Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 756 › Conversation 756-011

Nixon & Colson on Media criticism and Political strategy

Friday, July 28, 1972 · 12:24 PM–12:28 PM ET · Oval Office · 3 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President); Colson, Charles W.Conversation756-011 on Tape 756StartFriday, July 28, 1972 at 12:24 PMEndFriday, July 28, 1972 at 12:28 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 756-011 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with Charles W. Colson to offer personal encouragement following negative media coverage and political criticism. Nixon advised Colson to remain resilient, framing media attacks as a tactical attempt to induce fear and undermine the administration's resolve. He urged Colson to ignore editorial criticism and maintain a combative posture toward their political adversaries.

Audio

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Transcript (AI-generated)

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

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· Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).
Yeah, I wanted to tell you earlier when I said you were sort of concerned about some piece of money.
That's not what it's great about.
Let me just say this.
The one thing I want to particularly say to you, and this has got to be true for everybody, is my rule in regard to the columns and the grades.
It's always this.
First, if they don't criticize you, you aren't doing anything.
The second point, and this is important, you want to remember, the reason they do it is to try to get you to lay off.
And second, get out of your skin.
And so don't let him get out of your skin.
Just beat the bastards.
And that's what we're going to do.
Don't let him hurt you.
It will pass, but he's just a nasty bastard.
And he is a smack of what's in a whole bad bunch.
But they're going to be beaten, and that's why they're squealing.
And don't you worry about it.
And just said, I just felt that I considered a badge of honor.
Look, if you think what I did is true, hell, you shouldn't be worried.
All you tell your kids that now and then, okay?
Yeah.
Oh, of course, because it's so unfair and so rough.
And they never say this about these other bastards.
I mean, it's unbelievable.
On the other hand, let me say, they're having their problems too, Chuck.
I know you are.
I don't get it.
I'm not sure.
One day we will.
It's just... And also, they want to punch you.
They want to make you...
afraid.
They want to make you a gunshot.
A gunshot.
And I am.
I'm a great believer.
As you know, a lot of people don't believe it.
I do not read.
I do not read the editorial pages, believe me, of any of those goddamn papers.
I'll go ahead and shoot them this summer.
But that's all.
Don't ever do it.
It isn't worth it.
Sure.
Yeah.
Yeah.
All right.
Go ahead, I'm just waiting.
We're only an hour away.
But anyway, I've got to go to bed.
We're only an hour away.
We're only an hour away.

NARA Description

On July 28, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:24 pm to 12:28 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 756-011 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 756-11

Date: July 28, 1972
Time: 12:24 pm - 12:28 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President talked with Charles W. Colson.

[See Conversation No. 28-9]

*****************************************************************

[Previous archivists categorized this section as unintelligible. It has been rereviewed and
released 11/01/2022.]
[Personal Returnable]
[756-011-w001]
[Duration: 1m 54s]

*****************************************************************

Also recorded on July 28, 1972

  • 756-009 11:54 AM · 23 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:54 am and 11:56 am.
  • 756-024 11:54 AM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 11:54 am and 11:56 am.
  • 756-010 11:56 AM · 6 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Jack D. Maltester, John J. Gunther, and John D. Ehrlichman met in the Oval Office of the White House from 11:56 am to 12:09 pm.
  • 028-009 12:24 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Charles W. Colson talked on the telephone from 12:24 pm to 12:28 pm.
  • 028-010 12:28 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 12:28 pm and 2:08 pm.
  • 756-012 12:29 PM · 25 min — President Richard M. Nixon, David J. Mahoney, Jr., Kenneth R. Cole, Jr., and Leonard Garment met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:29 pm to 12:55 pm.
  • 756-013 12:55 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:55 pm and 1:00 pm.
  • 756-014 12:55 PM · 28 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:55 pm and 1:00 pm.

All 30 conversations from July 28, 1972 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 756-011, July 28, 1972. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/756-011 (accessed October 1, 2026).