In a prime time television address from the Oval Office exactly 50 years ago today on August 8, 1974, Richard Milhous Nixon resigned from the Presidency.
“By taking this action, I hope that I will have hastened the start of that process of healing which is so desperately needed in America,” Nixon said.
The event left in its wake a political environment that is more partisan, cynical and distrustful of government.
Following Nixon’s removal, it seemed like a bipartisan effort between Democrats and Republicans began to limit presidential power, clean up political corruption, and make government more transparent, in order to restrain an imperial presidency.
The Supreme Court ordered the release of Nixon’s White House tapes and ruled unanimously in U.S. v. Nixon that the president must comply with subpoenas. The Presidential Records Act of 1978 made clear that the papers of the President and Vice President belonged to the public, and not to the occupants of the White House.
All of that has changed since 1974, and the lessons of Watergate look very different.
In 1974, Congress, including more than a few Republicans, supported the removal of Nixon.
Since then, U.S. Houses controlled by the opposition party impeached both Clinton and Trump – Trump twice – but partisan base loyalty helped them win acquittals in the Senate, and resist calls for their resignations.
In the 70’s Nixon was ridiculed for his claims of “inherent” presidential power — “when the president does it, that means that it is not illegal,” he famously told an interviewer. Those claims have now become law.
The Watergate scandal also created unprecedented respect for the media that had played a large role in exposing Watergate and bringing down Nixon’s presidency. In 1974, trust in the media soared to 72% approval.
Since then, the media has become more adversarial, with a hunger to investigate and expose corruption, causing more distrust between politicians and journalists. By 2016, only 32% of Americans trusted the media.
Former White House Counsel John Dean, the key witness against Nixon back in the day, told CNN that Trump’s efforts targeting the results of the 2020 election were “much bigger than Watergate.”
In 2019, Dean criticized Trump’s actions during the investigation into Russian interference.
In response, Trump told reporters regarding Nixon: “He left. I don’t leave. A big difference. I don’t leave.”
