President Nixon met with H.R. Haldeman and Charles Colson to coordinate logistics for an upcoming trip to Texas and to assess the 1972 presidential campaign. The discussion centered on countering George McGovern's focus on the Vietnam War through favorable economic data and foreign policy achievements, such as upcoming arms control agreements. Additionally, Nixon directed his staff to maintain a firm stance regarding Jewish political groups and Soviet trade relations, dismissing the need to condition trade deals on political pandering.
On September 22, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Charles W. Colson, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House from 8:58 am to 9:08 am. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 785-002 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 785-2
Date: September 22, 1972
Time: 8:58 am - 9:08 am
Location: Oval Office
The President met with H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman and Charles W. Colson.
The President's schedule for September 22, 1972
-Trip to Texas
-Helicopter passengers
-John G. Tower
-White House staff, senators, congressmen
-Tower
-Dinner at John B. Connally's ranch
-Harlingen to San Antonio flight
-Republican meeting
-Meeting an airplane
George S. McGovern
-Patrick J. Buchanan's analysis
Vietnam War
-Media coverage
-War casualties
(rev. Nov-03)
-Networks
-Washington Post, New York Times
-Columbia Broadcasting System [CBS]
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BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 36s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
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Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time after 8:58 am.
The President's schedule
Bull left at an unknown time before 9:08 am.
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 1m 48s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
*****************************************************************
McGovern's campaign
-Vietnam War as issue
-Media coverage
-Buchanan
-Democratic Party nomination
(rev. Nov-03)
1972 election
-Effects of US-Soviet Union grain deal
-Iowa farmers' concern
-Poll analysis
-Grain prices
-Robert J. Dole
-Economy
-Consumer Price Index [CPI]
-Report on personal incomes
-Improvements in take home pay
-Durable good orders
-Milton Pitts, White House barber
-Louis P. Harris poll
US-Soviet Union trade deal
-1972 election
-Jews
-Israel
-Political conditions
-Public relations
-Henry A. Kissinger’s talk with Yitzhak Rabin
-Max M. Fisher
-US public opinion
-Liberal
-Burundi deaths
-Troop movement in Middle East
-McGovern
1972 election
-McGovern campaign
-Aid to parochial schools
-Strategy
-Vietnam War as an issue
-Media coverage
-Colson’s conversation with the President, September 22,
-September 20, 1972 incident
-The President's campaign
-Connally
-National defense
-William P. Rogers
-Foreign policy
(rev. Nov-03)
-Andrei A. Gromyko's visit
-Signing of Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty [SALT]
agreement and SALT II announcement
-Trade deals
-Media coverage
-Tax reform bill
-Vietnam War
The President's schedule
-Ku Klux Klan [KKK]
-Masons
-Colson
-[Wendell B. Colson]
-Patricia (Hughes) Colson
-Catholicism
Haldeman and Colson left at 9:08 am.This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.