Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 345 › Conversation 345-006

Nixon & Colson on Vietnam War and Peace negotiations

Tuesday, June 27, 1972 · 9:44 PM–10:20 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 5 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Colson, Charles W.Conversation345-006 on Tape 345 (tape position 00:08:52–00:13:59)StartTuesday, June 27, 1972 at 9:44 PMEndTuesday, June 27, 1972 at 10:20 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 345-006 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Charles Colson discussed the public messaging strategy regarding ongoing Vietnam peace negotiations. They focused on how to frame the U.S. position on resuming talks and troop withdrawals, particularly concerning any future announcements about force levels after September 1st. The decision was made to emphasize that troop presence beyond that date would depend on battlefield conditions and the progress of negotiations, avoiding a specific commitment to a further announcement.

Audio

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Position in tape: 00:08:52 – 00:13:59

part A, 1:27:25

345a.mp3
345b.mp3

NARA Description

On June 27, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 9:44 pm to 10:20 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 345-006 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 345-6

Date: June 27, 1972
Time: 9:44-10:20 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with Charles W. Colson.

[See Conversation No. 26-22; one item has been withdrawn from this conversation.]

This conversation was cut off at an unknown time before 10:20 pm.

Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript was made by an AI model listening to the recording (gemini-3.8-flash) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Speaker names are the model's inference from the voices and the participant list. Words and names can still be wrong — verify against the audio and the finding aid before citing.

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Nixonas you say they're prepared. You have to say also that it that it looks like an old offer. And we understand it's not the new [unintelligible] said it's the 2nd of July [unintelligible]
ColsonWell what it that is you see it it leaves them But what I know they did what we had sure [unintelligible] Yeah I know. We we should simply stay and they and it's been announced that they no no no Yeah. All right. Well we've actually answered it then.
NixonAnd you had no right to announce it either. That's why I answer the other part of the question. [crosstalk] You see? Yeah. You know I didn't answer the question about the consultation on it. This was actually a violation of confidence on the on the Vietnamese. All right. Now, uh, we are prepared to listen.
ColsonThat's what you want to say. We are prepared to listen.
NixonOr we have offered to resume negotiations.
ColsonAre we prepared or we have prepared? Which is more accurate?
NixonYeah. What we want to make this thing make this thing brief as possible. That is what you want to, right? We prepared to resume negotiations, correct?
ColsonUh, we we have reason to believe that they are.
NixonWell we have been informed. [crosstalk] We have been informed.
ColsonWe have been informed we're prepared to negotiate seriously to reach a rapid conclusion.
NixonYeah. That's good. I don't believe I'd say much more than that. All right? Seriously looking to Yeah. that serious we are looking toward a constructive
NixonAll right. You'll probably get a question. [unintelligible] is that well it's uh they probably have the news by that hour anyway.
ColsonI will have the [unintelligible] I'll suck it in there. Right. And I'll bet you it's I'll bet it's on the wires right now for that publication. Yeah.
ColsonNow with regard to withdrawals this time I I mean not to say [unintelligible] before September 1st. Would that I'd say I'd prefer not to say it.
NixonI would prefer not to put so much on the other [unintelligible] Make sure we don't get in trouble [unintelligible] What if they say will there be another heading into the fall? Yeah, well what I have to say then is uh that that will depend upon the upcoming negotiations. That's it.
ColsonWell, I'd say uh In other words, don't make a commitment to make another announcement. Well, you could say, "What do we do in What may people expect in the far range of the fall?" Well, it's that that depends. See every previous message we've said, "Before then we will make another announcement which will be," you know. This message is silent. So they say,
Colson"Well, are you saying you'll make another announcement September 1st, or does that mean the forces are remaining?" I'd say, "That will depend entirely upon the situation on the battlefields.
NixonThat's the way You want to leave You want to put bold that I'd say that a maximum of active You would say that, all right? That's what you're all about, announcing.
ColsonYeah. Well, that's fine. You can say you go say forces after September 1st will be uh will be depend entirely upon these factors.
NixonYeah. You think we should say uh we're committed to make another announcement of forces before September 1st? I prefer not to when you get I don't know, to be honest. I don't think you have to.
Colsonprogress the talks. Nothing. Not doing anything [unintelligible] forces on the battlefield. Do we know whether or not there are indeed any tests having been taken?
NixonFew tests although there [unintelligible]

Also recorded on June 27, 1972

  • 026-020 9:06 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Frank L. Rizzo talked on the telephone from 9:06 pm to 9:10 pm.
  • 345-002 9:06 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Frank L. Rizzo met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 9:06 pm to 9:10 pm.
  • 026-021 9:10 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:10 pm and 9:44 pm.
  • 345-003 9:10 PM · 47 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 9:10 pm and 9:44 pm.
  • 345-004 9:10 PM · 3 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 9:10 pm and 9:44 pm.
  • 345-005 9:10 PM · 34 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 9:10 pm and 9:44 pm.
  • 026-022 9:44 PM · 36 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 9:44 pm to 10:20 pm.
  • 026-023 10:20 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 10:20 pm and 10:37 pm.

All 37 conversations from June 27, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 345-006, June 27, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/345-006 (accessed November 14, 2026).