Rabin in His Own Words

Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974, because the Watergate scandal had severely damaged his presidency and public trust. The revelation of secret recordings in his office during Senate hearings on July 16, 1973, exposed his involvement in covering up the Watergate break-in, leading to imminent impeachment.

The Watergate break-in in 1972 triggered the chain of events that led to his downfall.

Nixon initially ordered the secret recordings to preserve a historical record of his presidency. The system was voice-activated and recorded over 3,700 hours of conversations from 1971 to 1973. Nixon later reflected in 1983 that having everything taped was probably "stupid."

The recordings were meant to document history, but ultimately became the primary evidence against him.

The break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in 1972 uncovered widespread abuse of power by Nixon's administration. When Senate hearings revealed the existence of secret recording devices on July 16, 1973, the tapes exposed Nixon's direct involvement in the cover-up, leading to impeachment proceedings and his resignation.

Nixon told speechwriter Pat Buchanan that "the Watergate thing is going to pass," underestimating its impact.

Nixon harbored intense animosity toward the media, explicitly telling Henry Kissinger that "the press is the enemy." He encouraged his Special Counsel Charles Colson to undermine journalists' credibility. His hostility intensified after the New York Times published the Pentagon Papers, which he called "treasonable action."

Nixon's media hostility was consistent throughout his presidency and contributed to his isolation.

The tapes revealed Nixon's private frustration with anti-war demonstrators. In conversations with Kissinger, he stated "It really burns me up. We have no pride do we anymore, Henry?" He dismissed the protest movement as not representing "the voice of America," which he claimed was the "silent majority."

Nixon's Vietnam policies and his contempt for dissent were central to his administration's tensions with the public.

Nixon expressed contempt for Vietnam veteran John Kerry, calling him "quite a phony" in private recordings. This remark reflected his broader disdain for anti-war veterans who testified against his Vietnam policies.

Kerry would later become a prominent political figure, but Nixon's private views revealed his deep hostility toward Vietnam veterans who opposed his policies.

While facing public pressure to nominate a female Supreme Court Justice, Nixon privately confided to Attorney General John Mitchell his wish to avoid that "woman kick." He outwardly presented candidates like Mildred Lillie and Sylvia Bacon but considered his eventual Supreme Court nominations significant domestic successes.

Nixon's private sentiments contrasted with his public positioning on the nomination.

Nixon's groundbreaking trip to China in 1972 marked a major foreign policy achievement. It was the first time a sitting U.S. President visited China since 1949, helping to forge a new relationship between the two nations and altering the geopolitical landscape of the Cold War.

The China visit demonstrated Nixon's ability to achieve diplomatic breakthroughs despite domestic turmoil.

Following Nixon's death in 1994, the government began releasing the 3,700 hours of recordings. The final installments became public on August 20, 2013, providing historians with unprecedented insights into his presidency.

John Ehrlichman had warned in 1982 that historians would need the full context to understand Nixon's complex persona.

After the Watergate break-in, Nixon discussed with Chief of Staff H.R. Bob Haldeman the possibility of providing financial support to the arrested individuals. He acknowledged "they took a hell of a risk. And they have to be paid," though he downplayed the event's significance believing it would eventually pass.

This conversation demonstrated Nixon's direct involvement in the cover-up from the earliest stages.