Vice President J.D. Vance has defended the legacy of the late President Richard Nixon, quipping that the Watergate scandal that brought him down would be a “12-hour news story” in 2026.
| PULSE POINTS |
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Vice President J.D. Vance suggested that the Watergate scandal would be a “12-hour news story” in today’s media landscape, while praising the late President Richard Nixon. 📺 DETAIL: On Thursday, speaking at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library, Vice President Vance defended the legacy of Richard Nixon, the 37th President of the United States. The Vice President argued that the Watergate scandal would be a “12-hour news story” if reported today, and expressed amazement that the scandal could have culminated in Nixon’s resignation from office. “I think Nixon’s historical legacy is enjoying a bit of a renaissance, and deservedly so… I joked that if Watergate happened tomorrow, it would be like a 12-hour news story. The idea that it took down a presidency is crazy.” The Vice President attributed Nixon’s downfall to the influence of the Deep State and favorably compared President Donald J. Trump to the late Republican, praising both as challengers to the political establishment. “If you look at the story of how the Deep State took down Richard Nixon, it is not all that different from what the same groups of people and institutions tried to do to Trump in the first Trump administration. There is a parallel.” The Watergate scandal revolved around a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in June 1972. 🎯 IMPACT: The Vice President’s remarks reflect a growing interest in Richard Nixon’s presidency and broader political career, decades after his resignation. It shows that an increasing number of Americans, including those in positions of authority and influence, now view the late Republic with a greater degree of nuance and even admiration, particularly for his foreign policy successes. Nixon won one of the most historic landslides in presidential history in 1972, defeating Democrat rival George McGovern after winning 60.7 percent of the popular vote and 49 of the 50 states. Nixon secured 520 electoral votes while McGovern secured only 17. 📺 FLASHBACK: In June 2025, it was revealed that President Trump was the only U.S. President since Richard Nixon in 1969 to record positive growth for blue-collar workers throughout the first five months since his election. |
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