Watergate

We Pay the Price for Failing to Treat Ex-Presidents as Ordinary Citizens

by James D. Robenalt

Deferential treatment given to Richard Nixon after his resignation, including not only his pardon but also lenient treatment by the Watergate grand jury, set precedents for impunity that the nation suffers from today. 

How Richard Nixon Alienated Allies after Watergate (and Lessons for Trump)

"Along the way, when it mattered most, Nixon and his crew found that people who might have been political allies in the past were not especially sympathetic to his case."

Watergate at 50: Did Kennedy Loyalists Squelch a 1968 "October Surprise" that Could Have Beaten Nixon?

by James H. Barron

Did Democratic party insiders bury the story of Richard Nixon receiving campaign funds from the Greek military junta because they disliked the Greek exile journalist who broke the news? 

Garrett Graff: A "Conspiratorial Mindset" Links Trump and Nixon Actions

Garrett Graff, author of "Watergate: A New History" argues that both January 6 and Watergate were the logical culminations of the broader politics of the Trump and Nixon administrations and the movements that sustained them. 

"All the President's Men": From Misguided Buddy Flick to Iconic Political Thriller

Hollywood's original plan for the film based on Woodward and Bernstein's book was light on substance and heavy on macho hijinks. How would Watergate be remembered if the script weren't changed? 

From Trust in Institutions to Partisan Polarization: The Legacy of Watergate at 50

Garrett M. Graff calls the events set in motion by the 1972 burglary a dividing line in history that changed the political culture forever. 

Previous Congressional Hearings Inform What to Expect from the Jan. 6 Committee

by Jennifer Selin

From KKK violence during Reconstruction to Watergate, high profile Congressional investigations have approached controversial issues. Partisanship is likely to be an obstacle to the goals of advancing transparency and public information. 

Can the January 6 Committee Have the Impact of the Senate Watergate Hearings?

While the Watergate hearings of 1973 made chairman Sam Ervin a household name and publicized the crimes of Watergate and the Nixon campaign, it's unlikely the January 6 Committee can follow that act.   

Martha Mitchell's Hidden Role as a Catalyst of the Watergate Scandal

Mitchell didn’t have a grasp of the specifics of her husband’s involvement in Watergate, Bernstein told me, “but what she was so right about from the beginning was the coverup.”

"Gaslit" Recalls Martha Mitchell's Role in the Watergate Scandal

The outspoken and media-friendly wife of Attorney General John Mitchell had warned reporters of CREEP "dirty tricks" before the infamous burglary. After, keeping her from talking to reporters was the first battle of the coverup.

On "Smoking Guns"—Yesterday and Today (and Tomorrow?)

by Jim Zirin

As text messages between Donald Jr. and Mark Meadows surface, it seems the last roadblock to a prosecution of Donald Trump over January 6 is a lack of will, not a lack of evidence.

Trump Can't Just Erase History the Way Nixon Tried to Do

by Tim Naftali

"The newly reported Trumpian gap may actually be easier to fill in, and therefore less of a threat to the historical record than Nixon’s."

Watergate at 50: The Consequences of Impunity

by Barry Sussman

The Washington Post's City Editor at the time of the Watergate breakin launches a series of posts on the ongoing legacy of the scandal. This one discusses the legacy of elite impunity that resulted from the failure to prosecute Richard Nixon. 

Whataboutism Didn't Get Nixon Off the Hook. It Shouldn't Stop Investigation of the Capitol Riots

by James Robenalt

There's a long and ignominious tradition of playing "whatabout" to thwart investigations into official misconduct, so it's no surprise the move was part of Republicans' rejection of a January 6 commission. 

Gordon Liddy and the Greek Connection to Watergate

by James H. Barron

The recent death of Watergate conspirator G. Gordon Liddy has sparked renewed interest in the intricacies of the affair. The author argues that the material the "Plumbers" sought in the burglary related to a Greek journalist's efforts to expose illegal contributions by the Greek dictatorship to the 1968 election campaign of Richard Nixon. 

G. Gordon Liddy, Undercover Operative Convicted in Watergate Scandal, Dies at 90

"Mr. Liddy’s combination of can-do ruthlessness, loyalty to Nixon and ends-justify-the-means philosophy made him a natural fit in a White House determined to get even with its political enemies."

Filmmaker’s Suit Says A&E Networks Suppressed ‘Watergate’ Series

A documentarian is suing the A&E cable network claiming it didn't promote his 2018 Watergate series out of deference to Trump voters. The network says the decision was based on ratings and defends its record of airing controversial subjects. 

The Truth Will Come Out: As With Nixon, Time Will Darken Views Of Trump And His Supporters

by Elizabeth Holtzman

The former New York Congresswoman Elizabeth Holtzman, who pushed for articles of impeachment against Richard Nixon, argues that that president's partisan supporters looked foolish when even more facts came to light. Will the same happen to Trump's congressional allies? 

Will Eugene Goodman Share the Fate of Frank Wills?

by Adam Henig

Congress and the nation have celebrated the heroic actions of Capitol Police officer Eugene Goodman, who distracted a mob to give members of Congress time to reach safety. When his momentary fame fades, Goodman deserves better than another unexpected hero, Watergate security guard Frank Wills. 

Carl Bernstein Says Latest Trump Tapes Are ‘Far Worse’ Than Watergate

“This is the ultimate smoking gun tape,” Bernstein said. “It is the tape with the evidence of what this president is willing to do to undermine the electoral system and illegally, improperly and immorally try to instigate a coup.”