on this.
But we still have a lot of people who can do it.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I know what some of you think.
Some people say people will applaud him.
He's got a very good view of the country.
I suppose Harris will be a better barometer here in one second.
He'll give you more of the peace.
He's more so as well.
He also understands the yearning for peace.
The point of this email is that you're more skilled at handling
And you know what you have to be told.
And you are doing everything to get peace, but not in any way.
I think that's going to be great.
I don't get people's expectations as great, but I'm trying to get everybody to know the expectations and be honest.
I'm sure that would be very necessary.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Increasingly.