Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 405 › Conversation 405-016

Nixon, Colson & Haldeman on Vietnam War and Press Relations

Thursday, January 25, 1973 · 3:31 PM–4:33 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 57 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Colson, Charles W.; Haldeman, H. R. ("Bob"); Sanchez, ManoloConversation405-016 on Tape 405StartThursday, January 25, 1973 at 3:31 PMEndThursday, January 25, 1973 at 4:33 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 405-016 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon, Charles Colson, and H.R. Haldeman met to coordinate public relations and legislative strategy surrounding the Vietnam peace settlement and the associated cease-fire announcement. The discussion focused heavily on managing press coverage, shaping the public image of Nixon’s leadership, and ensuring favorable congressional reactions to the administration’s actions. Participants also strategized on the handling of returning prisoners of war and the logistics of the President’s upcoming speeches and scheduling.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

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We really ought to be able to talk to them about that.

I'm talking about courage.

That's that.

Second.

Third.

And an event like this, we've got to do it.

about how they had a

One and a half.

Got it.

um by

The second one is a big job.

It's going to be a better package than the way it was before the election.

Now my head is on the word.

He's at the right.

This is everybody who's got their own deal.

It's really nice.

Yeah right.

Very good point.

We'll let that take its time to wrap up.

That's definitely our timeline.

And that'd be good to go.

All right.

Thank you.

But if you do it, you'll be good.

Thank you.

I just must know that you are mine.

I'm sorry.

I don't know what to do.

you're not gonna put it in.

Pretty much free.

Yeah.

I didn't have to go through these things.

10 seven o'clock.

That'd take probably six hours.

that goes far beyond just

5, 6, 7, 8, 9

NARA Description

On January 25, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon, Charles W. Colson, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, and Manolo Sanchez met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 3:31 pm to 4:33 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 405-016 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 405-16

Date: January 25, 1973
Time: 3:31 pm - 4:33 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President met with Charles W. Colson and H. R. (“Bob”)Haldeman.

       President's schedule

       Vietnam settlement
            -Cease-fire announcement
            -Congressional resolution
                  -Frank F. Church
                  -Gerald R. Ford
                  -Phrasing
                  -Vote
                  -Content
                  -Church
                  -Content
            -Hawks
            -Press relations
                  -November 3, 1969 speech
                  -Potential stories
                  -Ronald L. Ziegler
                  -Television [TV]
                  -John F. Kennedy
                         -Lyndon B. Johnson
                  -James C. Hagerty's work
                         -Dwight D. Eisenhower administration
                  -Ziegler
                  -Personal qualities of President's leadership
                         -Courage, steadfastness
                         -Editorials
                                    -13-

           NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                   Conversation No. 405-16 (cont’d)

Leadership
     -Kennedy
           -Health
           -Public opinion
     -President’s image
           -Personal qualities
                 -Public opinion
           -Vietnam negotiations [?]
           -Important decisions
           -Daniel P. (“Pat”) Moynihan
           -John B. Connally
           -George P. Shultz and Spiro T. Agnew
           -Purpose
           -Public perception
           -People’s Republic of China [PRC]
           -May 8, 1972 decision and Cambodia decision
           -Second term
                 -Middle East crisis
           -Accomplishments
                 -Trips to PRC and Soviet Union
                 -Economy
                 -End of Vietnam War
     -Kennedy
           -Image
                 -Cuban Missile Crisis
                 -Kennedy's actions
                       -Soviet Union
                       -Book
                 -Manufactured crises
                       -Myth-making
                 -Haldeman’s view

Press relations
      -Colson’s report
             -Church
                  -Organization
      -Watergate
             -Focus
                                              -14-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                           Conversation No. 405-16 (cont’d)

Manolo Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 3:31 pm.

       President's speech
             -Delivery of draft
                    -Delay

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 4:33 pm.

       Campus disturbances
           -Firings [?]
           -Vietnam War
           -Columbia University
                 -Jews [?]
           -University of California Los Angeles [UCLA]
           -Student attitudes
           -Teaching
           -1972 election victory
           -PRC trip, Chou En-lai
           -Democrats, Republicans
           -1968
           -Republican President
           -Students
                 -Misdirection

       Vietnam settlement
            -Bombing
                  -Henry A. Kissinger
                  -Alexander M. Haig, Jr.

