Nixon Addresses the Nation: Resignation Announced
Richard Nixon addressed the nation on the evening of August 8, 1974, announcing his resignation effective the following day. He was the first and only American president to resign from office. The Watergate scandal had consumed his presidency for two years, beginning with the bungled burglary of the Democratic National Committee headquarters and escalating through cover-ups, Saturday Night Massacre, and Supreme Court orders to release incriminating tapes. Nixon never admitted guilt, saying only that he no longer had "a strong enough political base in the Congress" to continue governing. Gerald Ford was sworn in the next day and told the nation, "Our long national nightmare is over." Ford pardoned Nixon a month later.
August 8, 1974
52 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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