Richard Nixon Watergate Scandal

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Legacy of the Watergate Scandal Some events in history have the power to linger over a nation and affect the world for years, the Watergate Scandal of 1972 is one of them. The events that occurred on the morning of June 17, 1972 would have effects on American life and politics for years to come and ultimately lead to the downfall of President Richard Nixon. The Watergate Scandal has proven to have had monumental effects on the political culture of America. Although Nixon eventually resigned on August 9, 1974, the national nightmare was not nearly over. Ever since the diminishment of Nixon’s presidency: politics have irrevocably lost its innocence, Americans have lost faith and trust in the government, and media has become more aggressive …show more content…

However, letters released by the burglars and raising suspicions among journalists caused skepticism around the president and other convicted administration officials. Nixon’s aides testified in the trial stating that he had secretly taped Oval Office conversations. Nixon’s attempts to conceal the truth began to unravel after whats known as the “Saturday Night Massacre”. “Archibald Cox, who was appointed Watergate special prosecutor, subpoenaed the tapes. Nixon refused to turn them over” (Karimi). Defying the president's executive power, the supreme court overruled the White House and demanded the tapes. Calls for the president's impeachment grew louder and the tapes proved Nixon’s connection to the burglary. The “smoking gun” tape verified Nixon’s involvement in the Watergate cover up since June 23, 1972 (“Watergate: The Scandal That Brought Down Richard Nixon”). Without the support from Congress, the House Judiciary Committee approved three articles of impeachment against him (Karimi). Without admitting any guilt, on August 9, 1974 Nixon resigned. Vice President Gerald Ford took his place as president and controversially pardoned Nixon for any crimes committed while in …show more content…

Watergate exposed lies, crimes, and corruption and caused an overall assumption among the American public that government is immoral, untrustworthy and ruled by money and personal ambition. Lying politicians are nothing new in the United States. The Watergate scandal revolving around Nixon had made this fact apparent to many Americans.Watergate provided the realization of the corruptness of politics. Professor Michael Keith of Boston College expressed the political innocence that was lost during Watergate when stating, “out of all these terrible times came an affirmation that truth will win out; that in a country of good and honest people, such evil and mis-doing could not be concealed”

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