Most Americans believed that justice was done when Nixon resigned after the Supremes ordered him to hand over his White House tapes. After all, we'd been hearing about the Watergate scandal for a year and were inundated with newspaper and television coverage about all the gory details and unsavory characters. We knew that Nixon was stalling; we suspected he had plenty to hide.
Who better to decide whether he had to hand over the tapes than the Supreme Court? The highest court in the land; the uber-judges who ultimately decide what is and what isn't consistent with our laws; the last word on justice and fairness; the Court of no backsies. Nixon didn't think it was any of their business, but the Court felt different. The ball's in our Court, they said, and agreed to hear the case: U.S. v. Nixon.
Bottom line? Americans got to see that even the president wasn't above the law. Justice was done, and Nixon was out. Just like that.
Questions About Justice and Judgment
- Do you think President Ford's pardon of Nixon was just?
- Despite his considerable foreign policy achievements, do you think it's fair that Nixon is mostly remembered for his illegal activities in the Watergate affair?
- Should a president face jail time for crimes committed in office?
- Has any president done something worse than Nixon and gotten away with it?
Chew on This
President Nixon's full pardon by President Ford essentially allowed him to escape justice.
President Nixon's resignation was the ultimate justice delivered to the American people.