Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 406 › Conversation 406-036

Nixon & Colson on Political opposition and White House strategy

Tuesday, January 30, 1973 · 8:21 PM–8:57 PM ET · Old Executive Office Building · 18 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Colson, Charles W.Conversation406-036 on Tape 406StartTuesday, January 30, 1973 at 8:21 PMEndTuesday, January 30, 1973 at 8:57 PMRecording deviceOld Executive Office BuildingSourceNixon Library record for 406-036 ↗

AI Summary

President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met to discuss the perceived opposition of the political establishment toward the administration. The conversation reflects a sense of frustration regarding external resistance and the perceived failure of traditional allies to support White House initiatives. The participants touch upon various vague internal grievances and strategic concerns, though the fragmented nature of the transcript makes it difficult to discern specific actionable outcomes.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

This transcript is incomplete. The transcription skipped stretches of speech — roughly 7 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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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That's going to take a little time.
They won't.
So this is what they didn't want.
That's why they're already dying.
That's all right, but the fact is they're still going to die.
Well, she's waiting a little bit.
She likes it good.
Well, that was a hundred seconds long.
I've never, never, I haven't had it in a long time.
I'm really excited.
I'm sorry, he's not checked with nobody.
I'm sorry, I'm worried.
I agree, I agree, I agree.
He's starting to get some real trouble now because he's so broken.
Well, I was a hard hitter.
I didn't hear anything.
I had a question.
I was not very good at the thing.
I got a little discouraged by it.
But I didn't realize that the whole establishment,
Everything that's stood for us out there.
If this comes off, everything they have stood for us is wrong.
They're there for us.
They're fighting us.
Fighting us.
Fighting us.
What's interesting is, uh, I pointed out that, uh, I had reached $1,000.
I got $1,000 in cash.
Uh, so they tried to, uh, let me do it, but they checked it.
I didn't have the money.
I couldn't get it back.
I, uh, I, uh, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I,
I think the main thing with him is not that he's too old.
I don't know
Ah, I see.
It might be 23.
You know, I don't want to, I mean, I'm making it because it was my first day on that.
And also, there's the whole, like, you know, molesting thing.
I don't want any of us to do any of those things.
If everything just burns, I'm talking to the rest of the craft, and it's dangerous, and it's been doing that.
The way that I read the phone, I don't know if it's very well known, but I read it.
That's what I'm talking about.
I know it's hard.
There's no hell I know what I'm trying to do.
I think part of it is just...
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Thank you.
Welcome, people of the day.
You don't want to let it slip.
Whack, whack, whack, whack, whack.
Right there.
Up in the air.
I don't like the band.
Do you have a weapon in your hand?
No, sir.
What's the matter with you?
You've got to let me out of here.
I know.
We're getting there.
The band's in the way now.
Thank you.
Sorry.
Thank you.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
Yes, it is.
There's no place for the blood.
You're welcome, I'll take care of it.
You're welcome, I'll take care of it.
You're welcome, I'll take care of it.
You're welcome, I'll take care of it.
You're welcome, I'll take care of it.
You're welcome, I'll take care of it.
We don't have any control.
I don't know.
You know, being inspired by what you've done and what you want to do and what you want to do.
You know, providing where I'm at.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
This is our first strike.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Thank you.
That's right.
I'm sorry.

NARA Description

On January 30, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 8:21 pm to 8:57 pm. The Old Executive Office Building taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 406-036 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 406-36

Date: January 30, 1973
Time: 8:21 pm - 8:57 pm
Location: Executive Office Building

The President talked with Charles W. Colson.

[See Conversation No. 36-126]

Also recorded on January 31, 1973

  • 036-125 7:40 PM · 12 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 7:40 pm and 8:21 pm.
  • 406-035 7:40 PM · 10 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 7:40 pm and 8:21 pm.
  • 036-126 8:21 PM · 36 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 8:21 pm to 8:57 pm.
  • 036-127 8:59 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger talked on the telephone from 8:59 pm to 9:01 pm.
  • 406-037 8:59 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Henry A. Kissinger met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building from 8:59 pm to 9:01 pm.
  • 036-128 9:01 PM · 26 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 9:01 pm and 9:07 pm.
  • 406-038 9:01 PM · 21 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 9:01 pm and 9:07 pm.
  • 406-039 9:01 PM · 24 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Stephen B. Bull met in the President's office in the Old Executive Office Building at an unknown time between 9:01 pm and 9:07 pm.

All 86 conversations from January 31, 1973 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 406-036, January 31, 1973. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/406-036 (accessed October 7, 2026).