       Press relations
             -“Today”
                    -Melvin R. Laird

       Public relations [PR]
             -William P. Rogers
             -Henry M. (‘Scoop”) Jackson
             -Republicans, Democrats
             -Peter J. Brennan and hardhats
             -Rogers
                                                 -15-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                              Conversation No. 405-16 (cont’d)

*****************************************************************
[Begin segment reviewed under deed of gift]

       Democratic candidates
           -Press relations
           -Johnson
           -Joseph W. Alsop

[End segment reviewed under deed of gift]
*****************************************************************

       President's possible press conferences
             -Rogers
             -Press requests
                    -President's role in Vietnam settlement
             -Haig
             -New York Times
                    -Kissinger's role in Vietnam settlement

Sanchez entered at an unknown time after 3:31 pm.

       Delivery of draft of President's speech

Sanchez left at an unknown time before 4:33 pm.

       Vietnam settlement
            -Kissinger's role
            -President's role
                  -Subtlety
                  -Johnson

       Previous evening's event [?]

       Congressional relations
            -Letters
                  -Announcement
                  -Modifications
            -William E. Timmons
                                          -16-

            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                   Conversation No. 405-16 (cont’d)

      -President's supporters
      -Charles H. Percy
      -William B. Saxbe
      -President's thanks to supporters
            -Personal letters
                   -Timmons
            -Reactions
      -Republican Party

President's opposition
      -Attitudes
             -Hatred
      -Democratic Party
      -Hubert H. Humphrey
      -Clark M. Clifford

Federal Communications Commission [FCC]

Press relations

Vietnam settlement
     -TV
     -Announcement
     -Press relations [?]
     -Kissinger
     -Briefings [?]
     -John A. Scali
     -Wire service reports
     -PR strategy
     -TV
     -Editorial comments
           -Effect
                  -May 8, 1972 decision [?]
     -Press relations [?]
     -Haig
     -1973 Inauguration
     -“Bug out”
           -“Doves”
     -Public opinion
     -President’s speech
                                             -17-

                   NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                          Conversation No. 405-16 (cont’d)

       Johnson’s funeral
            -Minister's message
            -Johnson’s staffers
                  -President's relations
                  -Marvin Watson
                  -George Christian
            -Kennedy

       1973 Inauguration
            -Johnson’s death

       Vietnam settlement
            -Signing
                  -Rogers
            -Returning armed service members
            -Publicity
            -Crowd
            -Prisoners of War [POWs]
            -President’s schedule
                  -Signing
            -Presidential proclamation
            -Frank Stanton
                  -Schedule
            -American Red Cross [?]
                  -Colson’s contact
            -President’s schedule
                  -Radio speech

Colson left at 4:33 pm.

       President's schedule
             -Meeting
                    -Budget
                          -John D. Ehrlichman
                    -Haldeman's role
                    -Executive privilege
                    -John W. Dean's possible attendance
                    -Rogers
                                    -18-

                  NIXON PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY AND MUSEUM

                                                 Conversation No. 405-16 (cont’d)

Haldeman left at 4:33 pm.

Also recorded on January 25, 1973

405-012 2:16 PM · 12 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 2:16 pm and 3:31 pm.
405-013 2:16 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 2:16 pm and 3:31 pm.
405-014 2:16 PM · 29 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 2:16 pm and 3:31 pm.
405-015 2:16 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 2:16 pm and 3:31 pm.
842-010 4:55 PM · 20 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, Manolo Sanchez, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:55 pm and 5:00 pm.
842-011 4:55 PM · 13 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:55 pm and 5:00 pm.
842-012 4:55 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 4:55 pm and 5:00 pm.
842-013 5:00 PM · 1 hr 57 min — President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, John D. Ehrlichman, Stephen B. Bull, unknown person(s), Henry A. Kissinger, Manolo Sanchez, White House operator, and Richard M. Helms met in the Oval Office of the White House from 5:00 pm to 6:58 pm.

All 40 conversations from January 25, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 405-016, January 25, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/405-016 (accessed October 6, 2026).