Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 373 › Conversation 373-001
Nixon, Colson & Sanchez on 1972 Presidential Campaign and Vietnam War
Tuesday, October 24, 1972 · 12:57 PM–1:24 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 13 min
AI Summary
President Nixon met with Charles W. Colson to refine the administration's political strategy regarding the 1972 presidential campaign and Vietnam War negotiations. They discussed intensifying attacks on George McGovern's policy inconsistencies and campaign ethics, while planning the release of a financial analysis highlighting the costs of McGovern’s proposed policies. Additionally, the President reviewed upcoming public relations efforts, including messaging for a Veterans Day event and the use of audio recordings to solidify public support for his administration's Vietnam policy.
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 6 minutes of this recording (about 45% 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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NARA Description
On October 24, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, Manolo Sanchez, and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 12:57 pm to 1:24 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 373-001 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 373-1
Date: October 24, 1972
Time: 12:57 pm - 1:24 pm
Location: Executive Office Building
The President met with Charles W. Colson and Manolo Sanchez.
Sanchez left at an unknown time before 1:24 pm.
Veterans
-Bill signing ceremony, October 24, 1972
-The President's commitment to peace and honor
-The American Legion's auxiliary publication
-Thelma C. (“Pat”) Nixon
-Veterans benefits bill
-Education
Foreign affairs
Campaign issues
-The President’s surrogates
-Elliot L. Richardson
-Donald H. Rumsfeld
-Chicago
-Vice President Spiro T. Agnew’s speech, October 23, 1972
-Draft dodgers, amnesty
-Military spending cuts
-World War II
-George S. McGovern's vacillation
-McGovern’s campaign practices
-1968
-Response to McGovern's forthcoming speech about
morality
-Questions
-Demonstrations
An unknown person entered and left at an unknown time after 12:57 pm.
-Demonstrations
-Double standard
-Charges against republican party
-McGovern supporters
-Public opinion
-Public opinion
-Watergate
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 4m 32s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
*****************************************************************
Campaign issues
-McGovern’s proposals
-Colson’s recent memorandum to surrogates
-Vietnam War
-US surrender
-Abandonment of prisoners of war [POWs]
-Welfare
-Busing
-Tax increases
-Confidence issue
-Forthcoming release of financial analysis
-Total cost of proposals
-Albert E. Sindlinger
-Defense cuts
-Wilbur H. Mills’s statement
-Clairborne Pell
-New York Times
-Rhode Island
-John J. Rhodes
-Agnew's statement
-Utica, New York
-Griffith’s Air Force Base
-Agnew’s schedule
-Texas
-New York
-Arkansas
-Mills
-McGovern’s proposals
-Morality issue
-Effectiveness
-Watergate
-Awareness by Wisconsin farmers
-News summary
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 6m 1s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
*****************************************************************
Vietnam War
-Timing of possible settlement
-1972 Election
-Public relations
-McGovern, R. Sargent Shriver's reaction to peace
Prospects
-McGovern’s previous statement
-Nguyen Van Thieu
-1972 peace plan compared with 1969 peace plan
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 4m 9s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
*****************************************************************
Campaign practices
-Demonstrators
-The President’s view
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 1m 24s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 5
*****************************************************************
Veterans Day message, October 25, 1972
-Wreath laying at Arlington National Cemetery
-News coverage
-Today show
-Radio
-Donald E. Johnson
-Frank L. Rizzo
-The President’s words
-Amnesty
-Public reaction to Vietnam War, McGovern
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 2m 33s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
*****************************************************************
Colson left at 1:24 pm.Also recorded on October 24, 1972
- 806-015 12:49 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:49 pm to 12:50 pm.
- 806-016 12:50 PM · 1 min — United States Secret Service agents and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:50 pm and 12:57 pm.
- 032-016 1:34 PM · 19 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 1:34 pm.
- 032-017 1:34 PM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 1:34 pm and 1:58 pm.
- 373-002 1:34 PM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 1:34 pm.
- 373-003 1:34 PM · 13 sec — 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 1:34 pm and 1:58 pm.
- 373-004 1:34 PM · 13 sec — 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 1:34 pm and 1:58 pm.
- 373-005 1:34 PM · 14 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 1:34 pm and 1:58 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 373-001, October 24, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/373-001 (accessed October 23, 2026).