Richard Nixon and Charles W. “Chuck” Colson on 29 July 1971


Transcript

Edited by Nicole Hemmer, with Ken Hughes, Kieran K. Matthews, and Marc J. Selverstone

In response to critical press coverage of Vice President Spiro T. Agnew’s recent trip to Africa, President Nixon and White House special counsel Charles W. “Chuck” Colson consider ways to improve Agnew’s image with the public.

President Nixon

What is your reaction to the Vice President’s [Spiro T. Agnew] trip?[note 1] Spiro T. Agnew was vice president of the United States, January 1969 to October 1973.

Charles W. “Chuck” Colson

Well, John [A.] Scali talked to me after you called him in.[note 2] John A. Scali was an ABC News diplomatic correspondent, 1961 to April 1971; special consultant to the president, April 1971 to February 1973; and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, February 1973 to June 1975. [President Nixon acknowledges.] I think it was disastrously reported.

President Nixon

Yeah. He was really, really very hurt.

Colson

Oh, I’m sure he was.

President Nixon

He feels [unclear], and he’s been done in, and he’s just hurt as the devil.

Colson

Well, he should be. That Newsweek story [unclear]

President Nixon

Vicious.

Colson

—was the worst thing I’ve ever seen.

President Nixon

That’s right.

Colson

Really. Just outrageous. I think it—I think the timing of it, in retrospect, it was probably too bad that he was traveling to—

President Nixon

At that time.

Colson

—what people think are insignificant countries.

President Nixon

Well, as a matter of fact, it wasn’t our fault. He wanted to go, you know?

Colson

Right.

President Nixon

It was his plan. He wanted to take a vacation, and that was it.

Colson

Well, I think that . . .

President Nixon

Well, it’ll work out.

Colson

I don’t think it hurts him with the constituency that he has.

President Nixon

No.

Colson

I really don’t.

President Nixon

Yeah, most of them are against what we’re doing anyway.

Colson

Well, in—

President Nixon

A lot of them are. A lot of them, not most.

Colson

In that sense, he’s kind of a—

President Nixon

[Unclear.]

Colson

[unclear] of the right at the moment.

President Nixon

Right.

Colson

And, in that sense, helps him.

President Nixon

But he really got a bad, bad deal, and—

Colson

He got an awful bad rap.

President Nixon

And we’ve all got to make it clear to him that we think he did, and play that goal right down the line.

Colson

Well, I agree. And Scali . . . Scali thinks he did.

President Nixon

Well—

Colson

And Scali felt the trip could have been . . . well, as I indicated, the timing was unfortunate. I mean, it was just the way [President Nixon acknowledges throughout] that fate has it. But he really feels he got a bad rap, and I think we should start—we can . . . we’re looking for some places that we can get him in to where we’ll start rebuilding that.

President Nixon

[Unclear] get a place where he goes where he gets a good reception. I just think we ought to do that.

Colson

[Unclear.]

President Nixon

Where people cheer him. They will, you know?

Colson

Sure, they will.

President Nixon

I mean, we—it isn’t all that bad. I mean, let’s try to figure a place like that. And [Colson tries to interject] of course, the main thing is, if we do it, if we get him to go, he’s so tender about it at the moment.

Colson

I talked to an old-line Democrat, Italian politician from New England yesterday, who was just inflamed over the bad press that Agnew had had. Now, that’s just—

President Nixon

Good.

Colson

—one person—

President Nixon

Good.

Colson

—but his constituency expect him to be maltreated by the press, and they kind of sympathize with him.

President Nixon

Yeah, yeah.

Colson

But we’ll find some places where we can—

President Nixon

Well—

Colson

—build him up. We’re working on that.

President Nixon

Good. Well, and—

Colson

[Unclear]

President Nixon

—and also, let him know, personally, that we are all backing him up, you know, ‘cause that’s very important.

Colson

I think it is for his state of mind.

President Nixon

That’s right. OK, well, have a nice dinner.

Colson

Fine. Thank you, Mr. President.

Cite as

“Richard Nixon and Charles W. ‘Chuck’ Colson on 29 July 1971,” Conversation 007-032 (PRDE Excerpt A), Presidential Recordings Digital Edition [“Vice President Agnew,” ed. Nicole Hemmer] (Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2014–). URL: http://prde.upress.virginia.edu/conversations/4004190