Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 403 › Conversation 403-009

Nixon & Colson on Vietnam settlement and Henry Kissinger

Wednesday, January 24, 1973 · 1:50 PM–1:55 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 6 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Colson, Charles W.Conversation403-009 on Tape 403StartWednesday, January 24, 1973 at 1:50 PMEndWednesday, January 24, 1973 at 1:55 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 403-009 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon and Charles Colson met to discuss strategies for managing public and media perception regarding the impending Vietnam peace settlement. The conversation focused on coordinating talking points for upcoming Cabinet meetings and briefing television network commentators to ensure consistent messaging on the agreement's six key points. They specifically examined the role of Henry Kissinger in these media efforts and evaluated the effectiveness of recent public communication strategies.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 2 minutes of this recording (about 37% 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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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But, you know, I already said that I'd give that one a second.
I'm very interested, too, in what I think your description would be.
I'm sure it would come up in my description, because it really says it so simply.
I'm sure that in terms of what I was going to say, you answered a lot of questions.
And I know that you agree with most of them, I believe.
Fair enough.
Yes, sir.
How can I help you?
I thought he was so complicated that he was very difficult to follow.
I guess what was necessary to me was, as you always do, to support him in particular.
I'm sorry for that.
No problem.
After what I did last night.
I don't think that makes a lot of difference.
But on the other hand, didn't it get across the back?
The green was a good one.
Did it get across the back?
Or did it not?
Well, he did.
He did.
He pulled it out.
And it was about the story.
I watched it all.
It was all elements.
I'm sorry.
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I don't think so.
I don't think so.
very crisply and precisely, we have six points.
I heard you all gave him six points.
Yeah, we did.
We can't do that.
But, this had to be done otherwise.
Now, he is going to, however, go to the...
He is going to do the briefing of television network commentators for the Sacramento edition.
That's great, because he can really influence those areas.
There is a small group of them in his mind.
We're in with him and say, when he gets up on the stage, he gets very stage conscious.
You can tell he's measuring his words.
He's going to carry it out.
I can only speak for what has been here.
It's all very husband and wife.
We're in the state of the sound.
They're playing in the water for the sake of three or four hours.
I want to speak to you again.
That's it.
That's it.
Because, listen, some of it is, you know, we get it.
There's many sides to it.
We're in the professional system.
You know, it's a good way to say it.
Well, I'm going to stay behind.
I'm going to support the president.
I'm going to kick the credits.
But I don't question the idea of math in some disciplines.
I don't question the idea of math in some disciplines.
I don't question the idea of math in some disciplines.
I don't question the idea of math in some disciplines.
I don't question the idea of math in some disciplines.
I don't question the idea of math in some disciplines.
I don't question the idea of math in some disciplines.
I don't question the idea of math in some disciplines.
I don't question the idea of math in some disciplines.
I don't question the idea of math in some disciplines.
I don't question the idea of math in some disciplines.
I don't question the idea of math in some disciplines.
Not that it was the history we had on the board, but he is great.
He said, you know, I was one of those who was wrong to be on that board.
I said, we've never done a fiduciary, so the board just stayed away.
And he said, I'm going to say I was wrong, but I'm going to say I wasn't as wrong as those who wanted to quit.
And the way he's divided, he didn't say it.
He's our fiduciary, so we're the same as him.
That's right.
That's right.
He was one of them.
And we're working on, I think, a good outcome for each day.
And there's more than we can expect.
No, no, no.
No, no, no.

NARA Description

On January 24, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:50 pm to 1:55 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 403-009 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 403-9

Date: January 24, 1973
Time: Between 1:50 pm and 1:55 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Charles W. Colson.

       Cabinet meeting
            -President's speech, talking points
                  -Questions, briefing

       Henry A. Kissinger
            -Press relations
                  -Vietnam settlement
                         -President's speech
                         -Agreement
                               -Quality
                         -John A. Scali
                         -Congressional leadership
                         -Six points
                  -Briefing of television network [TV] commentators
                         -Effect

       Vietnam settlement
            -Response to press coverage
            -President's speech
            -George P. Schultz
            -Henry Cabot Lodge
                  -Possible article about Vietnam War
            -The New York Times
            -Daily TV appearances
                  -Adm. Thomas H. Moorer

Colson left at 1:55 pm.
                                                -8-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

Also recorded on January 24, 1973

  • 403-001 11:52 AM · 7 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 11:52 am and 1:47 pm.
  • 403-002 11:52 AM · 55 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 11:52 am and 1:47 pm.
  • 403-003 11:52 AM · 18 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 11:52 am and 1:47 pm.
  • 403-004 11:52 AM · 33 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 11:52 am and 1:47 pm.
  • 036-103 1:47 PM · 16 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at 1:47 pm.
  • 403-007 1:47 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at 1:47 pm.
  • 403-008 1:47 PM · 4 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:47 pm to 1:50 pm.
  • 403-010 1:55 PM · 31 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 1:55 pm to 1:59 pm.

All 54 conversations from January 24, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 403-009, January 24, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/403-009 (accessed October 1, 2026).