President Nixon met with H.R. Haldeman and Charles Colson to discuss political strategy for the 1972 election, focusing specifically on managing campaign demonstrations and public perception. They analyzed the effectiveness of local Republican efforts to frame protest activities—such as those targeting Nixon’s California trip—as direct operations of the George McGovern campaign. Additionally, the group reviewed the support of business and labor sectors, dismissed critical press coverage regarding aerospace industry ties, and assessed how the President’s international diplomatic visits to the Soviet Union and China continued to bolster his public image.
On September 26, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, H. R. ("Bob") Haldeman, Charles W. Colson, and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:45 pm to 1:31 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 787-016 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding AidConversation No. 787-16
Date: September 26, 1972
Time: 12:45 pm - 1:31 pm
Location: Oval Office
The President met with H.R. (“Bob”) Haldeman.
1972 election
-Demonstrations
-Response to George S. McGovern supporters
-The President's forthcoming trip to California
-News summary
-Advertisements
-Robert J. Dole
-Ronald W. Reagan
-Charles W. Colson
-Clark MacGregor
-McGovern campaign
-$1,000,000 bond
-Security at dinner and hotel
-Dole
(rev. Nov-03)
-California election headquarters staffer [Gordon
Luce]
-McGovern campaign response
-Compared to Watergate
-Telephone from McGovern headquarters
-Press coverage
-Bond
-Troops
-Haldeman’s strategy
-Mobilized numbers
-San Francisco
-Evidence of McGovern involvement
Charles W. Colson entered at 12:47 pm.
-Image conveyed
-The President’s supporters
-Tactics
-Billings, Montana
-Signs
-Reaction from McGovern supporters
-Reporter inquiry
-McGovern campaign
-Factory tours
-Columbus, Ohio
-News summary
-Nichols-Seymour [?][sp?]
-Tactics
-Signs
-Shouting, heckling
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 2m 48s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 1
*****************************************************************
(rev. Nov-03)
1972 election
-Aerospace industry
-Orr Kelly article
-Colson’s conversation with the Defense Department
-Thomas V. Jones
-Forthcoming conversation with Haldeman
-Willard F. Rockwell, Jr.
-Forthcoming conversation with Haldeman
-Plant manager
-Union man quote
-Lockheed
-Business support for Republicans
-Unions
-Tom Jones
-Reason for support
-McGovern
-Political sophistication
-Federal aid
-Building trades presidents
-Thomas W. ("Teddy") Gleason
-Letters of support
-Grumman president’s 1968 letter to supervisors
-Jones
-Melvin R. Laird
-Press inquiries
-Handling
-North American Rockwell official [Dana Williams?]
-Political affiliation
-Quote
-Congress
-North American Rockwell
-B-1
-Congressional fight
-Kelly article
-[Williams?]
-Harvard University School of Business
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 3m 25s ]
(rev. Nov-03)
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 2
*****************************************************************
1972 election
-Labor
-Legislation
-Policies
-Pro-labor
-George P. Shultz
-National defense
-John G. Tower
-James J. Davis-Robert L. Bacon Act
-Right to work supporters
-Shultz’s recent meeting
-President’s role
-Analogy to blacks
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 5m 26s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 3
*****************************************************************
1972 election
-Demonstrations
-The President's forthcoming trip to California
-News coverage
-Handling of demonstrators
-San Francisco police
-McGovern supporters
-Telephone calls from McGovern headquarters
-Los Angeles Times reporter inquiry
-Unknown person
-Democratic operation
(rev. Nov-03)
-Shutdown and move
-Ronald W. Reagan
-Gordon Luce
-McGovern supporters
-Evidence
-Dinner
-Reagan
-Leslie T (“Bob”) Hope
-Handling demonstrators
-Los Angeles police
-Republican National Convention
-Louis P. Harris poll
-Disruptions
-The President’s supporters
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 2m ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 4
*****************************************************************
1972 election
-Support for the President
-Compared to Lyndon B. Johnson
-Accomplishments
-Successor to John F. Kennedy
-Barry M. Goldwater
-Majority Leader in Senate
-Dwight D. Eisenhower
-Interviews
-Hamtramck, Michigan
-International relations
-The Soviet Union the People's Republic of China [PRC]
-Joseph P. Tonelli
-View of communism
-Kakuei Tanaka's trip to Peking
(rev. Nov-03)
-Chou En-Lai
-Relation to the President's PRC visit
-Protocol similarity
-The President’s view
-US public interest
-Images
-Relation to the President’s PRC visit
-Publicity
-Timing
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 9m 45s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 6
*****************************************************************
Alexander P. Butterfield entered at 1:24 pm.
Correspondence
Butterfield left at 1:25 p.m.
*****************************************************************
BEGIN WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
[Personal returnable]
[Duration: 6m 53s ]
END WITHDRAWN ITEM NO. 7
*****************************************************************
The President, Haldeman and Colson left at 1:31 pm.
(rev. Nov-03)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.