Ford's Role In The Watergate Scandal

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In July, 1972 tensions were running high between Democrats and Republicans. In two years, incumbent President Richard Nixon would face reelection. And on the 17th of that month, DC police arrested five men for breaking into the headquarters of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in the Watergate Hotel complex. (The Watergate Story) Various money trails connected these men to a fundraising organization called the Committee to Reelect the President. Immediately afterward, two reporters launched an investigation into the break-in and into a series of wiretaps that were found in the DNC. “Watergate” became a national scandal and as the trial progressed records revealed that the Nixon administration had attempted multiple cover-ups. These revelations …show more content…
While Ford was not directly involved in the Watergate scandal, his act of pardon cast aspersions onto his legacy. Many polls and studies show Ford to be in the bottom half of presidents in terms of popularity. (Rottinghaus) Specifically, a poll by the American Political Science Association taken in 2015, placed him as the 24th most popular president, just below the median. So, even though Ford’s decision was wildly unpopular at the time, he is not remembered entirely negatively. This may have to do with the short period of time he served as Commander-in-Chief or because of some of the more popular actions he took. For example, his amnesty program for thousands of Vietnam-era draft evaders and military deserters. Additionally, many see this speech as a representation of an era of American politics filled with scandal and corruption. Due to this perception of corruption, the public’s view of the government has been tarnished. While not the only contributing factor to this mistrust, it is an event that can be easily pointed to as significant factor in its steep decline. This mistrust has still not been healed, as many Americans do not trust their elected officials to this

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