Drunk Richard Nixon Talks to Charles Colson April 30 1973

On April 30, 1973, after a televised speech where he announced the resignation of his top aides, his legal counsel, and the departure of his attorney general, an audibly drunk Richard Nixon makes a call to his former aide Charles Colson.

Audio is on nixonlibrary.gov (substitute / for *):
http:**www.nixonlibrary.gov*forresearchers*find*tapes*tape045*045-065.mp3

Audio with accompanying transcript is on youtube (substitute / for *):
https:**www.youtube.com*watch?v=x4DMD_8PDI8

NIXON
Let's all go to Florida now.

OPERATOR
Mr. President, Mr. Colson.

NIXON
Hello, Chuck?

COLSON
Congratulations, Mr. President.

NIXON
You survive?

COLSON
Oh yes sir, I'll survive. Don't worry about that. I just say, God bless you, because I think you laid it right on the line, I think the people that were worried about Watergate heard what they wanted to hear...the vast majority of people, I'm still convinced, are not worried about Watergate...

NIXON
I think you're right.

COLSON
Well, I don't think it affects their lives. But they saw you tonight, terribly sincere, speaking straight from the heart, asking for their help, that's-

NIXON
Saying God bless America.

COLSON
Yes sir. God, that ending. Well, I thought- I called people tonight-

NIXON
What did they say?

COLSON
Unanimous verdict. They said the man was- Tremendous sympathy. The man was speaking with great feeling and great conviction, and my God, what he's been through, shouldn't put the President through this...one fella, who's a police union leader said, "God, he brought our boys home from Vietnam, we'll remember him always for that." Enormous feeling of support. The country is with you. I've never seen the media in a more irresponsible, hysterical fashion.

NIXON
What are they doing? Raising hell with it?

COLSON
Well, not with this. No, I mean up until tonight. They can't re-sell this.

NIXON
Little hard for them to knock this, isn't it?

COLSON
You put it to them right where it hurts. They can't knock it. They started to on CBS tonight, and Dan Rather said, "I've just received a message that the President went to the press room and said, 'You fellows keep batting at me when I'm wrong-'"

NIXON
Giving me hell.

COLSON
"Giving me hell when I'm wrong." And it's just turned them around. He said, if that's what the President is saying, save the Republican party...that even got to those hard-boiled bastards.

NIXON
Alright.

COLSON
But it was a hell of a job.

NIXON
Chuck. Keep your faith, boy. Fight them out.

COLSON
I only care about one thing: and that's you.

NIXON
Yup. Don't answer the (unintelligible) on this. All this business about the plumbers operation...good God, that's totally justified, isn't it?

COLSON
Yes sir.

NIXON
Or is it?

COLSON
I don't think there's any doubt about it. I don't intend to talk about it. I don't think they can make- what at least I know about it, it's a national security operation. And Ehrlichman talked about it to me sometime ago, something that I wouldn't discuss.

NIXON
But you say: look, we were protecting the security of this country.

COLSON
That's right.

NIXON
Right. Okay, Chuck.

COLSON
Hell- Well, God bless you, Mr. President-

NIXON
God bless you, and keep your faith, boy.

COLSON
Mine's with you, sir.

NIXON
Fine.

COLSON
And the country's, Mr. President.