August 8, 1974
To quote the Bicentennial Minute, "And that's the way it was".
August 8, 1974
He was the first
president in American history to resign.
In a televised address,
Nixon, flanked by his family, announced to the American public that he would
step down rather than endure a Senate impeachment trial for obstruction of
justice. Since 1972, Nixon had battled increasing vociferous allegations that
he knew of, and may have authorized, a botched burglary in which several men
were arrested for attempting to bug the offices of the Democratic National
Committee, located in the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C. Between 1972 and 1974, the press, and later
a Senate investigation committee, revealed disturbing details that revealed
that Nixon had indeed attempted to cover up the crime committed by key members
of his administration and re-election committee. The most damning evidence came
from subpoenaed tape recordings of Nixon's White House conversations. Nixon
fought the release of the tapes, which led the House of Representatives in 1973
to initiate impeachment charges against the president for obstruction of justice.
During the televised
address, Nixon stated that he had never been a "quitter" and that
choosing to resign went against his instincts. He refused to confess to
committing the alleged high crimes and misdemeanors of which he was accused. He
claimed his decision was encouraged by his political base and was in the best
interests of the country and said that he hoped it would heal the political and
social division caused by the Watergate scandal.
A report by the Washington
Post on August 9 revealed the drama that had unfolded in the White House
cabinet room an hour before Nixon's resignation speech. After saying goodbye to
46 members of Congress, including his staunchest supporters, the president told
them that the "country could not operate with a half-time President,"
broke into tears and left the room.
To quote the Bicentennial Minute, "And that's the way it was".
Stay Tuned
Tony Figueroa
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