The Watergate scandal was a political scandal that occurred in the United States in the 1970s as a result of the June 17, 1972, break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., and the Nixon administration's attempted cover-up of its involvement which made him look even more guilty. The scandal eventually led to the resignation of Richard Nixon, the President of the United States, on August 9, 1974 — the only resignation of a U.S. President to date. The scandal also resulted in the indictment, trial, conviction, and incarceration of forty-three persons, dozens of whom were Nixon's top administration officials. He also gave a very touching speech to tell America why he had to resign.
Quotes
- We must maintain the integrity of the White House, and that integrity must be real, not transparent. There can be no whitewash at the White House.
- Richard Nixon, address to the nation about the Watergate investigations (April 30, 1973), in Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Richard Nixon, 1973, p. 332.
- There are these and other great causes that we were elected overwhelmingly to carry forward in November of 1972. And what we were elected to do, we are going to do, and let others wallow in Watergate, we are going to do our job.
- Richard Nixon, remarks to members of the White House staff on returning from Bethesda Naval Hospital (Jufly 20, 1973), in Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Richard Nixon, 1973, p. 657.
- Maybe [Watergate] is like the Old Testament. It was visited upon us and maybe we're going to benefit from it.
- Nelson Rockefeller, speech to the State Broadcasters Association, Cooperstown, New York (July 17, 1973), as reported by The New York Times (July 18, 1973), p. 20.
- What made Stone stand out in that tawdry scene was his utter shamelessness. He bragged about being a 19-year-old bit player in the Watergate scandal and about his friendship with Roy Cohn, Joe McCarthy’s notorious henchman. Along with his partners, among them Trump adviser Paul Manafort, he engaged in campaign tactics no one else would admit to and took lobbying clients no one else would represent, including murderous foreign dictators.