Nixon Resigns

Setting the scene

President Richard Nixon resigned on August 9, 1974, becoming the first U.S. president to resign, to avoid impeachment over the Watergate scandal. The scandal began June 17, 1972, when five men were arrested breaking into Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate complex. The break-in was linked to Nixon's reelection campaign, and investigations revealed a cover-up directed from the White House.

What happened

The scandal unfolded through 1973-1974: the Senate Watergate hearings, the revelation of Nixon's secret taping system, the Saturday Night Massacre when Nixon fired the special prosecutor, and the Supreme Court ordering release of tapes. The 'smoking gun' tape of June 23, 1972, proved Nixon ordered the FBI to stop investigating. The House Judiciary Committee approved three articles of impeachment—obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and contempt of Congress.

Why it still matters

Facing certain impeachment and conviction, Nixon announced his resignation in a televised address on August 8, 1974. Vice President Gerald Ford became president and pardoned Nixon a month later. Watergate shattered public trust in government, leading to reforms in campaign finance and intelligence oversight. It created the suffix '-gate' for scandals and the phrase 'modified limited hangout.' Nixon's resignation demonstrated that even presidents are subject to law, but also showed the trauma of constitutional crisis.

Background

Ford pardoned him weeks later.