Nixon’s PresidencyCh. 25, Sec. 1, 2, 3

• Born to poor family in CA.– Lost Presidency to JFK in 1960.– Lost race for CA governor in 1962.– 1968-elected to presidency.

• Stiff, remote, not much humor to Nixon.– Few friends outside of family.– Willing to do whatever it took to beat enemies.

• As President, created close circle of advisers.– H.R. Haldemann-Chief of Staff.– John Erlichman-Chief domestic adviser.– John Mitchell-Attorney General, close adviser.– Henry Kissinger-Secretary of State, closest adviser.

Haldemann

Erlichman

Mitchell

Kissinger

Domestic Policies

• Economy shaky due to war spending.– Inflation doubled prices 1965-68.

• Began deficit spending to stimulate economy.– Spending more than gov’t takes in.

• 1973 war between Israel &Egypt, Syria.– US supported Israel.– Organization of Oil Exporting Countries (OPEC)

started embargo (ban) on shipping oil to US.– Oil prices flew up, increasing inflation; consumers

cut back spending, causing recession.

• Nixon worked to cut back LBJ’s Great Society.– Began “New Federalism”-policy that made states

assume greater cost of social programs.– Gave federal $$ to states to spend as they needed.

• Nixon saw little reason to work on civil rights.– Few black citizens ever voted for him, not worth

losing southern support.• Created “Southern Strategy”-try to win over

white southern democrats.– Eased desegregation requirements.– Opposed forced busing of students.• Busing white students to black schools, vice-versa.

• Nixon had criticized Supreme Court as being too soft on crime, too liberal.– During his term, 4 of 9 judges retired or died.– Named Warren Burger as new Chief Justice

(moderate).– Showing Southern Strategy, appointed 3

southerners: Harry Blackman, William Rehnquist, Lewis F. Powell.

– All 4 helped make Court more conservative.

Burger

Blackmon

Rehnquist

Powell

• Throughout LBJ’s term, space program continued, following JFK’s promise to put men on moon.

• July 20, 1969-Lunar Lander Eagle touched down on moon carrying Neil Armstrong & Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin.– Armstrong became first man to set foot on moon’s

surface.– Third crewman, Michael Collins, aboard

Command Module Columbia orbiting moon.• Eagle stayed on moon for 21.5 hours.• When they returned to Earth, all three seen as

heroes.

Foreign Policies• Nixon & Kissinger very effective in foreign

policy.– Kissinger followed realpolitik, or realistic politics.• Make decisions based on maintaining strength, not on

moral principles.

– Both were very effective at using media to shape public opinion.

• Together, Nixon & Kissinger were able to end Vietnam, along with many other successes.

• Created détente, or relaxing tensions between US & USSR.– Opened talks with USSR that led to trade, scientific

exchanges, arms treaties.• Nixon opened communication with People’s

Republic of China (Communist China) for first time.– Ambassadors met, travel restrictions lifted, US Ping-

Pong Team visited (ping-pong diplomacy), trade embargo lifted.

• 1972-Nixon became first President to visit China.– Saw communication with China as way to put

pressure on USSR.• USSR didn’t want alliance b/t US & China.

• Nixon also visited USSR, met with Premier Leonid Brezhnev.

• Signed Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT I) while in Moscow.– Treaty froze ICBMs and sub-launched ballistic

missiles at 1972 levels-no more could be made.– Prohibited development of antiballistic missile

systems.– No limits on conventional weapons.

• US continued developing better bombers, subs, new warheads that would deploy multiple nukes at once (MIRVs).

Watergate• Nixon felt as if he had enemies on all sides.– Led to “enemies list” of people he felt opposed to

him.• Politicians, reporters, celebrities; would often ne

subject to tax investigations.

• Nixon also used wiretaps to listen in on his staff, reporter’s phones; some legal, some not.

• Nixon hated leaks to press from his staff.– Created group called the Plumbers to stop leaks.– Would try to find dirt on leakers to punish/hurt

them for leaks.

• 1972-Nixon ran for reelection.• Created Committee to Re-elect the President

to fund race.– Used lots of dirty tricks.

• Wrote fake letter about leading Democrat candidate Edmund Muskie, released it to newspapers.– Made fun of French Canadians in New Hampshire,

alleged Muskie’s wife was alcoholic.• Muskie wept in front of cameras, hurting election

chances.

• Sent hecklers to Democratic meetings, sent spies to join opposing campaigns.

• CREEP & Plumbers planned to wiretap phones at Democratic National Committee headquarters at Watergate Hotel & Office Complex.– First break-in attempt failed.– Second attempt led to arrest of 5 men involved.

• Carried money that could be tied to CREEP, thus to Nixon.

• FBI began investigation, Nixon ordered CIA to try and stop FBI.– Nixon not involved in break-in, but he led the coverup.

• Events came to be known as Watergate Scandal.– For months after election, public was unaware of

events.

• Plumbers bribed men involved to keep them quiet, coached them on what to say in court.

• 1973-Watergate trial held-all pled or found guilty, given long sentences to try & get them to talk.

• Reporters Woodward & Bernstein began to follow trail to White House.

• Feb, 1973-Senate investigation of Watergate began.– Some Watergate burglars, reporters helped.– Testimony came out showing Nixon’s involvement

in coverup.• Nixon had Oval Office, phones bugged, testimony

revealed this.

• To protect himself, Nixon ordered special prosecutor to investigate Watergate.– Prosecutor asked for secret White House tapes,

Nixon refused.• Prosecutor insisted, Nixon fired him.

• Prosecutor firing led to series of resignations, firings known as Saturday Night Massacre.– Nixon eventually released edited tapes.

• VP Spiro Agnew forced to resign due to tax fraud, taking bribes, Nixon named Gerald Ford as new VP.

• 1974-Congress began hearings to see if Nixon would be impeached.– Charge him with misconduct while in office.– Nixon impeached on charges of:– Obstruction of justice, abuse of power, refusal to

obey congressional order.• Congress would then vote to remove Nixon

from office; removal seemed probable.• August 8, 1974-Nixon announced on tv that he

would resign Presidency at noon, August 9.– Nixon returned to CA, Gerald Ford sworn in as

President.